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Darlington gets SAFER before March race with soft barriers BY PETE IACOBELLI THE ASSOCIATED I'HESS DARLINGTON — First brighter,' now SAFER: Things keep improv ing at Darlington Raceway. Track offiqials said Tuesday the “Track Too Tough To Tame” would receive SAFER barriers — so-called “soft walls” — in time for the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 on March 21. Installation at Darlington was already underway. The track fol lowed the lead of several facilities on the Nextel Cup circuit at putting in the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction system. “Our goal is to have the SAFER barrier up at every track where it’s recommended by the experts by 2005,” Gary Nelson, NASCAR’s managing director of research and development, said recently. Earlier this year, Talladega Superspeedway said it would in stall the barriers before its April race, and Daytona International Speedway said it would do the same before its July event. Other tracks with the SAFER system include Richmond, Phoenix, Homestead-Miami, New Hampshire and Indianapolis. The energy absorbing system, designed by a team of engineers led by Dr. Dean Sicking, head of the research group at the University of Nebraska, is four steel tubes welded in 20-foot sec tions and bolted to the concrete walls. Between the steel and the concrete, pads of hard, pink foam are placed 10 feet apart, allowing the surface to bend and reduce force. “Safety is of paramount im portance in our sport, and we are pleased to be installing the SAFER barrier at Darlington Raceway,” Andrew Gurtis, Darlington president, said in a statement. The construction comes shortly after the 54-year-old superspeed way put up light towers as part of widespread project to illuminate the track. Following the Carolina Dodge Dealers race, electrical contrac tors will swarm through the facil ity, tear up about everything, ac cording to Gurtis, to lay in about 82 miles of wiring. The roof was torn off the Brasington Grandstands in turn 2 to make way for the lights. There’ll be 47 poles at heights be tween 90 and 120 feet outside the track, 27 above the grandstand and 212, ranging from 10 to 24 feet high, inside the facility. They are expected to generate 180 million lumens of light to give drivers the same view of the tire-chewing, ornery surface as they might have on a sunny Sunday after noon. The lights are expected to be ready for testing some time this summer. The first race to use the lights will be the Craftsman Truck Series event on Nov. 12. The Southern 500, switched from Labor Day weekend to the mid dle of November this year, will most likely finish under the lights. More good news could lie ahead. Gurtis has said that should the track experience a likely sellout of its November race — its second straight at the Southern 500 — he would look to add seats to the historic facility Women CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 the Kentucky record for three pointers with 178. Potts had 16 points in the Wildcats’ first meeting with the Gamecocks. Carolina will need to contain the outside shooting of Potts and the inside rebounding of senior center Sese Helm in or der to win. Helm averages 15 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. The last meeting between the Wildcats and Gamecocks was a 14-point win for UK. The loss could be attributed to the Gamecocks’ 16 turnovers or to their poor shooting at 24.3 percent in the second half. Forward Shambrica Jones had 10 rebounds in the game, went 7-of-10 from the floor and had 16 points. Lauren Simms and Olga Gritsaeva led the Gamecocks with 18 and 15 points, respectively. Two of the Gamecocks’ se niors will look to add to their legacies by reaching the 1,000 point mark. Guards Cristina Ciocan and Kelly Morrone have 995 and 967 career points, respectively. Ciocan will, in all likelihood, cele brate reaching the 1,000-point plateau after Thursday’s game. The Gamecocks look to fin ish their season on a high note by beating the Wildcats on Thursday and Vanderbilt on Sunday; both are away games. The Wildcats hold the SEC’s second-worst record, and the Commodores are tied for fifth in the confer ence. The Gamecocks could be playing the Commodores in the first round of the SEC Tournament as well. Thursday’s matchup be tween the Gamecocks and the Wildcats will tip off at 7 p.m. in Lexington, Ky. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu Martinez CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 to No. 4. “Anybody can carry the load that I might not on a certain day,” Martinez said. Wakefield had an outstanding ALCS until allowing Aaron Boone’s series-ending solo homer in the 11th. The game wouldn’t have reached extra innings if Boston had held its 5-2 lead in the eighth. Martinez retired the first batter, before Derek Jeter doubled and scored on Bemie Williams’ single. Manager Grady Little went to the mound and left Martinez in to pitch to Hideki Matsui, even though reliever Alan Embree was warming up. Matsui doubled Williams to third before Jorge Posada blooped a double that tied the game. Martinez left, Embree entered — and Little was sent packing in the offseason. “I was asked a question (by Little) whether I wanted to pitch to Matsui,” Martinez said. “If you ask me if I could pitch to Matsui again, I would say, ‘Yes.’ “I would never say ‘No,’ because I’m paid to do that for nine innings and there’s no one to blame,” he added, “but that was the question. I wasn’t really insisting on staying in the game. I was a little bit scared to leave the game, but it really wasn’t my decision.” Less than two weeks later, Little was gone. Another central figure in that series also moved on. Zimmer is now with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after eight years in New York. He got on the field in Game 3 when the benches cleared after Manny Ramirez stepped toward the mound when he took offense at a high pitch from Roger Clemens in the fourth. Zimmer charged Martinez, who had thrown behind Karim Garcia’s head in the top of the fourth. Martinez ended up pushing the 72 year-old coach to the ground. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I was trying to protect the man, and he kind of tried to punch me so I had to let him go,” Martinez said. “I was aware, totally aware, that I did not want to hurt the man.” Zimmer apologized, but Martinez said he saw no need to do the same. “I will do whatever to protect my teammates,” he said. During the melee, Martinez pointed to his head while jawing with Posada. He said it meant he would remember Posada’s re marks — not that he would hit someone with a pitch. “He mentioned my mama’s name,” Martinez said, “in a bad way.” But that was four months ago. Martinez said he’s not worried about the 2003 season or where he might be pitching in 2005. “Game 7 is over,” he said. “We just competed with a good team. They won. We lost. We’ll just try. again this year.” WE CAN HELP! CALL NOW for a FREE SCREENING! No additional studying or reading required. iUpiA Partners in Achievement _ 803-798-3171 Registered Nurses You matter at University Health Systems. As a teaching hospital, our wide variety at ! ‘ \ patients and the complexity of their care provide the opportunity to expand your ,' * V \ knowledge and the autonomy to help remind you why you are a nurse. Our team environment truly presents you with opportunities to enhance your future...as well as ours-.while the strong relationships you foster will allow you to experience many disciplines and not |ust nursing. ' * University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina includes Pitt County 1 Memorial Hospital, Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Chowan Hospital, W Bertie Memorial Hospital. Heritage Hospital, physician practices, home health and other operated health services. We are also affiliated f *^”frraV*TflrtV.‘ T'..’tjBfriMPm.'i'' I m with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. 1 B; As one of the most dynamic heakhcore networks m the Southeast we offer exceptional Be jf growth and learning potential; generous compensation and benefits; a vibrant, : , • , " VjfKshs.’' § enthusiastic arnude about the core we deliver ond the future we’re building and a \ Binl,.'7i|».x “ . VjjHShWTOjjs® singular fusion of technologically advanced, medically sophisticated care... in a CM » axnpassiondriven, community-fbcuscd healthcare environment WE DEFINE FAMILYmENDLY! &' | • » TjPWdjflh M a Pitt County Memonol Hospital was named one of the notion’s MBS Si .- .TyiS y .Sm^WF~TiT|T . 1»; 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers fir 2003 by Working ‘ ' - * * <* ft r *»* IF Mother Mogazine! We recognize that commitments to IliH ui f:-v .W* jUr compassionate core at work often come from your everyday S' ; >» ,lr$Jw2^A.P. %:. ’* | A achievements at home. We continue to look at ways we con " “r 1 '■ ' rs - ' ,* promote and encourage a healthier work force and better work environment, because the exceptional care of 1.2 mKon of our faulty and friends m Eastern North Carolina begins by taking exceptional care of you. % * » - ' * * | * w Tt%mr. For the second consecutive year. Soluuent has included Pitt County Memorial Hospital in its list of top 100 hospitals in the country for cardiovascular services PCMH has also M been ranked among the top 50 hospitals m the country for urology, heart and heart surgery MpfliilPCe'- services by U.S. News & World Report * m If you are unable to attend our Open House, please contact: University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, Attn: Employment Office, PO Box 6028, I, ® Gneenvffie, NIC 2783S; Phone: (800) 342-515S; FAX: (2S2) 847-8225; or wMn ' Jr e-mail: kbortx@pcmh.com. WMjHfflPja ,r ~ The possibilities are as diverse and fascinating as our own people, an Equal T "P,1-" o.x^ ,rg' . _ Mp Opportunity Employer. It's March Madness At Winterplace Ski Resort! Race for great prizes during the Month of March! 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Graduation will be here before you know it -- don’t miss this important event. —- Class of 2004 Graduation Fair ^1 February 23 - 27 1 0am-3pm ! Russell House Bookstore