Associated PressCONCORD ó Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he’s “had enough” as he rides out the worst season of his NASCAR career.
Earnhardt is stuck in a 51-race winless streak dating back to 2008, his first season with Hendrick Motorsports. He heads into Saturday night’s race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway ranked 22nd in the standings and has just five top-10s this season.
He says he’s been trying to ride out the season, but “there comes a point where you don’t want to ride it out no more. You’ve just had enough.”
Earnhardt says he has no answers on how to lift his slumping No. 88 team.
He’ll start 39th in tonight’s race.
NATIONWIDE
CONCORD ó Who needs a flu shot when you can take the checkered flag instead?
Kyle Busch, still dealing with a flu that developed into walking pneumonia, dominated the Nationwide Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Friday night, picking up his seventh victory of the year to move closer to his first series title.
Following a week of bed rest and antibiotics, Busch looked like his regular self on a chilly night at the 1.5-mile oval, leading 137 laps to push his push his advantage over Carl Edwards to 195 points with four races remaining.
“I felt like we were in another zip code tonight,” Busch said.
It certainly looked like it at times, as Busch’s No. 18 Toyota had little trouble doing whatever it wanted. He avoided a couple of early race wrecks that took out a handful contenders then zoomed away from the field to collect his 28th career Nationwide win.
Mike Bliss was second, followed by Dave Blaney, Brian Vickers and Edwards.
NFL
OAKLAND, Calif. ó A Bay Area animal rights group is planning a protest against Michael Vick before his game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
The group In Defense of Animals says it will protest outside Oakland Coliseum before Vick plays his first road game for the Philadelphia Eagles since being reinstated to the NFL following an 18-month prison sentence for his involvement in a dogfighting ring. The group says Vick has not shown proper remorse.
IDA president Elliot Katz also wrote a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell asking that dogfighting and cockfighting be specifically included in the “criminal offense” section of the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.
NBA
SOMERVILLE, N.J. ó A ruling by a New Jersey judge Friday set the stage for a second manslaughter trial for former NBA star Jayson Williams, whose lawyers argued that a racial slur and other misconduct by the prosecutor’s office should result in dismissal.
State Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman upheld Williams’ convictions for covering up the shooting death of a hired driver and rejected attempts to dismiss a retrial early next year on the manslaughter charge.
Knicks 93, Nets 89
NEW YORK ó David Lee had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and the New York Knicks got their offense untracked long enough for a 93-89 preseason victory over the winless New Jersey Nets on Friday night.
Pacers 119, Rockets 104
INDIANAPOLIS ó Danny Granger scored 22 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 119-104 preseason victory over the Houston Rockets.
SWIMMINGLAS VEGAS ó Chad Campbell closed with an eagle on the par-5 ninth for a 9-under 62 and a share of the second-round lead Friday with Troy Matteson in the PGA Tour’s Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
– THE WOODLANDS, Texas ó Dan Forsman had six straight en route to an 8-under 64 and a one-stroke lead in the Champions Tour’s Administaff Small Business Classic.
NHL
NEWARK, N.J. ó Atlanta rookie Evander Kane scored 1:36 into the third period to snap a tie, and Rich Peverley had two power-play goals against Martin Brodeur in the Thrashers’ 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.
Sabres 6, Islanders 3
BUFFALO, N.Y. ó Clarke MacArthur scored on a penalty shot, Ryan Miller made 36 saves, and Tyler Myers scored his first NHL goal to help Buffalo remain undefeated in regulation.
Bruins 3, Stars 0
DALLAS ó Tim Thomas made 27 saves for his first shutout of the season and 13th overall, Marc Savard scored twice in Boston’s first road game of the season.
Panthers 4, Flyers 2
SUNRISE, Fla. ó Radek Dvorak broke a tie with a short-handed goal at 7:02 of the third period, and Scott Clemmensen made 25 saves in his first start for Florida.