Auto Racing

Stewart on pole after rain washes out qualifying

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Tony Stewart will start from a familiar spot tonight at Daytona International Speedway. The Sprint Cup points leader was awarded the pole for the Coke Zero 400 when rain washed out qualifying Friday.

It was Stewart's third pole -- all in rainouts -- in the last five races. He also started up front at Pocono last month and New Hampshire last week.

"It really doesn't matter anyway," he said. "In a Cup race, if your car is good enough to get to the front, you can do it from dead last, so it really doesn't matter if you start from the pole or not. The advantage is it gives us a good pit selection. That's what helps. Other than that, it's really not an issue."

Starting from the front has proven beneficial for Stewart, though. His first points-race win as a driver/car owner came at Pocono, and he finished fifth at New Hampshire. His only Daytona pole came in July 2005, when he won his first race at NASCAR's most famous track. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin rounded out the first three rows.

Max Papis and Mike Wallace were sent home, unable to attempt to get into the 43-car field. Wallace was scheduled to drive the No. 64 car, the one some believed recently reinstated driver Jeremy Mayfield would try to get into to make his return from a drug suspension. Car owner Larry Gunselman, citing sponsorship concerns, declined to offer Mayfield a ride.

The field was set by owner's points for the fourth time this season. Qualifying at Martinsville in March also was rained out. Brad Keselowski, Scott Speed, David Gilliland, Joe Nemechek, Dave Blaney, Patrick Carpentier, Tony Raines and Regan Smith were the beneficiaries of the rain. They all earned automatic starting spots instead of having to qualify on speed.

Greg Biffle and Sam Hornish Jr. will have to start from the back of the field. They were involved in a crash during practice Thursday night, forcing both into backup cars. And under NASCAR rules, cars unable to turn any laps during practice or qualifying have to start at the back of the pack because of safety concerns.

Basketball

Phil Jackson says he'll return to Lakers

LOS ANGELES -- Phil Jackson will return to coach the Los Angeles Lakers next season, getting a clean bill of health following a record championship season. The Hall of Fame coach turns 64 in September and said on the team's Web site Friday he got the go-ahead for another season after consulting the team doctor.

Jackson led the Lakers to their 15th NBA championship and his 10th title in June, breaking the mark he shared with the late Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach.

"I feel confident that I can gainfully pursue an NBA season with another long playoff postseason," he said. "All things point to go!"

He signed a two-year contract extension last season and holds the option on a second year.

Last season, Jackson missed two West Coast road games because of pain and swelling in his lower legs caused by plantar fasciitis, a problem he had checked out. He blamed late-night flights that aggravated the condition. He has undergone two hip replacement operations since October 2006 -- using a cane at various times -- and walks with a noticeable hitch in his step. He underwent an angioplasty in 2003 to open a clogged artery in his heart.

• Source: Turkoglu cuts off talks with Blazers: Free-agent forward Hedo Turkoglu and the Portland Trail Blazers have ended contract talks, a person close to the team confirmed Friday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations. Turkoglu's agent, Lon Babby, didn't immediately return calls or e-mails.

The 6-foot-10 forward who helped the Orlando Magic to the NBA finals arrived in Portland on Thursday to meet Blazers executives and tour the city. He was scheduled to leave today.

He opted out of his Orlando contract last week when the team acquired Vince Carter from New Jersey. Turkoglu was due $7.3 million next season in the final year of his $36 million, six-year deal with Orlando. He averaged 16.8 points and 5.3 rebounds last season.

• Phoenix police: Mercury's Taurasi cited for DUI: At Phoenix, Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi said Friday that she's embarrassed after being cited for drunken driving a few hours after she helped lead her team to victory over the Seattle Storm.

An officer stopped Taurasi early Thursday for speeding, police spokesman Luis Samudio said. The officer smelled alcohol and gave the player several field sobriety tests, according to a police statement.

Taurasi, the WNBA's leading fan vote-getter for the July 25 All-Star game, was then driven to a mobile DUI van, where she gave a blood sample, then was cited and released. Authorities did not know her blood alcohol content.

The team said Friday that Taurasi notified the club immediately but would not comment further until it knows more of what happened.

But after Friday's practice, Taurasi told reporters that her DUI citation was "just something that's embarrassing and unfortunate for my family and the organization."