■ INDY 500
Buddy Rice to race
Former Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice will drive one of six cars entered by Rahal Letterman Racing on Thursday for the May 28 race. Last year, he was unable to defend his 2004 title after a crash during the first week of practice. He received a concussion and neck injury when he spun and hit the wall. Doctors found he partially tore a spinal ligament, and he was not allowed to drive in qualifications or the race. Former winner Kenny Brack took his place and finished 26th. Rice will drive the team's No. 15 Panoz-Honda and have an identical backup car available. Rahal Letterman also entered two cars each for Danica Patrick, last year's rookie of the year, and rookie Paul Dana. Patrick qualified fourth and finished fourth last year, becoming the first woman to lead the Indy 500. Dana also passed the Indy rookie test last year but sustained a spinal fracture in a crash during practice and was unable to compete.
■ FA CUP
Match ends in draw
Charlton and Middlesbrough played to a 0-0 draw on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, failing to decide the last club to to advance to the final four of England's premier knockout competition. West Ham, Liverpool and Chelsea won their quarterfinals earlier in the week. The draw for the semifinals is Friday with Charlton and 'Boro facing a replay to determine which team advances. The semifinals will be played at neutral venues that have yet to be announced by the Football Association. The game at Charlton offered both teams few chances. The best opportunity in the first half -- and probably in the game -- came in the 36th when Charlton's Hermann Hreidarsson struck a left-footed, close-range shot that 'Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer blocked with his left hand in a diving save.
■ Formula One
Fuji gets nod for 2007
Fuji Speedway will replace Suzuka International Racing Circuit as host of the 2007 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix. "Fuji Speedway will be the new home of the Japanese F1 Grand Prix," Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone said in a statement released Friday in conjunction with Fuji International Speedway Co Ltd.
Ademola Lookman on Thursday scored on his Atletico Madrid debut in a 5-0 rout of Real Betis Balompie that sent Diego Simeone’s team to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. David Hancko, Giuliano Simeone, Antoine Griezmann and Thiago Almada also scored for Atletico as they advanced to the last four for the third straight season. Atletico are trying to reach their first Copa final since winning the competition in 2012-2013. Hancko opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute and Giuliano Simeone added to the lead in the 30th, before Lookman got his first goal for Atletico on a fast
GUNNING FOR A WIN: The victory sending Arsenal to the final for the first time in six years was cathartic for a team who had lost their previous four semi-finals Arsenal on Tuesday reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg. Mikel Arteta’s side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg and Havertz came off the bench to finish the 4-2 aggregate victory in the closing moments at the Emirates Stadium. It was a cathartic triumph for the Gunners, who had lost their previous four semi-finals in last year’s UEFA Champions League and League Cup, the 2022 League Cup and the 2021 UEFA Europa League. In their first final for six years,
SUPERSTAR DELIVERS: Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to propel the Spurs to a 135-123 victory over the Dallas Mavericks The Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday shook off the early exit of injured star Luka Doncic, rallying without him in the second half for a 119-115 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Austin Reaves, again coming off the bench in his second game back from a 19-game injury absence, scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, drilling a pair of back-to-back three-pointers to give the Lakers their first lead of the game early in the final frame. “Losing Luka, you know nothing’s going to be easy after that because he does so much for us, but we bonded together,” said
France head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday lauded his team’s attacking performance after their dazzling 36-14 victory over Ireland in their Six Nations opener. A brace of tries from Louis Bielley-Biarrey and one from mercurial flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert helped France storm into a 29-0 lead before taking their foot off the gas and allowing Ireland back into the match, before winger Theo Attissogbe put some gloss on the victory late on. “In an attacking sense, with the ball, the team played with great accuracy,” Galthie said. “It was one of the most accurate attacking performances in a long time, despite the weather
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