Sports Digest 3/26/02

AREA

TENNESSEE RACER WINS IN TRACK'S SEASON OPENER

Twelve-year-old Kevin Swindell dominated the micro winged sprint multi class Saturday, winning his heat and feature race in the season opener at SEMO Motor Speedway. Swindell, from Cordova, Tenn., also had a good day in the junior stock kart class, finishing third in the feature race.

The next scheduled event at SEMO Motor Speedway will be the K-103 Kart Spring Showdown on April 6th with a garanteed purse of over $14,000 and the following weekend on April 13th the speedway will host the Coca Cola Micro Wing Sprint Spring Shootout with a garanteed purse of over $12,000.

ELSEWHERE

n The National Hockey League suspended Blues forward Keith Tkachuk one game for slashing Lyle Odelein of the Blackhawks in a game Sunday in Chicago.

A spokesman for the team said Tkachuk will not appeal. He will miss today's home game against Minnesota and be eligible to return Thursday when the Blues host Buffalo.

League officials said Tkachuk must forfeit one game's pay, which amounts to $42,784. The money goes to the Player's Emergency Assistance Fund.

NASCAR fined Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Robby Gordon on Monday for intentionally running into each other's car at the end of Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Gordon was fined $10,000 and placed on probation until Aug. 28. Earnhardt Jr. was assessed a $5,000 fine as both were penalized for "actions deemed detrimental to stock car racing." The two argued in the pit area following the race and were summoned to the NASCAR trailer after the altercation. Earnhardt finished fourth in his Chevrolet, while Gordon was 20th.

NASCAR officials also penalized Kevin Harvick for his actions in the pits following the Busch series Channellock 250 on Saturday at the same track. Harvick, who finished 10th Sunday in the Winston Cup race, was fined $15,000 and also placed on probation until August 28. He was involved in an accident with Greg Biffle and the two later had a heated argument.

Pete Sampras' two-year slide reached another low when he lost to Chilean qualifier Fernando Gonzalez 7-6 (1), 6-1 in the third round of the Nasdaq-100 Open at Key Biscayne, Fla.

The upset made it 24 tournaments in a row without a title for Sampras since he won a record seventh Wimbledon championship in July 2000.

-- From staff, wire reports