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Sunday, August 12, 2001

By The Associated Press

SPARTA, Ky. -- Scott Sharp turned in a lap of 214.598 mph yesterday to take the pole for the Indy Racing League Northern Light Series Belterra Casino Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

It was the third pole of the season for Sharp, who sits third in the series points standings behind leader Sam Hornish Jr. and Buddy Lazier.

Delphi teammate Mark Dismore joined Sharp on the front row with a lap of 213.646 mph. Rounding out the top five were Eddie Cheever Jr. (213.200), Robbie Buehl (212.002) and Greg Ray (211.441). Hornish qualified eighth at 210.500 mph while Lazier finished in 11th position after a lap of 210.248 mph.

Fast Fellows

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- When practice for the NASCAR Global Crossing ended yesterday at Watkins Glen International, Ron Fellows was wearing a sheepish grin. The road-racing star from Canada was fastest in the final session, edging pole-sitter Dale Jarrett, Robby Gordon and Jeff Gordon.

"That's a good sign -- we're not any worse than the rest of them," Fellows said with a laugh. "The sunshine is playing havoc with the grip level. That's probably as slick as I've seen this track, and that's probably what we're going to race on tomorrow if it stays sunny like this."

A 70 percent chance of thunderstorms was forecast today.

So much for the good fortune of being the defending winner of the Global Crossing.

Steve Park, whose victory at Watkins Glen International a year ago was the first of his Winston Cup career, has had nothing but problems since he returned this week.

On Friday, his brakes failed just as he was set to qualify, forcing him to take a provisional that has him starting 37th today.

Yesterday, Park bumped with Stacy Compton during practice and damaged the left front fender.

She's a Force

Ten-time Funny Car champion John Force's daughter is following him into drag racing. Ashley Force, 18, a sophomore at Cal State Fullerton, is preparing to drive a Super Comp dragster.

She earned her Super Comp license in February and made several runs last month in Rob Slavinski's dragster at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo.

Winston 500 renamed

The Winston Cup race in October at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama has a new sponsor and new name -- EA SPORTS 500.

The race had been sponsored for 31 years by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and was called the Winston 500. The tobacco corporation ended the relationship after last year.