Three spectators were killed and at least eight injured when struck by debris that flew into the stands after a three-car crash during the VisionAire 500 Indy Racing League race last night in Charlotte, N.C.
Spectators sitting in the area where the crash occurred said a tire and suspension parts flew into the fourth-turn stands at Lowe's Motor Speedway and struck the spectators.
Area hospitals reported treating at least eight people, including one child who was in critical condition. An adult was listed in serious condition, and three others were in good condition at Charlotte-area hospitals.
After the crash, the track canceled the race.
The incident occurred when John Paul Jr. and Stan Wattles slammed hard into the fourth-turn retaining wall on lap 61 of the 208-lap event and went spinning down the front stretch, collecting the car of Scott Harrington.
"This is a terrible thing," said speedway president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler. "It's very regrettable. It's something we'll live with for a very, very long time."
-- Timothy Vouaux, a pit crew chief working at the Tri-City Motor Speedway in Williams Township, Mich, was killed when two cars collided during a race and spun into the guardrail where he was standing. Vouaux, 42, of Saginaw, Mich., was the first person to die at the Bay County racetrack since it reopened in May 1996 after being closed for two years.
-- Dale Earnhardt Jr. charged from a lap down to finish third as Matt Kenseth won the Auto Club 300 Busch Series race at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
-- World champion Mika Hakkinen claimed his third consecutive pole position, edging teammate David Coulthard by 22 thousandths of a second in qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix.
NFL
On the day he was supposed to spend with Heather Nichols, picking out wedding rings, Brandon Burlsworth was buried in Harrison, Ark.
The third-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts was killed in a traffic accident Wednesday.
The Razorbacks said they would retire his No. 77 and his high school will retire his number there.
-- Bob Ferguson, credited with a leading role in transforming the Arizona Cardinals from perennial losers to a playoff winner, was promoted to general manager.
-- Kenny Bynum broke NFL Europe's single-game rushing record with 214 yards as the Duesseldorf Rhein Fire beat Amsterdam 30-20 in Duesseldorf, Germany.
-- Todd Bouman threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores and Lawrence Phillips had his third straight 100-yard game to lead the Barcelona Dragons to a 42-10 victory over the Berlin Thunder in Barcelona, Spain.
BOXING
Harry Simon of Namibia knocked out Englishman Kevin Lueshing in the third round of their bout in London to retain his WBO light-middleweight title.
-- Former heavyweight boxing champion Oliver McCall was released from jail in Martinsville, Va., after serving a little more than half of a one-year jail sentence.
TENNIS
Venus Williams blasted Spain's Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in two one-sided sets, 6-1, 6-3, to reach the final of the Betty Barclay Cup in Hamburg, Germany. Williams will play Mary Pierce, who overcame Austrian Barbara Schett 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
-- American Corina Morariu made it to the championship match of the Bol tournament in Zagreb, Croatia, dispatching Conchita Martinez-Granados of Spain 6-2, 6-0. In the other semifinal, top-seeded Julie Halard-Decugis defeated another French player, Sarah Pitkowski 6-3, 6-4.
-- It will be fifth-seeded Sebastien Grosjean of France against tenacious qualifier Stefan Koubek of Austria in today's finals of the AT&T Challenge in Dulith, Ga. Grosjean defeated Jim Courier 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 yesterday to reach his second career ATP Tour final. Koubek outscrapped Magnus Larsson of Sweden 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 to reach his first career final.
OLYMPICS
Fans at the 2002 Winter Olympics might have to stand at some venues or use outdoor toilets, pre-event concerts, usually free, could charge admission and anyone thinking of being a volunteer should be ready to pack their lunch.
Those are among the measures being considered by Salt Lake Organizing Committee head Mitt Romney to close $94 million budget gap.
SOCCER
Chris Armas scored a goal and had an assist on the game-winner five minutes later to lead the Chicago Fire to the 3-2 victory over D.C. United in Chicago. It was the Fire's first regular-season victory over D.C.
-- Musa Shannon scored in his fifth consecutive game and Carlos Valderrama had an assist against his former team as the Tampa Bay Mutiny beat the Miami Fusion 2-1 in Tampa, Fla.
-- Wolde Harris scored in the 82nd minute to give the Colorado Rapids a 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution in Foxboro, Mass.
-- Making his MLS debut, Los Angeles Coach Sigi Schmid beat his former mentor when the Galaxy overcame a man disadvantage for the final 16 minutes and outlasted the New York-New Jersey MetroStars in a shootout after a 0-0 draw in East Rutherford, N.J.
- Seattle Times news services
