Sports briefs

Auto racing

INDY PRACTICE BEGINS: Practice for the May 28 Indianapolis 500 began at noon Tuesday, and after a ceremonial parade lap by defending champion Dan Wheldon and five other former winners, almost two dozen drivers took their initial laps within the next 45 minutes. That was the busiest time all day, and there were only five cars on the track when rain ended practice more than an hour early.

Penske Racing teammates Sam Hornish Jr. and Helio Castroneves were the leaders at more than 224 mph in their backup cars, with Wheldon and his teammate Scott Dixon right behind at more than 223 mph. All of those speeds came in the first hour of practice. Later, Hornish and Castroneves came out in their primary race cars and posted the fifth- and sixth-fastest laps, also at more than 223.

JARRETT CHIEF SUSPENDED: Crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe was suspended for four races and fined $25,000 on Tuesday for using an illegal part on Dale Jarrett's car at Richmond International Raceway. NASCAR officials discovered the sway bar on Jarrett's car was illegally mounted when the No. 88 Ford passed through Saturday night's pre-race inspection in Richmond. Car owner Robert Yates said the violation was not intentional.

Football

RICE HEADED TO HALL: NFL great Jerry Rice and college football's all-time winningest coach, John Gagliardi, were among seven new members to join the divisional class of the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

The group, to be enshrined at the hall on Aug. 11-12 in South Bend, Ind., also includes defensive back Kevin Dent of Jackson State, quarterback John Friesz of Idaho, receiver Ronnie Mallett of Central Arkansas and coaches Dick Farley of Williams (Mass.) and Vernon "Skip" McCain of Maryland State.

The divisional class considers players and coaches from NCAA Divisions I-AA, II, III and the NAIA.

Rice starred at Mississippi Valley State from 1981-84, finishing with 310 career receptions, 4,856 receiving yards and 51 touchdowns. Drafted in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers, he was selected for the Pro Bowl 13 times and broke virtually every receiving record.

Hockey

CANADA EDGES U.S.: At Riga, Latvia, Brendan Shanahan scored a power-play goal in the third period to help Canada beat the United States 2-1 on Tuesday and advance to the second round of the World Ice Hockey Championship. It was the third straight win for Canada and the first loss for the Americans, who beat Norway and Denmark earlier in the preliminary round.

Shanahan knocked a rebound past U.S. goalie Jason Bacashihua 7:44 into the third for the winning goal. The United States had three power plays over the final 12 minutes but couldn't tie it up.

Horse racing

LAWYER RON OUT: Lawyer Ron, which finished 12th in the Kentucky Derby, will skip the Preakness Stakes because of inflammation in his right hind ankle.

"Looks like we probably aren't going to come," trainer Bob Holthus said in a news release from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, which will host the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown on May 20. The bay colt won four straight races before the May 6 Kentucky Derby,