Briefs | Auto Racing: Brian Vickers penalized, crew chief suspended

Auto racing

Vickers docked points, Hamlin fined: Brian Vickers was docked 150 driver points and crew chief Kevin Hamlin was fined $100,000 by NASCAR on Wednesday because the Red Bull Racing team dipped its sheet metal in acid to make it lighter than required.

Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz also was docked 150 owner points, while Hamlin and car chief Craig Smokstad were both suspended indefinitely.

Red Bull Racing general manager Jay Frye said the team accepted responsibility and would not appeal.

The infraction was discovered after the No. 83 Toyota was randomly selected for a postrace inspection following Vickers' 11th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. The car's sheet metal did not meet minimum thickness requirements.

There are just four races left in the season and typical crew-chief suspensions have been for six weeks. It was not clear if Hamlin and Smokstad's suspensions will carry over into 2009 and the season-opening Daytona 500.

Vickers is tied for a career-best 15th in the standings, but the penalty drops him to 17th.

Ford extends deal with Roush Fenway Racing: Despite a dismal economic outlook for U.S. automakers, the Ford Motor Co. extended its support of Roush Fenway Racing's NASCAR program. The extension is believed to be a five-year deal.

Cycling

Mont Ventoux near finish of Tour de France: In a break with tradition, the notorious ascent of Mont Ventoux will be featured on the next-to-last day of the Tour de France in a tradition-busting innovation aimed at keeping the suspense going to the very end.

Lance Armstrong, the seven-time winner who is launching a comeback, was notably absent from the unveiling in Paris of the 2009 route. Close friend and team manager Johan Bruyneel did attend and said there's only a "50-50" chance Armstrong will take the Tour start on the Fourth of July.

Bossoni banned for two years: Paolo Bossoni of Italy was banned for two years for doping by the Italian Olympic Committee.

Piepoli misses hearing: Leonardo Piepoli of Italy failed to show up for a hearing in Rome called to look into his positive doping tests at the Tour de France.

Tennis

Blake advances, Fish upset at Swiss Indoors: Fourth-seeded James Blake advanced to the second round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland, beating Germany's Nicolas Kiefer 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Fellow American Mardy Fish, the No. 8 seed, was upset by Feliciano Lopez of Spain 7-6 (11-9), 6-4.

Murray triumphs: Defending champion Andy Murray beat Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-3 to reach the second round of the St. Petersburg Open in Russia. Nikolay Davydenko pulled out because of a wrist injury.

Radwanska reaches quarterfinals: Third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland beat Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-2, 6-4 to reach the Generali Ladies quarterfinals in Linz, Austria.

Boxing

Holyfield in court: Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was back in court in Atlanta, again facing the possibility of jail time in a child-support case, but a settlement was reached after he agreed to a $100,000 college fund for his 10-year-old son.

Holyfield also consented to pay private-school tuition before college, reinstated health insurance for his son and settled $4,500 in attorney fees, according to the mother's lawyer.

College basketball

Georgia Tech loses captain: Georgia Tech senior guard and team captain D'Andre Bell will have season-ending surgery to correct a spinal condition, but he said he still hopes to compete in the 2009-10 season.

Tar Heels picked first: The North Carolina women's team was the preseason pick to claim its fifth straight league title, receiving 15 of 42 first-place votes.

NHL

Sabres captain has knee surgery: Buffalo Sabres captain Craig Rivet will miss at least two weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery.

Golf

Player in trouble after comment at airport: U.S. Amateur winner Danny Lee was detained by airport authorities for making an inappropriate comment while checking in for an international flight in Auckland, New Zealand.

Bobsled

Swiss pilot guilty of doping: Swiss pilot Martin Galliker, a European silver medalist last season, has tested positive for doping with testosterone and has resigned from his team.

Seattle Times news services