In response to a crash during a February race at the Daytona International Speedway that injured dozens of spectators in the stands, officials at the track will add cables on crossover gates and tether the frames of the gates to posts in time for NASCAR races in July, representatives for the Florida speedway said Wednesday.
Changes were also made at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, where events will be held this weekend. The 2.67-mile track is known as one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit.
There are seven crossover gates, a part of the massive metal fence that opens to allow people to cross the racing surface, at each track, officials said.
On February 23, a jaw-dropping wreck occurred on the last lap of the Nationwide Series race when Kyle Larson's car went airborne and pieces of his car flew into the grandstands. At least 28 people were injured, officials said.
The Justice Department late Tuesday formally filed its case against Lance Armstrong and his company Tailwind Sports for millions of dollars that the U.S. Postal Service spent to sponsor the cycling team.
"The USPS paid approximately $40 million to sponsor the USPS cycling team from 1998 to 2004," the court document says.
The government said it was intervening to recover triple the amount of the sponsorship funds under the False Claims Act, which could bring a total of more than $100 million in damages.
Pat Summermall, the football player turned legendary play-by-play announcer, died Tuesday, He was 82.
He was best known as a broadcaster for teaming with former NFL coach John Madden. Summerall also worked for years alongside former player Tom Brookshier and became the voice of the NFL in the 1970s and 1980s, calling most of the league's signature games.
Summerall called games for CBS, Fox and ESPN and worked more than 10 Super Bowls.
As a player, he was a placekicker, who played for the Chicago Cardinals and New York Giants from 1952 to 1961. He scored more than 500 points as an NFL player.
FULL STORY
It was a gruesome end to what should have been a celebration of triumph.
One man's legs were instantly blown off, yet he kept trying to stand up.
Exhausted marathoners had to muscle the energy to flee the bloody scene.
And more than 140 people were hospitalized, some in critical condition.
As authorities try to figure out who triggered the deadly bombings Monday at the Boston Marathon, which killed an 8-year-old boy and two others, many are at a loss to explain why anyone would target the annual event that celebrates thousands of runners from around the world.
FULL STORYA strong kick won the Boston Marathon for Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa.
Bunched up with two competitors with a mile left, Desisa pulled away in the last few blocks, winning the men's division Monday with a time of 2:10:22.
Kenya's Micah Kogo (2:10:27) and Ethiopia's Gebregziabher Gebremariam (2:10:28) finished second and third. American Jason Hartmann, of Colorado, finished fourth (2:12:12).
In the women's division, Kenya's Rita Jeptoo held off last year's champion to win her second Boston Marathon in seven years with a time of 2:26:25.
Last year's winner, Sharon Cherop of Kenya, finished third (2:27:01) behind Meseret Hailu of Ethiopia (2:26:58).
American Shalane Flanagan, of Oregon, finished fourth (2:27:08).
Connecticut's powerful offense scored almost at will Tuesday night as the Huskies blew out Louisville 93-60 to win the NCAA women's Division I basketball championship in New Orleans.
The title is head coach Geno Auriemma's eighth at UConn, tying him for the most all time with Tennessee's recently retired Pat Summitt.
The 33-point margin is the largest in the history of the tournament final.
FULL STORYRutgers University will pay former Athletic Director Tim Pernetti more than $1.1 million after his resignation in the wake of a scandal involving the videotaped abuse of basketball players by the team's former coach.
CNN obtained the terms of Pernetti's separation package through a New Jersey Open Public Records Act request after Rutgers and Pernetti had agreed to keep the terms confidential.
The state university will pay Pernetti his annual $453,000 salary through June 30, 2014. In addition, he will get a lump sum equal to 18 months of salary - $679,500 - payable by next month, according to the agreement.
Michigan and Louisville will meet Monday in the NCAA men's basketball championship game in Atlanta after both survived close games Saturday.
Michigan was up by 11 points at halftime leading the Syracuse Orange 36-25.
But the Orange went on a furious comeback in the second half, getting the game to within three points with a little more than 7 minutes left.
The Wolverines handled Syracuse's tough zone defense down the stretch, winning 61-56. Michigan's backcourt of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke led the way against Syracuse's pesky defenders.
Two crucial foul calls at the end of the game helped the Wolverines secure the win.
They advance to play Louisville, who beat Wichita State earlier Saturday.
Photos: Louisville outlasts Wichita State
The Shockers and Cardinals battled through a tight, low-scoring first half that ended with Wichita State going into the intermission with a slim 26-25 advantage.
Louisville's 72-68 win means that its head coach, Rick Pitino, still is in contention to win his second national championship - the other coming in 1996, when he coached the Cardinals' archrival, the University of Kentucky.
The game also ended Wichita State's remarkable tournament run. The No. 9 seed in the West region beat top-seed Gonzaga and then Ohio State to earn a spot in the Final Four.
Despite being a heavy underdog, the Shockers led for much of the game - leading 47-35 with 13 minutes to go in the contest. But the Cardinals were able to chip away, before finally going ahead with about five minutes remaining.
Louisville, which won the national title in 1980 and 1986, will face Michigan Monday night.
Rutgers men's assistant basketball coach Jimmy Martelli resigned Wednesday, the university told CNN. The school fired head basketball coach Mike Rice on Wednesday, days after ESPN broadcast a video showing him physically and verbally abusing players.
FULL STORYKevin Ware's leg may be broken but not his spirit.
Not in the least bit.
Millions of television viewers cringed, when a bone punched through Ware's skin, protruding out of his leg after the University of Louisville guard landed hard from a jump to block a shot Sunday night.
It brought the Elite Eight game against the Duke Blue Devils to a screeching halt in the first quarter.
FULL STORYRutgers University fired head basketball coach Mike Rice on Wednesday after ESPN broadcast a video showing him physically and verbally abusing players.
"Based upon recently revealed information and a review of previously discovered issues, Rutgers has terminated the contract of Mike Rice," the school said in a tweet Wednesday.
"You f**king fairy ... you're a f**king fa**got," Rice appears to say during one session depicted on the video.
The University of Southern California hired Andy Enfield to become the Trojans head basketball coach on Monday, completing a Cinderella season for the rising star.
The former Florida Gulf Coast coach led the No. 15 seeded Eagles to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen - the first time that feat has been accomplished.
Enfield was 41-28 in his two seasons at the school.
FULL STORY
The Miami Heat's 27-game win streak ended Wednesday night with a 101-97 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
The 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers' run of 33 straight consecutive victories remains the NBA record.
FULL STORY
In a World Cup qualifier featuring heated regional rivals, the United States and Mexico tied 0-0 at Mexico City on Tuesday night.
The result was a huge disappointment for the Mexican team, which through the years has dominated the United States at the Azteca Stadium.
The hosts controlled the match, taking 10 shots to the 1 for the United States. Mexico also had 15 corner kicks as most of the game was played in the U.S. end.
FULL STORY
In an epic upset that will leave many fans crumpling their NCAA Tournament brackets in disgust, No. 15 seed Florida Gulf Coast laid a 78-68 thumping on No. 2 seed Georgetown on Friday night in Philadelphia.
The Eagles held a slim 2-point lead at halftime but went on a 21-2 run early in the second half, and the Hoyas could never recover.
FULL STORY FROM BLEACHER REPORTThe Miami Heat came from behind again Friday to defeat the Detroit Pistons 103-89 and extend their winning streak to 25 games.
Detroit has now lost 10 straight games.
FULL STORY FROM BLEACHER REPORT
Major League Baseball filed a lawsuit Friday seeking damages against the South Florida clinic Biogenesis of America and its operator, Anthony Bosch, for allegedly providing performance-enhancing drugs to players, the pro sports league said.
According to reports and the MLB suit, filed in state court in Florida's Miami-Dade County, the clinic reportedly supplied banned performance-enhancing substances to a number of current and former pro baseball players such as ex-Boston Red Sox Manny Ramirez.
FULL STORY
A combination of technical and communication failures contributed to the partial power outage that disrupted this year's Super Bowl, an independent analysis has determined, utility Entergy New Orleans said Thursday.
The power was cut off to half the Mercedes-Benz Superdome early in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVII between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers, causing a 34-minute delay in the February game.
Dr. John Palmer of Palmer Engineering & Forensics said a recently installed relay had a "design defect" that caused it to trip in an unpredictable way.
He said the device's trip level had been left at the factory default setting, which was inappropriate for its application in the dome.
Palmer's report also cited "inadequate communication between the manufacturer and the utility" as a contributing factor.
The murder trial of Jodi Arias has captivated many. Watch CNN.com Live for gavel-to-gavel coverage of the trial.
Today's programming highlights...
11:00 am ET - 'March Madness' briefing - It's that time of the year where some workers slack off, take sick days and schedule vasectomies. It's the NCAA Men's Division I college basketball tournament, and this year's "Final Four" takes place in Atlanta. Officials from the city and Turner Broadcasting discuss festivities surrounding the games.
The National Football League is investigating whether draft prospect Nick Kasa was questioned about his sexual orientation during a recent skills audition for NFL scouts and coaches, a spokesman said Wednesday.
Kasa, who played tight end at the University of Colorado, told CNN earlier Wednesday that during the audition, he was asked: "Do you have a girlfriend? Are you married? Do you like girls?"
"Any team or employee that inquires about impermissible subjects or makes an employment decision based on such factors is subject to league discipline," said Greg Aiello of the NFL.
League policy states that teams "neither consider nor inquire about sexual orientation in the hiring process," Aiello said. "In addition, there are specific protections in our collective bargaining agreement with the players that prohibit discrimination against any player, including on the basis of sexual orientation."
FULL STORY
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Recent Comments