Auto Racing
Busch back in the saddle and into pole position
LOUDON, N.H. – Kyle Busch turned a lap of 138.130 mph Friday to win the pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
It’s the second pole of the season for Busch, who will be joined on the front row by Jimmie Johnson for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race.
Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart and Jamie McMurray finished 3-4-5, respectively.
Points leader Jeff Gordon will start 11th.
Dixon wins Iowa IndyCar pole – so, good luck with that
NEWTON, Iowa – Scott Dixon will start from the pole for Saturday’s IndyCar race at the Iowa Speedway.
Dixon will be joined on the top line by Target Chip Ganassi teammate Tony Kanaan after Friday’s single-car qualifying.
Helio Castroneves will start third, followed by Ryan Briscoe, Carlos Muñoz and Sebastien Bourdais.
Team Penske has three of the top four drivers in the points chase with co-leaders Castroneves and Will Power and last week’s winner, Juan Pablo Montoya. But Penske never has won in seven starts at Iowa, while Andretti Autosport drivers have won four in a row on Iowa’s short track.
The pole winner never has gone on to win an IndyCar race in Iowa.
College Football
College Football Hall of Fame will open Aug. 23 in Atlanta
ATLANTA – The new College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta will open Aug. 23.
The date was announced Thursday.
The opening of the 94,000-square-foot facility was timed to coincide with two games at the Georgia Dome to begin the college football season: Boise State vs. Mississippi on Aug. 28, followed two days later by Alabama vs. West Virginia.
The hall previously was located in South Bend, Indiana, but was plagued by poor attendance. Five years ago, the National Football Foundation announced a deal to move it to Atlanta, on a site near the Georgia Dome and overlooking Centennial Olympic Park.
MLB
Lucroy will start for the NL; Montero spells Molina
NEW YORK – Milwaukee’s Jonathan Lucroy will replace injured St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina as the National League’s starter for Tuesday night’s All-Star game.
The commissioner’s office said Friday that Arizona’s Miguel Montero will fill Molina’s roster spot.
Elected to start for the fourth time, Molina tore a ligament in his right thumb Wednesday. He was scheduled for surgery Friday and is expected to be sidelined for at least eight weeks.
Yankees trade for former Rockies lefty Francis
BALTIMORE – The New York Yankees obtained left-handed pitcher Jeff Francis from the Oakland Athletics for cash and a player to be named.
The 33-year-old Francis was claimed off waivers by the A’s from Cincinnati on May 18 and went 0-1 with his first career save and a 6.08 earned-run average in nine relief appearances with Oakland.
Francis is 0-2 with a 5.89 ERA in 10 games this season and 70-80 with a 4.95 ERA in his career with Cincinnati, Colorado, Kansas City and Oakland.
Soccer
U.S. soccer will play Ireland on Nov. 19 in Dublin
CHICAGO – The United States’ soccer team is planning an exhibition game against Ireland on Nov. 19 in Dublin.
The Independent in Ireland reported the game Friday. The U.S. Soccer Federation has not announced the match yet because all the paperwork has not been signed.
After reaching the second round of consecutive World Cups for the first time, the Americans will start the next four-year cycle with an exhibition against the Czech Republic on Sept. 3 in Prague.
Associated Press
