Briefs | Talks progress on open-wheel merger

Auto racing

Multiple Web sites report a preliminary agreement: The Indy Racing League continued to make progress with Champ Car to unify open-wheel racing, but Tuesday passed without a formal agreement, a spokesman for IRL founder Tony George said.

"We are still trading drafts of a [possible] agreement," Fred Nation said. "We are whittling away at the issues, but they have not been eliminated. We're optimistic these things can be resolved but because of the persons involved it's always possible that one of them will decide they don't want to [unify]."

Nation said George, who is in Florida attending a motor-sports safety conference, is negotiating with Champ Car owner Kevin Kalkhoven. Kalkhoven is working on behalf of fellow Champ Car owners Gerald Forsythe, Paul Gentilozzi and Dan Pettit.

Web sites including SPEEDtv.com and ESPN.com reported there is a preliminary agreement and said an announcement is expected this week.

SPEEDtv.com reported "an agreement is in place to bring several Champ Car teams and a handful of races into the IRL domain" for the 2008 season.

Daytona 500 rating rises 1 percent: The preliminary rating for NASCAR's season-opening Daytona 500 was up 1 percent from last year's event in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Sunday's race on Fox — won by Ryan Newman — drew a 10.2 rating, or about 17.8 million viewers, compared with a 10.1 rating for last year's race.

Karl dies: Jerry Karl, who started six times in the Indianapolis 500 between 1973 and 1981, died Saturday from injuries he suffered in a car crash in Baltimore. He was 66.

Karl's best Indy 500 finish was in 1975, when he was 13th.

WNBA

Fever acquires Douglas in trade with Connecticut: The Indiana Fever acquired All-Star forward Katie Douglas — a former standout at Purdue — in a trade with the Connecticut Sun.

The Fever sent forward Tamika Whitmore, the 12th pick in this year's draft and the rights to former Duke guard Jessica Foley to the Sun.

Douglas, 28, requested the trade.

"I wanted to get back home to hopefully finish out my career," said Douglas, who averaged 17 points last year.

Connecticut also announced it has signed guard Lindsay Whalen, 25, to a three-year contract.

Tennis

Ivanisevic to be questioned: Goran Ivanisevic will be questioned by police in Croatia because a photographer said the 2001 Wimbledon champion attacked him and smashed his camera.

Boris Beribak of the local tabloid Story said Ivanisevic assaulted him Monday while Beribak and other photographers were waiting in front of Ivanisevic's Zagreb home, police said.

Olympics

Dutch lawmaker calls for boycott of Beijing's opening ceremony: A Dutch lawmaker said he wants an international boycott of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics to protest China's human-rights record.

Joel Voordewind, a member of the Christian Union party, said he would like governments around the world to support the boycott and lean on sponsors to use their financial clout with Beijing.

"It is possible to take part in the Games but skip the party beforehand," he said. "Such a ceremony is only intended to glorify the host, China."

Voordewind also suggested setting up a venue in Beijing during the Games where visitors can discuss human rights. He expected opposition from organizers, but said, "If the Chinese are against the plan, that means they are against human rights."

The Beijing organizing committee has said it believes "excellent ceremonies will be presented to the world."

Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee president, said he expects many heads of state — including President Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy — to attend the opening ceremony Aug. 8.

Costs for 2014 Games rise: Costs for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, have doubled from the amount planned, Russian government auditor Sergei Stepashin said.

Russia was awarded the Games last year, with an ambitious plan to build almost all facilities from scratch at the Black Sea resort.

Among them was an elaborate light-rail system, part of a $12.8 billion federal program to develop Sochi as a world-class resort. The government had said it would contribute $7.5 billion, with the rest of the money coming from private investors.

Horse racing

Board votes to shut down New York City OTB: The nation's largest legal off-track-betting operation could reach the finish line this summer.

The board of directors for the financially troubled New York City Off-Track Betting voted to shut down the struggling enterprise. The plan is to lay off employees and end betting in mid-June; officials say NYC OTB handles more than $1 billion in bets per year.

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