Associated Press
CHARLOTTE ó There will be no fifth championship this year for Jeff Gordon, who came heartbreakingly close last year before losing to teammate Jimmie Johnson.
Matt Kenseth, the last driver to win a title under the old points system, also will fail to win the Sprint Cup under the four-year-old Chase for the championship format.
All is not lost for the two former champions: They each have five races left to make it to Victory Lane and extend lengthy winning streaks. Kenseth has won at least one race every year since 2001, and Gordon’s streak stretches all the way back to his 1993 rookie season.
But both are currently mired in long losing streaks.
Kenseth hasn’t won in 31 races, dating back to last year’s finale at Homestead. Gordon just hit the one-year anniversary of his last victory, which came last October at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
“It’s a big deal to win, and it’s really hard to win,” Kenseth said. “If we don’t win a race this year, I’ll be really disappointed in that. ”
Gordon’s predicament is more surprising. He’s had 14 consecutive multiple-win seasons, including two 10-win years and 13 victories in 1998.
Last year was a runner-up finish to Johnson in the Chase. But he’s been off all year, has not finished higher than third anywhere and is a distant eighth in the standings.
HORSES
LOS ANGELES ó Curlin is going to defend his title in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Oct. 25.
Curlin, the reigning Horse of the Year, won’t be facing Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, who was retired Monday after injuring his foot during a workout in New York.
GOLF
TUCKER’S TOWN, Bermuda ó Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk shot 2-under 68s and were tied for the after the first round of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf on Tuesday.
EAST CAROLINA
GREENVILLE ó East Carolina has given athletic director Terry Holland a raise.The school’s board of trustees on Wednesday approved an amendment to his contract that raises his salary by $32,400. The AD will make $356,400 each year.
NFL
LOS ANGELES ó Chris Mims, a former defensive lineman for the San Diego Chargers beset by legal problems, was found dead in his downtown apartment Wednesday. He was 38.
Authorities said there was no evidence of foul play.
– EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. ó Two days after bruising his chest on what he considered a questionable hit, Eli Manning practiced with the New York Giants on Wednesday.