Auto racing
IRL TO CUT SPEEDS: The Indy Racing League will cut engine horsepower to reduce speeds next season, a move accelerated by the death of driver Tony Renna and serious injuries to former Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack in separate crashes two months ago.
Brack broke his back, a thigh, his breastbone and both ankles when his car made contact with another, spun into the air and crashed during the season-ending race at Texas Motor Speedway. Ten days later, Renna was killed in a similar crash when his car went airborne at close to 220 mph during private tests at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Starting with the Indianapolis 500 next May, the IRL engines will be reduced from 3.5 liters displacement to 3.0 liters, cutting horsepower about 10 percent and reducing speeds by about 10 mph, IRL vice president John Griffin said Friday.
Basketball
T-WOLF SURGERY: Minnesota Timberwolves center Michael Olowokandi had surgery on his right knee Friday and will miss six to eight weeks.
Olowokandi, who has already missed three games, was originally diagnosed with tendinitis. The surgery was performed by Dr. Richard Steadman in Vail, Colo.
WALKER STILL ANGRY: Former Boston Celtics star Antoine Walker still holds a grudge over the trade that sent him to Dallas. In an interview with The Boston Globe, Walker called Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge "a snake" and accused Ainge, a former BYU star, of dealing him to Dallas "to set my career back a little bit" and might set the Celtics back three or four years. Ainge denied targeting Walker and said he viewed him as a player still hurt by being traded.
"Time will answer all the questions," Ainge said.
PIPPEN OUT: Chicago Bulls forward Scottie Pippen is expected to miss at least six weeks after surgery on his left knee revealed a torn meniscus. Pippen, 38, has been limited to 12 games due to swelling and pain in the knee, having it drained three times. He underwent surgery Friday.
Winter sports
SNOWBOARDING: Austria's Seigfred Grabner and Switzerland's Ursula Bruhin each won their second parallel giant slalom World Cup snowboard race of the season Friday in Edmonton, Canada. In the women's event, Bruhin finished ahead of compatriot Daniela Meuli, and American Michelle Gorgone was third. Switzerland's Simon Schoch finished second in the men's race, and Austria's Stefan Kaltschuetz was third.
Baseball
BOWA SECURITY: Phillies manager Larry Bowa got some more job security Friday. Philadelphia exercised its 2005 option on Bowa and added team options for 2006 and 2007.
BULLPEN ACCOUNTS: Conflicting accounts were given at a hearing Friday about a fight involving two New York Yankees and a groundskeeper at a Fenway Park playoff game. Another hearing was scheduled for Wednesday to decide if charges will be filed.
Reliever Jeff Nelson testified that Paul Williams provoked the fight with him and right fielder Karim Garcia. Neslon said Williams bumped him and spit in his face after the pitcher asked him to stop cheering the Red Sox in the New York bullpen.
But Williams, a part-time groundskeeper, said he was assaulted during New York's 4-3 victory in Game 3 of the AL championship series on Oct. 11.
Sailing
RETURN TO NEWPORT: More than 20 years after being swept away by Australians, the America's Cup is coming back to Newport, R.I., in the arms of the Swiss. Alinghi, the syndicate that won the oldest trophy in sports in March, announced plans Friday to host a regatta in Newport from June 19-26. It'll be the second of several planned regattas leading to the 2007 America's Cup in Valencia, Spain.
So far, only Alinghi and San Francisco-based Oracle BMW Racing are confirmed entrants, but organizers will plan for up to six syndicates.
Football
BOOTH STINT OK'D: Oakland Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski, who's out for the season with a concussion, was approved by the National Football League to work on the Fox network's broadcast of Sunday's Carolina-Arizona game.
The 37-year-old Romanowski will work with play-by-play announcer Chris Myers during Sunday's game in Tempe, said Dan Bell, a spokesman for NewsCorp.