NASCAR Fines Busch $50,000

Kyle Busch felt the sting of his angry toss in his wallet Wednesday, when NASCAR fined him $50,000 for throwing a safety device at Casey Mears’ passing car.

Busch was also docked 25 driver points and put on probation until the end of the year, and car owner Rick Hendrick was docked 25 championship points.

The monetary fine ties several others for second-highest in NASCAR history, behind only the $60,000 that Ray Evernham was fined in 1995.

It signifies that NASCAR is running out of a patience with the 21-year-old Busch, who overreacted when Mears accidentally wrecked him late in Sunday’s race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. The two were running with the leaders when Mears bobbled, hit the wall, and bounced into Busch’s car.

As two NASCAR officials tried to help Busch take the mandatory ride to the care center, Busch tried to break free from them to get at Mears’ car. He then feebly threw a safety device, which missed its target, before being pulled off the track surface.

In penalizing him, NASCAR said Busch “disobeyed a directive from a NASCAR official, entered the racing surface without authorization and threw an object at another competitor’s car during the event.”

Busch was contrite Wednesday.

“I lost my composure and disrespected NASCAR, especially its officials, and put my own team in a difficult position,” he said. “The bottom line is I made a mistake that’s a poor reflection on everyone I care about and there isn’t anything that justifies it.”

Busch is having a rocky second season in NASCAR, with a pair of run-ins with two-time champion Tony Stewart and a previous incident with Mears.

The latest one has convinced Mears that Busch needs to grow up.

“Kyle got caught up in a mess that really wasn’t his fault,” Mears said. “I can understand that he would be upset, but he definitely way overreacted.”

Mears, who like Busch was contending for the victory, damaged his car and wound up 23rd. The two had an earlier altercation at Phoenix in April when Busch retaliated for previous contact by hitting Mears’ car under a red flag.

Meanwhile, NASCAR also penalized Jeremy Mayfield’s team for failing inspection after the race. Mayfield’s car was too low, resulting in a $35,000 fine for crew chief Ted Andrews and the loss of 25 driver points for Mayfield and 25 championship points for car owner Evernham.

JURISPRUDENCE

Reporters Challenge Bonds’ Leak Subpoena

The two reporters who disclosed allegations of steroid use by the San Francisco Giants’ Barry Bonds should not be forced to testify before a grand jury, their lawyers argued in papers filed in San Francisco.

The reporting by San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams forced drug reforms in Major League Baseball, triggered congressional hearings and was praised by President Bush.

They were subpoenaed earlier this month by federal prosecutors trying to learn who leaked transcripts of testimony before a grand jury that eventually indicted five people, including a trainer of Bonds, for giving anabolic steroids to athletes.

The Chronicle ran stories based on the grand jury material, including admissions of steroid use by former world record-holding sprinter Tim Montgomery.

The reporters face the prospect of a citation for contempt of court if they refuse to identify their source or sources, according to their lawyer, Eve B. Burton.

“Reporters should never be compelled to reveal their confidential sources for truthful reporting on a matter of substantial public concern,” Burton said.

A Phoenix Suns fan has accused Cassandra Johnson, the wife of Dallas Mavericks Coach Avery Johnson, of assaulting her in the stands during Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday at US Airways Arena.

Rebecca Kettle told police that Cassandra Johnson hit her twice in the shoulder during a confrontation. According to a police report, an officer read Johnson her rights before questioning her.

Johnson acknowledged arguing with Kettle but denied making any physical contact, the police report said.

Phoenix police said the case would be turned over to the city prosecutor to decide if any misdemeanor charge should be filed.

Kettle was ejected from the game, along with her boyfriend Jose Martinez, after she made an obscene gesture.

PRO FOOTBALL

Arbitrator Rules for McNair in Workouts

The Tennessee Titans must let quarterback Steve McNair work out on their property as long as he has a contract with the team, arbitrator John Feerick ruled.

Feerick heard more than seven hours of testimony May 16 on charges that the Titans breached McNair’s contract by barring him on April 3 from working out at the team’s headquarters. The union filed the grievance, arguing he should be allowed to work out on the property or be released.

Titans general counsel Steve Underwood said he believed the decision reflected some quirks of Tennessee state law but did not find that the team violated the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

McNair, 33, is under contract for the 2006 season and due a salary of $9 million.

Declaring himself fit to be the starting running back, DeShaun Foster opened the Carolina Panthers’ minicamp showing no ill effects from the broken ankle that knocked him out of the playoffs last season.

Despite a history of injuries, the Panthers gave Foster a three-year, $15-million contract during the off-season and released Stephen Davis.

SOCCER

World Cup Qualifiers Post Mixed Results

Only three of the seven World Cup qualifiers playing warmup matches came away with wins -- France, Iran and Paraguay.

Italy and Switzerland had to settle for a 1-1 draw in Geneva, while Trinidad and Tobago lost to Slovenia, 3-1, in Ljubljana and Saudi Arabia beat Turkey, 1-0.

France beat Denmark, 2-0, in Lens. Iran had to overturn a two-goal deficit to beat Bosnia, 5-2, in Tehran while Paraguay edged Georgia, 1-0, in Dormbirsh, Austria.

MISCELLANY

Ex-Riverside Coach Joins Long Beach State

John Masi, former head basketball coach at UC Riverside, was hired by Long Beach State as an assistant coach.

Masi spent 26 years as the head coach at UC Riverside before serving as a volunteer coach at Cal State San Bernardino and a consultant at Citrus Junior College last season.

Masi and 49er Coach Larry Reynolds coached together at UC Riverside from 1979 to 1995.

UC Irvine men’s volleyball Coach John Speraw was named coach of the year by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn., in conjunction with Tachikara USA, Inc. Speraw led the Anteaters to a school-best 27-5 record and to the semifinal round of the NCAA championship in his fourth season as head coach.

USC senior Taylor Wood shot a six-under 66 and is tied for second and one shot off the lead after the first round of the NCAA Golf Championships at Sunriver, Ore.

Three UCLA softball players were named Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Americans. Andrea Duran, the Pacific 10 Conference player of the year, was named a first-team All-American at third base, as was sophomore pitcher Anjelica Selden as an at-large selection. Senior Caitlin Benyi earned second-team honors at second base.

Sophomore Taylor Petty (21-2) pitched a one-hitter and struck out 13 and Katelyn Oro and Vanessa Spychaj each drove in two runs as San Pedro (30-2) won its City Section-record 13th championship with a 5-0 victory over Wilmington Banning (19-7) at UCLA’s Easton Stadium.

Thousand Oaks High senior Sam Querrey ended months of indecision by signing a contract with SFX Sports Group last week and will forgo college tennis to play professionally.