Off the wire

— MOTOR SPORTS

Bowyer appeal denied

An appeals committee denied Richard Childress Racing’s request to have Clint Bowyer’s penalty reversed, and the team owner vowedWednesday to fight the decision to NASCAR’s highest level. Richard Childress emerged from NASCAR’s research and development center after a nearly 5-hour hearing fighting the 150-point penalty levied against Bowyer after the car hedrove to victory Sept. 19 at New Hampshire failed inspection. “After so many hours of whatever you want to call this, the ruling stood,” the team owner said. “I gave them the check and an appeal notice to the commissioner. We’re very disappointed. Nothing unexpected the way this thing works.” Childress said he paid the fee and made a formal request to appeal Wednesday’s decision to NASCAR chief appellate officer John Middlebrook, a former General Motors executive. The decision from the three-member panel was unanimous. On the panel for the appeal was Lyn St. James, a former driver who made several Indianapolis 500 starts, former crew chief and engine builder Waddell Wilson, and John Capels, a former USAC official and IndyCar team owner. “All of the facts we used to issue NASCAR’s original penalty were just displayed to the three other people on the panel,” Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said. “They asked a lot of questions. They are very informed people and they were definitely on track to collect all the information.” Bowyer and his RCR team were penalized last Wednesday, three days after his victory in the opening race for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. The victory snapped an 88-race winless streak and pushed Bowyer from 12th to second in the standings, 35 points behind Denny Hamlin. The penalty dropped Bowyer to 12th in the standings, and after a disappointing race Sunday at Dover, he trails Hamlin by 235 points with eight Chase races remaining. Childress also was docked 150 owners points.

BASEBALL

Tigers’ Cabrera out

Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera will miss the rest of the season because of a sprained right ankle, Manager Jim Leyland announced Wednesday before the start of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. Cabrera, whose 126 RBI leads the majors, was injured on a pickoff attempt at first base Monday night and hoped to return during Detroit’s final six games. A magnetic resonance imaging performed Tuesday night revealed a high ankle sprain and Cabrera will not accompany the team to Baltimore for its final four-game series.

Injured Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria will have his status updated today. Longoria was out of the lineup for the sixth consecutive game Wednesday night because of a strained left quadriceps. He took batting practice and increased his agility workout before Tampa Bay’s regular season home finale against Baltimore. Tampa Bay Manager Joe Maddon says he doesn’t expect Longoria to play in tonight’s game at Kansas City, but plans to see how the infielder is feeling. Longoria, hitting .294 with 22 home runs and 104 RBI in 151 games this season, was hurt making a defensive play in game against the New York Yankees last Thursday. “We’re overly cautious with this,” Maddon said. The Rays clinched their second playoff berth in three seasons Tuesday night.

Seattle Mariners officials will meet today to determine if Felix Hernandez will start the season finale or if the right-hander has thrown his last pitch of the season. Hernandez (13-12) allowed 1 run over 8 innings in a 3-1 victory over Texas on Tuesday night for his 30th quality start of the season. He has an AL-best 2.27 ERA, but also leads theleague with 249 2 /3 innings pitched. Hernandez wants to pitch. After his start Tuesday, Hernandez said, “It’s five days on Sunday, I’ve got to pitch.” The Mariners, though, want to limit his innings. Interim manager Daren Brown says the Mariners are going to do what’s best for Hernandez and the organization. The 24-year-old Hernandez threw 238 2 /3 innings last season, up from 200 2 /3 innings in 2008.

Josh Hamilton hopes to return to the Texas Rangers lineup by Friday, though the AL West champions will go into the playoffs without reliever Frank Francisco. Hamilton took swings in the batting cage for the third day in a row Wednesday, hitting 10 balls off a tee and about 40 tossed balls. The majors’ leading hitter (.361) took the last few swings at nearly full speed and said he felt good. The AL MVP candidate has been out since he broke two ribs after making a catch and crashing into an outfield wall Sept. 4 at Minnesota.

BASKETBALL

Taurasi leads U.S. women

Diana Taurasi scored 24 points and Sylvia Fowles added 15 to help the United States beat Australia 83-75 at the women’s basketball world championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, earning the top seed in the quarterfinals. Tina Charles had 14 points for the U.S. (6-0), which will face South Korea on Friday in Karlovy Vary. Australia (5-1) will take on the Czech Republic. The Americans improved to 9-0 all-time against theAussies at the worlds. Liz Cambage scored 18 points to lead the defending world champions, while Lauren Jackson added 13.

CYCLING

Contador tests positive

Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador tested positive for a banned steroid during this year’s race and has been suspended by cycling’s governing body. A lab in Germany found clenbuterol in Contador’s urine sample on July 21 at theTour de France, according to a statement from the UCI. But the amount was “400 time(s) less than what the antidoping laboratories accredited by WADA must be able to detect,” the cycling organization said. Both Contador’s A and B samples tested positive and the cyclist has been “formally and provisionally suspended,” the UCI said. Jacinto Vidarte, Contador’s publicist, released a statement Wednesday saying the cyclist insists food contamination is the only possible explanation. Contador will hold a news conference today in Pinto, Spain. He was first made aware of the positive test on Aug. 24, according to Vidarte’s statement. In July, Contador won the Tour de France for the third time in four years, beating Andy Schleck of Luxembourg by 39 seconds. If Tour officials strip Contador of his title, he would be just the second cyclist to be punished. The first was American Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour title after a positive test.

ODDS & ENDS

WAC considering Montana

The commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference says the league is seriously considering Montana as it looks for new members. Commissioner Karl Benson told the Missoulian in Missoula, Mont., “that as the WAC goes forward with its plan for future membership, the University of Montana is high on our list. And the assets that Montana could bring to the WAC are very significant,” including the university’s academic profile and its successful football and men’s and women’s basketball teams. Benson spoke to the newspaper Tuesday, the same day Montana Athletic Director Jim O’Day was in Dallas attending a 90 minute “information gathering” meeting with the WAC presidents and athletic directors. O’Day has said he expects Montana will receive an invitation to join the WAC, and some tough decisions will have to be made about whether to leave the Big Sky Conference and move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Sports, Pages 20 on 09/30/2010

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