Daytona 500 winner earns pole in California

FONTANA, Calif. — Jamie McMurray has gone from winning the Daytona 500 to sitting on the pole in California.

After a whirlwind week of appearances and interviews as the champion of NASCAR's season opener and biggest race, McMurray got back into the cockpit of his No. 1 Chevrolet on Friday and qualified first with a lap of 183.744 mph at the two-mile superspeedway.

"I am so amazed at the week I've had, and then to come here to be able to be on the pole," McMurray said. "I really can't believe it. It's just pretty awesome."

McMurray captured his fourth career pole, his first at California, and will be joined on the front row by Earnhardt Ganassi teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who ran a lap of 183.477 mph to qualify second.

Clint Bowyer qualified third in another Chevy, which has an engine also built by Earnhardt-Childress Racing, like the ones in McMurray and Montoya's cars.

Kasey Kahne was fourth in his No. 9 Ford, followed by Dave Blaney in a Toyota. The highest-qualifying Dodge was Sam Hornish Jr. in eighth.

Matt Kenseth, who won at California the last two Februarys, qualified 20th. Kenseth hasn't won a race since opening last season with victories at Daytona and California and this week changed crew chiefs.

Roush Fenway drivers have won the past five February races at California, with Kenseth winning three of the past four. Greg Biffle won in 2005 and Carl Edwards went to victory lane three years ago. Edwards qualified 31st, five spots ahead of Biffle.

» Kevin Harvick believes the concrete patch to fix the pothole at Daytona International Speedway is the right thing to do. Harvick said that the patch is OK because the track has so much character and that repaving the entire 2.5-mile superspeedway should be only an "absolute last resort." The damaged portion of the asphalt surface in Turn 2 that forced two delays totaling more than two hours during Sunday's Daytona 500 are being repaired with a concrete patch that will be about 6 feet wide and 18 feet long. Jeff Burton says the track is rough, but he is "really mixed" about paving the entire track, which was last paved in 1978. Greg Biffle says the concrete will be "a good fix" that drivers will know won't break apart. He says the track is in good shape other than that.

Basketball

» Tracy McGrady is going to get a chance to show he still is a top NBA player. And he wants to stick around if the New York Knicks bring in some bigger stars this summer, even if it means taking less money. McGrady joined the Knicks after being acquired in a three-team trade a day earlier. He says he's healthy after microfracture knee surgery, vowing that, "This is not the same Tracy from last season, when I was hobbling on one leg."

» Cleveland coach Mike Brown has decided to have Antawn Jamison come off the bench in his first game with the Cavaliers. Brown said before yesterday's game against Charlotte that he hasn't decided if he'll continue to start J.J. Hickson ahead of Jamison long-term. Jamison, who was acquired from Washington in a trade Wednesday, indicated he didn't have a problem with the move.

» Zydrunas Ilgauskas reported to the Washington Wizards yesterday, two days after being acquired in a trade with Cleveland. He didn't arrive in time to participate in Washington's shootaround and was inactive for the game last night against Denver.

» Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade was inactive for last night's game against Memphis because of a left calf strain. He was injured during the first quarter Wednesday against New Jersey. Wade is listed as day-to-day, although he's wearing a protective boot.

» All-Star forward Chris Bosh missed the Toronto Raptors' game against New Jersey last night with a sprained left ankle. He hurt his ankle Wednesday in a game against Memphis. His status is listed as day-to-day.

» Denver Nuggets forward Chris Andersen missed yesterday's game against Washington with a back strain. He was injured during the fourth quarter Thursday against Cleveland.

College football

» A Mississippi player died after collapsing during the first day of team workouts. The university says 20-year-old Bennie F. Abram died Friday at a hospital in Oxford, Miss. The non-scholarship junior transferred from Itawamba Community College last fall. Trainers noticed that Abram was having difficulty early yesterday, shortly after the workout started. Officials say the trainers began first aid and called 911. Abram died several hours later.

» Oregon coach Chip Kelly says he will wait before deciding whether to take disciplinary action against LaMichael James, the star tailback jailed this week on domestic violence charges.

» Florida defensive tackle Gary Brown was dismissed from the team following his arrest last weekend for misdemeanor battery.

» The NCAA gave Purdue linebacker Jason Werner a sixth season of eligibility after he missed two full seasons with a recurring back injury.

» Daniel Palmer and Nickolas Sampson, a pair of suspended UTEP players accused of robbery, say they are guilty.

Pro football

» Washington Redskins cornerback Byron Westbrook was arrested early yesterday and charged with driving under the influence.

» Minnesota Vikings left tackle Bryant McKinnie must pay back the NFL $4,285 for his non-participation in the Pro Bowl.

Colleges

» Clemson's athletic department reported 17 NCAA secondary violations, including one where a head coach gave staffers an improper money gift last spring and an assistant coach who posted a message on a prospect's Facebook wall.

Hockey

» Patrice Cormier, the New Jersey Devils' 2008 second-round draft pick, lost his appeal of a suspension for the remainder of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season and playoffs for a violent hit on an opposing player.