Associated Press
HOMESTEAD, Fla. ó Austin Dillon played it safe and ended up winning big.
Dillon, the 21-year-old grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, finished 10th in the Truck Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday night ó good enough to win the series championship.
Rookie of the year in the series a year ago, Dillon is the youngest champion in series history. He also stands as one of racing’s up-and-coming drivers. He is scheduled to drive a full schedule in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series in 2012.
Johnny Sauter won the rain-shortened race, holding off Denny Hamlin just before the final caution dropped. Sauter finished second in points, just ahead of James Buescher.
The sky opened up with 15 laps remaining. NASCAR officials made it official a few minutes later.
NHL
RALEIGH ó Buffalo’s Jhonas Enroth recorded his first shutout of the season by making 34 stops to lead the Sabres to a 1-0 win over the reeling Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
Carolina has lost seven of its last eight games to sink to the bottom of the Southeast Division standings and prompt speculation about the job security of coach Paul Maurice.
Back-up goalie Brian Boucher made 19 saves for the Hurricanes while starting in place of Cam Ward. Boucher has yet to post a win this season.
SYRACUSE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. ó Just two weeks after Penn State was rocked by a child sex-abuse scandal, Syracuse police said they were investigating child molesting allegations against a longtime assistant basketball coach at Syracuse University.
The school placed Bernie Fine on administrative leave “in light of the new allegations and the Syracuse City Police investigation.”
ESPN said the accusations were made by two former ball boys.
Syracuse police spokesman Tom Connellan said the inquiry is in its early stages.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK ó Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the NL Cy Young Award in a runaway. Kershaw received 27 of 32 first-place votes, five seconds and two thirds for 207 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
CHICAGO ó The Chicago Cubs announced Dale Sveum as their new manager, hoping the Milwaukee Brewers’ hitting coach can help turn around the suffering franchise.
PANTHERS
CHARLOTTE ó The Carolina Panthers say they won’t be intimidated by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and the Detroit Lions.
Suh and the Lions defensive front four represent a formidable challenge for the Panthers offensive line, particularly after surrendering five sacks last week in a 30-3 loss to Tennessee.
But the Panthers feel they’re up to it.
Suh, who has three sacks, has gained a reputation as an aggressive and emotional player, something which landed him in the commissioner’s office earlier this year. This past week Suh ripped the helmet off the head of Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler.