Auto Racing
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Joey Logano won the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway on Friday.
It is the third consecutive pole for Logano on the smallest and oldest track in the premier series. He’s the first driver to do that on the 0.526-mile oval since Jeff Gordon won three in a row in 2003-04.
The last time the series visited Martinsville, Logano had perhaps his best chance to win, but a simmering feud with Matt Kenseth boiled over and Kenseth took Logano out while he was leading the race with 46 laps remaining.
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Helio Castroneves had the fastest qualifying lap during a day of records in IndyCar’s return to Phoenix International Raceway on Friday.
Castroneves had the final of six track-record runs on the mile oval, turning a lap at 192.324 mph for a two-lap elapsed time of 38.2604 seconds for his 46th career pole.
Tony Kanaan will start on the front row with Castroneves in Saturday night’s 250-mile race, the first at PIR since 2005.
Cycling
COLORADO SPRINGS – Olympic veteran Bobby Lea has been added to the U.S. team for the Rio Games after the track cyclist’s successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport resulted in a reduced doping suspension.
The medal hopeful was suspended 16 months after a test during last year’s track national championships revealed a metabolite of oxycodone in his sample. Lea acknowledged taking the prescription painkiller Percocet without realizing it contained a banned substance.
Lea appealed his suspension to sport’s highest court and it was reduced to six months, allowing him to compete in Rio if he was selected to the team.
GOlf
HOUSTON – Charley Hoffman had a 2-under 70 for a one-shot lead over Jamie Lovemark at the Houston Open on Friday.
Lovemark was one of four players to shoot the day’s low score, 68, under conditions that worsened as the afternoon went on, which helped protect Hoffman from the field.
A 93-minute morning weather delay brought on by rain and lightning in the area ensured that 27 players will have to complete the second round Saturday morning.
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Lexi Thompson birdied the final hole for a 4-under 68 and a share of the ANA Inspiration lead with Ai Miyazato on Friday.
The 21-year-old American holed a 30-foot putt on the par-5 18th to reach 7 under at Mission Hills in the LPGA Tour’s first major championship of the year. She won the event in 2014.
Miyazato, also tied for the first-round lead, followed her opening 67 with a 70. The 30-year-old Japanese player also finished with a birdie, hitting to 2 feet on the par-5 ninth.
Tiger Woods is going to Augusta National next week – to eat, not play.
Woods made it official Friday. Recovery from two back surgeries last year has not progressed to the point where it’s wise for him to tee it up at the Masters. It will be the second time in the last three years that Woods has not played the Masters.
He has said all along that he will not rush his return to golf. Woods turned 40 on Dec. 30.
He said he plans to be at the Champions Dinner on Tuesday.
Associated Press
