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Gordon Wins Race After Bumping Out Kenseth

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From Times Staff and Wire Reports

A bang from Jeff Gordon’s bumper sent Matt Kenseth spinning out of the lead with four laps to go in regulation during Sunday’s Nextel Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., then Gordon held on in a two-lap overtime period to win his second race of the season and 75th of his career.

Kenseth, who dominated the second half of the race and appeared to be on his way to his third victory of the season when Gordon hit him, said Gordon did it on purpose to pay him back for a brush this season.

“That wasn’t an accident,” Kenseth said.

Kenseth tangled with Gordon during the March 26 race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, and Gordon shoved him in a confrontation after the race.

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NASCAR officials fined Gordon $10,000 and put him on probation until Aug. 30. Kenseth figures Gordon just waited for that controversy to die down to serve up his revenge.

“He is not going to do it next week or the week after,” Kenseth said. “He will wait. So I know it was intentional, but that is OK. Part of it is my fault -- we got slow.”

Gordon said he didn’t wreck Kenseth on purpose.

But given the recent history between the two drivers and Gordon’s hunger to race his way into NASCAR’s version of the playoffs, Gordon said Kenseth should have expected rough treatment.

“When it came down with five to go, he should have expected, if I could get to his bumper, there was going to be some action,” Gordon said.

With Sunday’s victory, Gordon climbed two spots to 10th in the standings, improving his chances of qualifying for the 10-race, season-ending Chase for the Nextel Cup championship format.

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A.J. Allmendinger won the Champ Car World Series’ Molson Grand Prix of Toronto to become the first U.S.-born driver to win three races in a row on the circuit since Al Unser Jr. in 1994.

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Paul Tracy, Allmendinger’s veteran teammate, made it a 1-2 Forsythe sweep after making tough passes on two-time defending series champion Sebastien Bourdais and pole-winner Justin Wilson for position midway through the race.

Tracy had a shot at winning his third Toronto race after a crash involving 19-year-old Nelson Philippe and Oriol Servia brought out the third caution flag of the race late in the 86-lap event on the 1.755-mile temporary street circuit.

The local favorite -- from suburban Toronto -- was behind Allmendinger on the restart on Lap 83, but couldn’t get close enough at the end to make it a race. Tracy wound up 1.851 seconds behind his teammate.

HOCKEY

Shanahan Agrees to Contract With Rangers

Brendan Shanahan became the second big-time forward to say goodbye to the Detroit Red Wings this off-season, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $4 million with the New York Rangers.

The forward, 37, joined longtime Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman as players who won’t be returning to Hockeytown. Yzerman announced his retirement last week.

“It really came down to an instinct I had,” Shanahan said. “Detroit has a great past and a great future ahead of them as well, but I guess I just felt that maybe I was identified with the past a little bit more than the future.”

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Shanahan, who has 598 goals -- 15th on the NHL’s all-time list -- turned down equal or more lucrative deals from the Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens.

Shanahan earned $2.28 million in Detroit last season when, while working on a one-year deal, he recorded the sixth 40-goal season of his career and first since the 1999-2000 campaign.

HORSE RACING

Barbaro Develops Injury Complications

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro has developed “potentially serious” complications to his injured right hind leg, and underwent surgery to treat a new infection.

Late Saturday, the 3-year-old colt, who shattered his leg at the start of the Preakness on May 20, had a titanium plate and a number of screws replaced after developing discomfort in the leg and a “consistently” high temperature.

The surgery was performed at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, where Barbaro has been recovering in the intensive care unit.

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Making his first start since Feb. 19, Railroad, a 5-1 shot, ran down pacesetter Slew’s Prince to win the $71,490 Robert K. Kerlan Memorial Handicap at Hollywood Park.

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It was the eighth win in 20 starts for the 4-year-old Double Honor gelding, who is owned by Wind River Stables and trained by Brian Koriner. Tyler Baze was aboard Railroad, who has three wins in six starts on the turf after covering the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:01.94.

Taikun, the odds-on favorite, finished third.

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After Market, the 4-5 favorite, remained unbeaten with a victory over Carnera and three others in the $107,400 Lexington, a Grade III, at Belmont Park.

-- Bob Mieszerski

MISCELLANY

Ravens’ Green Stabbed During Altercation

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roderick Green was stabbed early Sunday during a fight at a bowling alley in Randallstown, Md., Baltimore County police said.

Green was taken to Sinai Hospital. Ravens spokesman Kevin Byrne told WBFF-TV that Green’s injury doesn’t appear to be serious.

Police said a fight broke out when Green bumped into another bowler. Green tried to break it off and left the bowling alley, but the man came after him and stabbed him in the parking lot.

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Justin Gatlin, the co-world-record holder in the 100-meter dash, has pulled out of Tuesday’s Athletissima Grand Prix track meet at Lausanne, Switzerland, because of knee problems.

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