TARBES, France (AP) — Lance Armstrong carried on playing mind games with his younger rival and teammate Alberto Contador on Sunday, hinting that he might be the strongest rider this year on the Tour and admitting for the first time that some tension exists on the Astana team.
With the race’s toughest tests still to come, the 37-year old Texan has decided to put the pressure on the Spaniard’s shoulders and to show he is still in control despite trailing Contador by a fistful of seconds overall.

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JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — 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 at Chicagoland Speedway, getting the strong jump off the double-file restart with two laps left to win his series-high fourth race of the season.

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LOCUST GROVE — Victory lane is becoming a familiar place for Terry Gray.
The Bartlett, Tenn., man added another win to the list Friday night at the Batesville Motor Speedway as the United Speed Contest Series sprint cars rocketed around the 3/8-mile clay oval.
Gray, the defending USCS national champion, has made a routine of collecting the top spot in the features. Prior to his BMS visit, Gray had won three of the last five USCS events and was second Thursday night in his first wingless sprint race in 16 years.

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Batesville Cal Ripken All-Stars won two district championships over the weekend, and the one at home took a rubber game.
The local 9-year-old All-Stars defeated their counterparts from Mountain Home 12-6 on Saturday at Fitzhugh Park, winning the best-of-3 series.
Meanwhile, Batesville’s 10-year-old All-Stars thrashed the homestanding Mountain Home All-Stars over the weekend, outscoring them 22-2 in two games at Twin Lakes Park.

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Today
Auto racing: USCS Sprint Cars and Modifieds and points racing for economy modifieds and factory stock at Batesville Speedway (Locust Grove), grandstands open at 5:30 p.m., racing starts at 8
Cal Ripken baseball: 9-year-old district tournament at Fitzhugh Park — Batesville vs. Mountain Home, doubleheader, 5:15 p.m. 

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FAYETTEVILLE (AP) — Arkansas assistant track and field Coach Dick Booth will not return next season, Coach Chris Bucknam announced Thursday.
Bucknam said it was time for a change and that Booth would be leaving after 27 seasons as the Razorbacks’ field events coach. Booth spent 26 of those seasons under John McDonnell, the longtime coach who retired last year after leading Arkansas to 40 national championships.
Bucknam recently completed his first season with the Razorbacks after taking over for McDonnell.

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Nick Dailey decided that Oklahoma offers room to grow, and Coach Kirk Kelley is happy to provide the space.
Kelley, who recently left Lyon College to coach at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, originally recruited and signed Dailey for Lyon. This past weekend, Dailey decided he’s going to Bartelsville, Okla., to play for the Eagles and Kelley.
“It just came down to what I thought would be better for me,” Dailey said. “I think that I, as a person, can grow more out of town, away from home. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Coach Kelley is there.”

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JONESBORO — The Jonesboro Ricemen took advantage of some extra opportunities and remained unbeaten in Zone 2 American Legion baseball play with a come-from-behind, 5-4 victory here Thursday over the Batesville Asphalt Highwaymen.
The most-telling opportunities came in the form of five Highwaymen errors. They helped the Ricemen rally from a 4-run deficit over the last two and two-third innings.
The Highwaymen led 4-0 after four and two-third innings.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Unable to find funding since his suspension for failing a random drug test, Jeremy Mayfield is considering selling his race team.
Shana Mayfield said Thursday she and her husband are considering selling their remaining inventory because they don’t have the cash to field a race team. Mayfield transferred ownership of the No. 41 Toyota to his wife following his May 9 suspension.
“We are looking at all options at this point, since we cannot get sponsorship,” Shana Mayfield said.

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NORTH LITTLE ROCK — Approximately 138 collegiate anglers from 69 colleges and universities across the country took to the waters today at North Little Rock for the fifth annual Under Armour College Bass National Championship.
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will be defending its national championship won last year on Lake Maumelle and a private lake near England.
UALR’s team of Jeremy Reese and Trent Gebhardt last year brought in a five-bass limit that weighed 21.24 pounds to easily outdistance their nearest competitor by almost 4 pounds.

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Space is still available for Lyon College’s individual basketball camp for junior and senior girls next week, Lyon Coach Tracy Stewart-Lange said.
The camp runs Sunday through Wednesday. Campers can register at Becknell Gymnasium Sunday 4-6 p.m. For further information call Stewart-Lange at (870) 307-7248.

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LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Women’s Golf Association, in conjunction with the Arkansas State Golf Association, held the AWGA Junior Girls Stroke Play Championship at Chenal Country Club in Little Rock on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Rachel Harmon of Izard County High School finished fifth with a 2-day score of 163. Harmon shot an opening-round 79, good for seventh place after the first day.

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