Sports briefs for November 6, 2003

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003 | 10:40 a.m.

Ganassi picks Manning as Renna replacement

CART racer Darren Manning was hired Wednesday by Ganassi Racing to replace the late Tony Renna, killed last month while testing for the IRL team.

Manning will team with IRL champion Scott Dixon and take the spot originally assigned to Renna. The former Las Vegas resident was killed in a crash Oct. 22 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Manning, of North Yorkshire, England, won the Japan Formula Three Championship in 1999, tested for the BAR Honda Formula One team in 2000-02 and was a CART rookie with Walker Racing last season.

Padres keep Hoffman

Trevor Hoffman will remain with the San Diego Padres for at least one more year after agreeing to a discounted new contract. The Padres bought him out for $2 million and agreed to a new deal with a $2.5 million salary next year and a chance to make another $500,000 in incentives.

Rick Peterson was hired as pitching coach of the New York Mets, reuniting him with manager Art Howe in an attempt to turn around a staff that struggled last season.

Bid chief accused

Olympic bid chief Tom Welch repeatedly told his finance director to write checks for International Olympic Committee delegates with little or no justification for the payments, the former staffer testified. Rod Hamson was to take the witness stand again today in the bribery trial of Welch, former president of the Salt Lake City bid and organizing committees, and Dave Johnson, former senior vice president. Both are accused of lavishing $1 million in cash, gifts and favors on IOC members who awarded Salt Lake the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Lane widow imprisoned

The widow of NFL running back Fred Lane was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison in Charlotte, N.C., for shooting her husband to death three years ago as he walked in the front door. Deidra Lane, who pleaded guilty in August to voluntary manslaughter, cried as the judge read the sentence. Before her punishment was handed down, she addressed the family of her slain husband. Judge Timothy Patti sentenced her to seven years and 11 months.