Gordon back in Victory Lane at Daytona qualifier

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Feb 12, 2009 | by Anonymous

A.J. Allmendinger, who grew up in San Jose, had to slip on his sunglasses so his tears wouldn't show. Jeremy Mayfield got so choked up he couldn't talk on his car radio. Scott Riggs felt as if he'd just won the biggest stock-car race of the year.

They're hardly NASCAR's most famous drivers, but they were surely its most grateful after locking up the few remaining starting spots for Sunday's Daytona 500 with their performances in Thursday's qualifying races.

Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch had the honor of roaring into Victory Lane after winning the back-to-back, 150-mile races at Florida's Daytona International Speedway. Gordon's victory in the first race snapped a 16-month winless streak.

Thursday's 150-milers also set the starting order for Sunday's race from positions No. 3 to 43. Martin Truex Jr. locked up the pole by turning in the fastest qualifying lap last week. Mark Martin, who was second fastest, will line up alongside. As victors of Thursday's races, Gordon and Busch will start third and fourth. Rookie Scott Speed of Manteca will start 38th.

High school

The family of star Mississippi high school football player Billey Joe Johnson and the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People aren't done pressing for an explanation of how the 17-year-old accidentally shot and killed himself with his own shotgun during a traffic stop, as a grand jury concluded Thursday.

Johnson, a junior at southern Mississippi's George County High, died of a wound to the left side of his head on Dec. 8 after a deputy pulled him over for running a red light. After an initial investigation, authorities said the wound was self-inflicted.

Cycling

Floyd Landis crashed his bike in Sacramento during a training run for the upcoming Tour of California. The 2006 winner still plans to compete in his first race back from a two-year doping ban, which expired Jan. 30. The Tour begins with a prologue Saturday in downtown Sacramento.

Olympics

Chicago and Tokyo submitted their official bid books to the International Olympic Committee for the 2016 Summer Games. Madrid and Rio de Janeiro delivered their documents on Wednesday. The IOC will select the host city by secret ballot Oct. 2.

Horse racing

Kentucky Derby hopeful Vineyard Haven faded in the stretch and finished fourth behind stablemate Desert Party in the UAE 2000 Guineas in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the colt's 3-year-old debut for owner Sheik Mohammed.

Diving

Olympians David Boudia, Troy Dumais, Chris Colwill, Christina Loukas, Ariel Rittenhouse and Haley Ishimatsu were among nine American divers chosen to compete at the world championships.

Tennis

Serena Williams, after beating Karolina Sprem 6-1, 6-2 in the second round at the Open GDF Suez in Paris, joined the chorus of top tennis players who believe new anti-doping measures on athletes are too strong.

Skiing

Lindsey Vonn's sliced thumb has already cost her one race at the world championships in Val D'isere, France, and she is doubtful for Saturday's slalom. Vonn missed Thursday's giant slalom won by Kathrin Hoelzl of Germany. Vonn spent the day on the slopes, but she was just trying out a specially designed splint. After surgery to fix the damage to her tendon caused when she grabbed a broken champagne bottle while celebrating her downhill win Monday, Vonn is struggling to find a way to protect her hand against the gates.

Golf

Michelle Wie made her debut as a full-fledged LPGA Tour member, birdieing her final three holes for a 6-under 66 in the first round of the season-opening SBS Open in Kahuku, Hawaii. Wie, the 19-year- old Stanford student was a stroke behind leader Angela Stanford.