Martin Feels Special Again at Texas Track

Mark Martin will always have a special relationship with the Texas Motor Speedway at Fort Worth. After all, he was the first driver to turn a lap at the track while it was being built, then he won the track’s first NASCAR race.

On Sunday, Martin’s bond became even stronger as he won the Winston Cup Texas 500, leading Jack Roush Racing teammate Chad Little to the finish line and taming a track that gave drivers fits all week.

“I paced myself all day long. Sure enough, the complexion of the race changed just when we thought it would,” said Martin.

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Kenny Bernstein, Cruz Pedregon, Mark Osborne and Matt Hines were winners Sunday at the 10th annual Winston Invitational, NHRA’s $650,000 All-Star race at Rockingham, N.C.

Soccer

The U.S. Olympic Committee has put U.S. Soccer on probation and given the federation three months to amend its rules or face expulsion. The USOC contends that the organization does not meet U.S. Amateur Sports Act requirements regarding membership and athlete representation.

The federation must make the changes before the USOC board’s next meeting Oct. 10-11 in Phoenix.

Alan Shearer fired Newcastle into the FA Cup final against Arsenal at London. The captain of the English national team netted a rebound in the 60th minute for a goal that beat Sheffield United, 1-0.

Miscellany

Rick Majerus, who spurned an offer from Arizona State after leading Utah to the NCAA title game, will meet with Texas officials to discuss their coaching vacancy, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

Dan Kendra, Florida State’s starting quarterback, may be lost for the 1998 season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in an intrasquad scrimmage. The injury leaves Florida State, which plays USC this season, with only one healthy scholarship quarterback, sophomore Chris Weinke. Sophomore Marcus Outzen was knocked out of spring practice when he separated his right shoulder.

Junior middleweight Rodney Jones (19-2, 11 knockouts) gunning for his 15th consecutive victory, will face Luis Vazquez (28-15, 23 knockouts) in tonight’s main event at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

The St. Louis Rams acquired backup quarterback Steve Bono from the Green Bay Packers for a late-round draft pick in 1999.

Amy Chow got a perfect score on the floor exercise, the final event of the Women’s Professional Gymnastics Championship at Lowell, Mass., taking a victory from 1996 Olympic gold medalist Shannon Miller. Chow finished with a total of 79.68 points over the two days while Miller finished with 79.64.

Tom Dolan (200 individual medley) and Ashley Tappin (50 freestyle) each earned their fourth victories to close out the national swimming championships at Minneapolis.

Kenya’s Jackson Kabiga won the 22nd Paris Marathon in a record time of two hours, nine minutes and 36 seconds.

Iran accused U.S. authorities of mistreating Iranian wrestlers who traveled to the United States as part of exchanges aimed at improving tense relations, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency said.

Heavyweight Andrei Shumilin won the final match at Stillwater, Okla., to give Russia a 16-15 win against the United States and the championship at the 1998 World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling.

Kjell Nesen, quarterback at Mission League champion St. Francis High in La Canada, won the Powerade Student Athlete of the Year Award from the Los Angeles Times High School Sports Show. Nesen, who will attend Washington State in the fall, also won a $5,000 scholarship from Powerade.

Olympic gold medalist Karch Kiraly and partner Adam Johnson captured the $100,000 Miller Lite/AVP Tucson Open by defeating Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana.