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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, July 12, 2009

Older the better for Martin


Advertiser News Services

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Veteran Mark Martin, center, celebrates with his crew after winning NASCAR's LifeLock.com 400 last night at Joliet, Ill.

NAM Y. HUH | Associated Press

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Mark Martin will feel his age in the morning or a day or two after a race.

His bones will stiffen and his body will ache after driving 400 grueling miles, even though the fitness fanatic is still in top shape.

After all, 50 is 50 and that matters — well, everywhere but on the track.

Martin is still nifty at 50 and has made Cup racing his personal senior circuit. He won the Sprint Cup-LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., last night, getting the strong jump off the double-file restart with two laps left to win his series-high fourth race of the season.

"I'm going to feel like hell tomorrow because I ain't going to sleep much tonight," Martin said last night. "When I'm pumped up driving fast race cars, I certainly don't feel 50."

Martin dominated the race early and led 195 laps, easily the most of the 400-mile race on the 1.5-mile track.

Jeff Gordon made a late pit stop for four fresh tires and finished in second place.

FRANCHITTI WINS ICS POLE

Dario Franchitti won the IndyCar Series pole yesterday for today's Honda Indy on the street course in Toronto.

It is the third pole for the Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver, who covered the 11-turn, 1.75-mile circuit in 1 minute, 01.0249 seconds to beat Team Penske's Will Power.

BOXING

GATTI FOUND DEAD IN HOTEL

Former boxing champion Arturo Gatti, one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, was found dead in a hotel room in the posh Sao Paulo seaside resort of Porto de Galihnas early yesterday.

Police investigator Edilson Alves told The Associated Press that the body of the former junior welterweight champ was discovered in his hotel room at the tourist resort, where Gatti had arrived on Friday with his Brazilian wife Amanda and 1-year-old son.

Alves said police were investigating and it was unclear how the 37-year-old Canadian died.

SWIMMING

PEIRSOL'S BEST IN 200 BACK

Aaron Peirsol took temporary custody of the 200-meter backstroke world record. With all the controversy about the high-tech suits dominating the pool these days, the true owner may not be decided for a few more weeks.

Peirsol broke the record at the U.S. nationals in Indianapolis last night, beating previous owner Ryan Lochte.

The Olympic silver medalist touched in 1 minute, 53.08 seconds, topping Olympic champion Lochte's mark of 1:53.94 set in Beijing.

TENNIS

U.S. STAYS ALIVE IN CUP

Bob and Mike Bryan beat Roko Karanusic and Lovro Zovko, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3, yesterday at Porec, Croatia, to keep the United States alive in the Davis Cup, cutting Croatia's quarterfinal lead to 2-1.

James Blake will try to tie the series when he meets Croatia's Marin Cilic in the first reverse singles today. Mardy Fish is to play the final singles against Ivo Karlovic.

QUERREY UPSETS SANTORO

Sam Querrey of the United States upset two-time defending champ Fabrice Santoro of France, 6-3, 7-6 (2), yesterday to reach the finals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships at Newport, R.I.

The 21-year-old Querrey will face Rajeev Ram, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Belgium's Oliver Rochus in today's final.

Before play, Monica Seles highlighted the 2009 class that was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

VOLLEYBALL

STANLEY HELPS U.S. WIN

Honolulu's Clay Stanley had 10 points on six kills and four aces last night in the United States men's volleyball team's four-set victory over Italy in an FIVB World League match at Hoffman Estates, Ill.

Team USA rebounded from a four-set loss to Italy Friday with the 25-19, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21 victory. The United States leads Pool A at 7-3, while Italy is 6-4.

Stanley is a Kaiser High and University of Hawai'i alum.

AND WHAT'S MORE ...

Tomasz Adamek (38-1, 26 KOs) successfully defended his International Boxing Federation cruiserweight world championship last night with a fourth-round technical knockout of Bobby Gunn ( 18-4-1) at Newark, N.J. ... Joseph Agbeko (27-1) retained his International Boxing Federation bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Vic Darchinyan (32-2-1) last night at Sunrise, Fla. ... Felix Sturm (33-2-1) retained his WBA middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Khoren Gevor (30-4) last night at the Ring Arena in Nuerburg, Germany. ... Red Bull's Mark Webber won the pole position for today's Formula One's German Grand Prix ahead of Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello.