Wednesday, July 6, 2005 | 11:08 a.m.
Edwards tests fastest
Carl Edwards' introduction to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2 1/2-mile oval was a fast one.
The Nextel Cup driver had the quickest lap in the first of six days of NASCAR testing for next month's Brickyard 400.
"The name of the game here is getting me laps," Edwards said. "The Ford is great. I can run a lap that is really fast and one that's not good, and the only thing that changed is my driving, so I just need to get laps."
Edwards, who has won two races and more than $2 million this season, had a top lap of 179.165 mph in his No. 99 Roush Ford. Only a few drivers were on the track.
Among them was Edwards' teammate, Cup champion Kurt Busch, who was second-fastest at 179.151. Next were 1997 Brickyard winner Ricky Rudd at 178.937 and 2001 Brickyard polesitter Jimmy Spencer at 178.839.
More tests are scheduled today and again on July 11-12 and July 18-19. The race is Aug. 7.
Gardner beats Said, Brown KOs Troupe
Ian Gardner won a 10-round unanimous decision against Mohammad Said in a middleweight fight Tuesday night in Boston.
Judge Dan Mullen and Gerald Maher scored it 100-89, and Ken Volvick had it 99-90 for Gardner of nearby Brockton, who improved to 19-2 with seven knockouts. Said, of Las Vegas, dropped to 16-4 with 10 knockouts.
In the co-feature, Philadelphia middleweight Rasheem Brown stopped Christian Troupe of Atlanta in the second round of a scheduled 10-round bout.
Brown (16-2, 14 KOs) dropped Troupe (9-4, 5 KOs) twice in the first round, both times with right hands. Referee Kevin Hope stopped the fight at 2:07 of the second round after Brown landed an overhand right that sent Troupe stumbling into the ropes.
Davenport withdraws from Fed Cup play
Citing a back injury, top-ranked Lindsay Davenport withdrew from the United States' Fed Cup team today for its semifinal matchup this weekend against Russia. Wimbledon champion Venus Williams will now lead the U.S team and Mashona Washington, making her Fed Cup debut at age 29, will be the U.S. team's No. 2 singles player.
Dent, the 2002 champion, improved his career record to 6-1 at the event by taking charge in the first-set tiebreaker and relying on his powerful serve throughout.
-- Sun wire services
archive
