Auto Racing
Punching out punishment: Fines hit Hendrick team
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Hendrick Motorsports will pay the $185,000 in fines levied against six crew members for their role in a post-race fight at Texas between Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski.
NASCAR fined and suspended four Hendrick team members, while the crew chiefs for Gordon and Kasey Kahne also were fined.
Hendrick Motorsports general manager Doug Duchardt said Wednesday on Sirius XM that the organization would cover all the fines.
NASCAR fined Kahne crew member Jeremy Fuller and Gordon crew members Dwayne Doucette and Jason Ingle $25,000 each. All three were also suspended for six races.
Gordon crew member Dean Mozingo was fined $10,000 and suspended three races. Crew chiefs Kenny Francis and Alan Gustafson were fined $50,000 each.
F1 drivers waiting on teams to decide their future
SAO PAULO – The fates of former champions Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel remain in doubt with the Formula One season nearly over and teams holding off on announcing their lineups for 2015.
Speculation about driver moves are not uncommon late in the season, but this time two of the series’ greatest stars and some of its biggest teams are involved in the rumors, igniting doubts over much of the grid.
Four-time champion Vettel is leaving Red Bull but hasn’t said where he’s going. Two-time champ Alonso is undecided about whether he will stay at Ferrari, and one-time champ Button still hasn’t been told whether he will keep his place at McLaren.
Golf
McDowell’s hot start gives him lead in Shanghai
SHANGHAI – Graeme McDowell opened with seven birdies in 12 holes and hung on for a 5-under 67 on Thursday for a two-shot lead in the HSBC Champions.
Sheshan International is as tough as it has ever been with thick rough and narrower fairways. That didn’t seem to bother McDowell. He kept hitting it right down the middle and converting putts to open strong in the final World Golf Championship of the year.
Rickie Fowler also got off to a fast start before he settled down. Fowler had a 69, along with Tim Clark, Tommy Fleetwood, Chris Kirk and Brandt Snedeker.
McDowell is the only player to finish in the top 10 in the previous three WGCs this year.
NFL
The talk is over in the appeal hearing of Ray Rice
NEW YORK – A hearing for Ray Rice appealing his NFL suspension has concluded after two days and testimony from the former running back and the head of the league.
Rice and his wife Janay Rice left the hearing separately Thursday about three hours apart, after each testified at the New York office of a neutral arbiter. The arbitration hearing will determine whether the NFL overstepped its authority in modifying a two-game suspension of Rice, making it indefinite after video of the running back hitting his wife was released by TMZ.
Swimming
Phelps gets some more time to build DUI case
BALTIMORE – Michael Phelps’ trial on a driving under the influence charge has been postponed by a month.
The 18-time Olympic champion had been scheduled for trial on Nov. 19. It’s been moved to Dec. 19 at the request of his attorney.
Phelps was charged Sept. 30 with DUI, excessive speed and crossing double lane lines on Interstate 95 in his native Baltimore. Police say he registered .14 percent on a blood-alcohol test; The legal limit is .08 percent in Maryland.
Associated Press
