Gibbs confident 18-year-old can replace Stewart

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. - Joe Gibbs remembers being a little hesitant the first time he met Joey Logano, days before he was to sign the phenom driver to a development contract with his race team.

“I come from football,” the former Washington Redskins coach said Monday. “I’m used to seeing these great big guys, so when you sign them I’m getting my money’s worth.

“I looked across the table and there was Joey, maybe 5-10, 5-9. I said, ’He’s 15. We’re going to sign him?”’

Three years later, a few of inches taller and only a few pounds heavier, Gibbs is convinced the rail thin, 18-year-old Logano can effectively replace Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing next season.

“The farther you go the more you become convinced you’ve got somebody special,” Gibbs said.

With Stewart, a two-time Sprint Cup points champion, set to leave JGR after 10 years to become driver-owner of what is now called Haas-CNC racing, Logano next season will inherit Stewart’s sponsor, Home Depot, and his crew chief, Greg Zipadelli.

He’ll also have plenty of pressure strapped to his 140-pound frame. While Logano has made a successful debut in the second-tier Nationwide Series, with three top-five finishes in nine races, he’s yet to drive in a Sprint Cup race. Questions remain whether an 18-year-old has enough maturity to race at NASCAR’s highest level.

It didn’t stop JGR from signing Logano to a long-term contract and Home Depot to agree to a lengthy deal to continue as the primary sponsor of the No. 20 car. And it was clear at Monday’s announcement that JGR was eager to put the focus on Logano and not last week’s embarrassment that saw seven crew members suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for cheating.

“I’m cool with pressure,” Logano said. “Moving up to this car now, it’s more pressure, but I can handle it.”

Logano, of Middletown, Conn., has starred at every level since his father, Tom, strapped him into a go-kart at age 4. He was racing quarter midgets at 6 and later won 14 straight races in Legends Cars. He won the NASCAR Busch East Series title last year and won the first ARCA race he competed in earlier this year.

The driver who veteran Mark Martin called “the real deal” — when he was 15 — finished sixth in his Nationwide debut on May 31, a week after he turned 18. He captured the pole in his second race and won his third start at Kentucky Speedway, becoming the youngest winner in Nationwide history.

So when Gibbs allowed Stewart out of the final year of his contract, he had little interest in pursuing free-agent drivers Ryan Newman, Casey Mears, Martin Truex Jr. or other veterans.

“There were other options, but I think for the long-term and what’s in the best interest of JGR, The Home Depot and our whole team, Joey was the guy,” said J.D. Gibbs, JGR president and Joe Gibbs’ son.

Logano will make his Sprint Cup debut on Sept. 6 at Richmond. He’ll also run at Atlanta and in a few more races in a car owned by Hall of Fame Racing, which gets its engines and chassis from JGR.

Next year, Logano will also run close to a full Nationwide schedule to gain experience.

“I’m sure there’s a lot I have to learn,” Logano said. “Racing is a lot of little things that make it. Every time I go to the racetrack I learn things. ... As long as I pick up something every time I go to the racetrack it’s going to be great.”

Young drivers have had mixed success in NASCAR. Points leader Kyle Busch entered the top series at age 19. So did Casey Atwood, who eventually lost his ride.

Logano will benefit by working with one of NASCAR’s most successful crew chiefs. Zipadelli helped Stewart’s transition from open-wheel cars, and Stewart was voted rookie of the year in 1999 when he won a record three races. Stewart went on to win series titles in 2002 and ’05.

“We’re excited about starting over,” Zipadelli said. “We’ve had a great 10 years. We’ve got some pretty good stats to set our goals at right now and to use that as our motivating tools in the future. We’ve got to win at least three next year, like we did in ’99.”

Zipadelli later said making the year-end Chase for the Sprint Cup championship is a goal.

Shevchenko passes medical to rejoin AC Milan

ROME (AP) -- Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko passed a medical examination Monday at the AC Milan's training camp to complete his transfer from Chelsea, the Italian club said.

"I am very happy to be here," Shevchenko was quoted as saying on Milan's Web site ahead of the tests. "I also want to send a greeting to Chelsea fans who, in the last two years, always made me feel their support."

Shevchenko agreed to terms on Saturday to return to Milan after failing to fulfill expectations during two injury-plagued seasons in England.

He scored 73 goals in 296 games during seven seasons with Milan, but scored just nine in 47 appearances for Chelsea after an English Premier League record transfer of $62 million in the 2006 offseason.

The 31-year-old player arrived at Milan's Linate airport Sunday night.

Neither club has disclosed financial terms, but Milan officials have indicated that Shevchenko will accept a salary cut to return to the Italian club, which is owned by Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Chelsea set to sign Robinho from Madrid

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- Real Madrid forward Robinho will reportedly soon complete his desired transfer to English club Chelsea.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is holding negotiations with Madrid officials in the Spanish capital and is set to agree a fee of close to $58.8 million for the Brazilian, sports daily Marca reported Tuesday.

Chelsea, coached by Robinho's fellow Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, is said to have offered Robinho a large increase on his current reported $3 million annual salary.

Robinho, who is under contract until 2010, recently pleaded with Madrid to let him move to Stamford Bridge before the close of the European transfer window on Aug. 31.

The 24-year-old said his aim of becoming the best player in the world would not be fulfilled by staying at Madrid.

Madrid president Ramon Calderon said at the weekend that Robinho could terminate his contract and join Chelsea, but suggested he would have to pay a large sum to do so.

With the buyout clause in Robinho's contract set at $220.5 million, it appeared that the Spanish champions had shut the door on a possible move.

However, Madrid now appears to be seeking a replacement for the gifted player.

On Monday, Valencia rejected a $69 million offer from the club for Spain striker David Villa, while Ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is also a reported target.

Meanwhile, Villarreal midfielder Santi Cazorla responded Tuesday to reports that Madrid is willing to buy him out of his contract by paying $23.3 million.

"For Real Madrid to call you is very difficult to take in. It is the best team in Spain and the truth is that it's very hard to say no," said the 23-year-old Cazorla, who appeared for Spain's triumphant team in the European Championship two months ago.

Robinho joined Madrid from Brazilian team Santos three years ago, but media reports suggested he was annoyed by Madrid's refusal to allow him to play at the Olympic Games.

Madrid's plan to use him as a makeweight in its failed pursuit of Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo also persuaded the forward that his future lay elsewhere.

Madrid coach Bernd Schuster left Robinho on the bench for Sunday's Spanish Supercup second leg against Valencia. Madrid won 4-2 to lift the trophy.

Fans at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium displayed banners criticizing Robinho, while his name was jeered when it was read over the loudspeaker system before the game.

Chelsea, which lost the Champions League final to Manchester United on penalties and finished runner-up in the Premier League, has already strengthened its squad for the new season with the signings of FC Porto fullback Jose Bosingwa and FC Barcelona midfielder Deco.

Scolari's club, which has won its opening two Premier League games, has just offloaded Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko to his former club AC Milan.

Jamaica's Bolt breaks own world record to win 100m gold medal

BEIJING (AP) -- Usain Bolt capped his stunning rise to stardom with an Olympic title Saturday and, without even really trying, set a world record in the 100 meters. With world champion Tyson Gay out in the semifinals, the 21-year-old Jamaican seemingly only had Asafa Powell to beat, but when he looked around and realized he was all clear with 30 meters to go, he coasted and still set a world record of 9.69 seconds.

Well behind, Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago took the silver medal in 9.89, and Walter Dix of the United States was third in 9.91. Powell again crumbled under the pressure of a big competition and finished fifth.

"Usain was spectacular," Powell said. "He was definitely untouchable."

If athletics was looking for a defining moment to get the sport back on track after years of doping scandals, this was it. And the sellout crowd of 91,000 at the Bird's Nest let out a huge cheer, realizing it had seen something historic under the Olympic flame.

With a third of the race to go, Bolt had the luxury to look right, realize he was in a class all his own, outstretch his arms, and pound his chest as he crossed the line, slicing .03 off the record he set earlier this season.

"It wasn't planned," Bolt said of his running celebration. "My aim was to come out and win. When I saw the time, I'm celebrating. I'm happy."

Why didn't he try to do better?

"I didn't come here to run the world record, because I was the world record holder. I came here to win," Bolt said.

He did it with one of his shoes untied: When Bolt crossed the finish line his left shoelace was flapping.

Afterward, he became the happiest of Jamaicans with the biggest of grins, his canary yellow shirt disappearing in a sea of friends while reggae music blared.

His pre-competition routine: "Woke up at 11. Had some lunch -- some nuggets," he shrugged. "Watched some more TV. Went to my room, slept for three hours. Went back, got some more nuggets, then came to the track."

What was supposed to be a three-way battle for medals turned into a one-man show. In four races in two days, not once did he push himself to the limit, yet produced the most stunning series of races.All for a guy who was hardly known outside his Caribbean nation at the start of the season. And to think his coach doubted whether to let him run the 100-200 double up to a few weeks ago.

Instead, Bolt produced one of the most epic races in track history. Few others even come close to comparing. Perhaps Michael Johnson setting the world record of 19.32 at the Atlanta Games, a dominating performance so stunning it was tough to get silver medalist Frankie Fredericks on the same photo at the finish. Surely that record will now come under threat when Bolt lines up in his favorite event next week.

Or Tommy Smith, holding his arms outstretched in victory when he crossed the line at the Mexico City Games in 1968, also setting a world record in the process.

And Bolt can make it even better. He is the overwhelming favorite for the 200, and with Powell as a teammate Jamaica is now a favorite to beat the Americans at their game -- the 4x100 relay -- next weekend.

Tense before his semifinal start, Gay was slow out of the blocks and never caught up. Teammate Darvis Patton convincingly dipped for the line and the world champion didn't, making the difference between fourth and fifth -- between making the final in track's premier event and stunning disappointment.

"I did my best. I don't have any excuses," Gay said. "I'm pretty upset. When I get back to the village it's probably going to set in."

The Olympics were Gay's first competition since straining his hamstring at the U.S. trials six weeks ago. It caught up with him in the third qualifying race in just over 36 hours.

It means Gay's only chance at Olympic medals here will come in the relays. The triple gold medalist from last year's world championships didn't qualify for the 200 when he pulled up lame at the U.S. trials.

All other finals were overshadowed.

Nataliia Dobrynska won the heptathlon in a 1-2 finish for Ukraine. The 2004 world indoor champion finished last in the final graded 800 race, but earned enough points to hold off Lydumila Blonska, who served a two-year doping ban before coming back to take silver at last year's world championships.

Hyleas Fountain of the United States took bronze. Valerie Vili won the shot put, giving New Zealand its first Olympic gold medal in track and field since John Walker's 1,500-meter title in 1976.

Ahead of the fastest race at the Olympics, Russia got on the medal stand in the 20-kilometer walk.

Valeriy Borchin was the surprise winner, spoiling the farewell Olympics of Jefferson Perez, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist. After Gay's shocking elimination, the Americans looked a lot better in the 400 hurdles. Angelo Taylor, Bershawn Jackson and Kerron Clement had the three top times ahead of Monday's final.

In the women's 100, three Jamaicans won their quarterfinals ahead of U.S. rivals. Much like the men, Sunday's final is seen as a showdown between the two great sprint powers.

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