European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday March 20 2007 stars and stripes Page 27 Johnson wins second straight passes Stewart late pulls away for kobalt Victory the associated press Hampton a Jimmie Johnson had the car to beat Sun Day but it took a late race charge to catch and pass Tony Stewart three laps from the end and drive away with a Victory in the Lascar Sextel cup race at at Lanta motor Speedway Johnson the reigning cup Champion made it two in a Row after beating Hendrick motor sports team mate Jeff Gor Don the Previ Ous week in Las vegas Johnson had some problems with tire Wear late in the 325lap kobalt tools 500 and Stewart a two time cup Champi on appeared on the Way to his first Victory of the year after com ing off pit Lane ahead of Matt Kenseth and third place Johnson after the final stops by the leaders during a caution Flag on Lap 311 after the Green Flag waved with it laps to go on the 15mile Oval Johnson took just three laps to get past Kenseth then took off after Stewart in the Duel of Chevrolet Johnson pulled Side beside with Stewart just past the finish line on Lap 322 Johnson got his nose out ahead and As the two cars drove through turn two Stewart scraped the Wall Johnson easily led Lap 322 and racing Roundup Glenn Jimmie Johnson 48 passes Tony Stewert 20 with three laps to go during the Lascar kobalt tools 500 race at Atlanta motor Speedway in Hampton a sunday Johnson held on for his second straight Victory pulled away from Stewart going on to win by about half the front Straightaway we just had a great race car Johnson said we just did the right things to get the car hooked up for the Short run at the end Stewart who overcame a Long pit Stop in the Early going was Happy with second place but said i wish he had at least Given us room to race for it but we gained some Points today and that what this team needed Kenseth wound up third Fol Lowed Jeff Burton and heralded Rookie Juan Pablo Montoya who barely held off Clint Bowyer to record his first top 10 and by far his Best finish in five cup starts in getting the handle of it said Montoya who also won a Busch series race on a Road course in Mexico City several weeks ago and got As High As third in sundays race before slipping a bit at the end Johnson who has finishes of second first and first since crash ing out in 39th place in the opener at Daytona earned his 25th Ca reer Victory in his 187th Start after breaking through to win his first championship i his fifth full season Johnson said its not too Early to have his sights set on another one in 2007 were thinking championship already he said that really the Mode anymore you have to think about Points and being in the Chase Martin who finished 10th remained in the Lead by eight Points Over Gordon who overcame a tire problem and a lost Lap to Fin ish 12th Burton remained third 11 Points behind and Johnson stayed in fourth moving to 28 Points Back but longtime Lascar Star Martin 48 switched teams this year in order to Cut Back to a Par tial cup schedule and has said he will sit out next weeks race at Bristol and the Martinsville race the following week despite Lead ing the Points formula one Kimi Raikkonen won in his first race for Ferrari dominating the season opening australian grand prix i Mel Bourne on sunday for his 10th formula one Victory Raikkonen started from pole position and led almost throughout the race to Edge world Champion Fernando Alonso who was Mak ing his Mclaren debut Mclaren teammate Lewis Hamilton Fly first Black Driver finished third Raikkonen completed the 58 laps of the 3295mile Albert Park circuit 72 seconds ahead of Alon so with the Rookie Hamilton 185 seconds Back Svindal Hosp win skiing world cup crowns the associated press Lenzer Heide Switzerland after a six month season Askel Lund Svindal needed his final seven hundredths of a Sec Ond advantage in the finale to earn the world cup Overall title Svindal finished 15th in the Sla Lom sunday in edging Martin Hansson of Sweden Only the top 15 finishers earn Points so Svindal would have lost the title if he had finished further Back i was so nervous at the finish line said Svindal the first norwegian to win the Overall title in eight years american Ted Ligety was 14th and Bode Miller didst finish his first run Miller placed fourth in the Overall standings Nicole Hosp of Austria won the giant slalom to earn the discipline title and hold off teammate mar lies Schild for the Overall Crown american Julia Mancuso who fell out of Contention for the Over All title saturday finished Lith in the giant slalom and third in the Overall standings Mancuso is the first american woman to finish third Overall since Tamara Mckinney in 1984 i think that it was really Cool to be a contender to the end Mancuso said sports briefs Svindal Defeated defending Overall Champion Benjamin Raich by 13 Points Raich won the slalom in 1 minute 3978 seconds but it want enough to overcome Svindal Mario Matt of Austria was second in the slalom in and Manfred Moe log of Italy was third in Hosp had two flawless runs in the giant slalom on the Silvano Beltrametti course to win in a stunning 142 seconds faster than Kathrin Hoelzl of Germany Aba fines Jordan for comments on Durant Charlotte no Michael Jordan Doest speak often to the Media but apparently he spoke a bit too openly last week Jordan part owner of the Char Lotte bobcats praised the versatility of Texas freshman Kevin Durant in a tuesday interview with the Charlotte observer that was sufficient for the Aba to Levy a Fine on the bobcats according to league spokesman Tim Frank league officials Are generally barred from discussing College underclassmen on the logic that might influence their decisions whether to turn pro Early Jordan oversees the bobcats basketball operation Durant a 6foot10 Small for Ward is generally considered one of the top prospects in College basketball in the observer interview Jor Dan was saying How much he values versatility he said the kid who May present that is the kid in Texas May have that because he has All the right signs la june signs with bucs Tampa Fla linebacker Cato june signed a contract with the Tampa Bay buccaneers on saturday terms of the Deal were not Dis closed the fifth year pro spent his first four seasons with India Napolis a sixth round draft pick in 2003 june had five interceptions in 2005 and was picked to play in the pro bowl for the first time he started All 20 games for the super bowl champions last season Canada Downs us in Curling Aomori Japan Canada scored three in the fifth end Sun Day on its Way to an 84 Victory Over the United states at the Wom ens world Curling championship the United states scored a Point in the ninth and then conceded to the canadians who improved to 40 in the round Robin draw Canada which Defeated defend ing Champion Sweden 75 earlier sunday took control in the fifth with a three that opened up a 52 Lead the United states which won this tournament in 2003 under Mccormick dropped to 21 and will face Sweden later sunday Ainge fined for Contact with Durant Mother Boston the Boston celtics confirmed sunday that the team had been fined by the Aba for excessive Contact with the family of Texas Star freshman and Likely lottery draft pick Kevin Durant general manager Danny Ainge sat next to Durant Mother Dur ing the big 12 tournament the league said Ainge violated rules demanding that Contact be kept to a minimum Between team executives and potential Aba draft picks until College players officially declare for the draft sports illustrated first reported the Story on its web site celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said Ainge is on the Road scouting players and he did not offer specifics of the Fine Singh erases bad memories from Bay Hill with easy win the associated press Orlando Fla Singh was so Good in the Middle that it didst matter How bad it got in the end All he cared about was winning the Arnold Palmer invitational which has caused him so much grief Over the years Singh got it done sunday with a terrific run of birdies to build a commanding Lead closing with a 3under 67 for a two shot Victory Over Rocco me Diate three times a runner up at Bay Hill the 44yearold fijian became the first multiple Winner on the pea tour this year and his 31st career Victory tied him with Harry lighthorse Cooper for most by foreign born players Singh also exorcised a few de Mons along the Way his Boge bogey finish in 1994 left him one shot behind two years ago he hit 7iron into the water on the 18th Hole and lost to Kenny Perry there was no Chance of a repeat on a gorgeous afternoon at arnies course not with the Lead Singh built he ran off four birdies in a five Hole stretch to close out the front nine and stretched his Lead to four shots with a Sand wedge that spun Back with the slope to 2 feet on the 15th that gave him plenty of room for error and sing is  finish Only affected the margin of Victory i love this place Singh said i hate the 18th Hole but i love the rest of it it feels great hav ing won jacks tournament me Morial and now arnies its a great one to get mediate made three clutch Par saves to keep alive his Hopes Only to find trouble on the 18th for a bogey mediate also shot 67 Singh finished at 8under 272 and moved atop the Money list with million champions tour at Santa Clar Ita Calif Hale Irwin shot a 1under 71 to take a on stroke Lead in the champions Tours champions classic the 61yearold Irwin the 1998 and 2002 tournament Champion who won the season opening Mastercard championship for his tour record 45th Victory had a 9under 135 total on the Valencia country club course he shot a 64 in the first round Friday Andy bean 66 and Bobby Wadkins 67 were tied for Sec Ond at 8 under and three time tournament Champion Gil mor Gan 68 was another stroke Back along with Loren Roberts Tim Simpson Jim Thorpe 71 and Morris Hatalsky asian tour at Sanya China Chatchai Zirat of Thailand shot a 1under 71 sunday to win the Tel classic and claim his first Victory in a major tournament the 23yearold led from the Start and finished with a 22under 266 at the Yalong Bay Golf club on Hainan Island