The Japanese automaker, which has competed in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series the past two seasons, announced Monday it will also run its Camry brand in both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series in 2007.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France gave his blessing to Toyota, telling more than 200 reporters taking part in the first day of the annual preseason media tour "Toyota has proven in the truck series it can be a great partner. NASCAR offered them the best opportunity to build their presence in racing in North America and we're glad they are here."

Team owner Jack Roush, who runs cars in each of the three top NASCAR series and whose drivers have won two of the past three Cup titles, offered a warning about Toyota's move up.

"If NASCAR manages to get in front of Toyota and tell them what they want to do and enforce it, they'll be the first sanctioning body that ever did that," said Roush, whose team runs Fords.

Toyota, which is becoming increasingly successful in the U. S. even as General Motors and Ford struggle, has previously been involved in American sports car racing and open-wheel racing. The company has been known in the past for inflating the cost of racing with its free spending, sometimes dominating the series and having a major effect on the rules before leaving for greener pastures. In the truck series, Toyota brought in a costly factory team approach, making quick inroads by producing the engines and chassis for all of its teams. Toyota official Dave Illingworth said that will not be the case in Cup and Busch. France said he believes Toyota, which will also continue to compete in trucks, will approach the Cup and Busch in the proper way.

An unmarked trailer containing an Indy Racing League showcar owned by former driver Robbie Buhl was stolen last weekend from outside Sinden Racing's shop in Indianapolis. The showcar was worth $ 50, 000 to $ 100, 000, team coowner Scott Jasek said Monday. Jasek said the car was used at a safety meeting Friday and was returned in the trailer and parked outside the shop, which is in an industrial area about 2 miles south of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Several other race teams, including Newman Haas, Hemelgarn and Lyn St. James Racing, also have shops along the street — aptly named Gasoline Alley.

Houston Astros outfielder Lance Berkman was scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday. The procedure is to clean up minor scar tissue that developed in his right knee after surgery in November 2004, Astros General Manager Tim Purpura said Monday. The first operation was needed after Berkman tore the anterior cruciate ligament while playing flag football. Dr. David Lintner, the team medical director, will operate in Houston and Berkman should be healthy in time for the start of spring training in late February.

The Houston Astros intend to file a health insurance claim on Jeff Bagwell's contract, arguing that the four-time All-Star is too hurt to play this season. Bagwell is guaranteed about $ 17 million in 2006 whether he plays or not. But if he retires or is deemed unable to play, the Astros can file the claim by Jan. 31 and collect $ 15. 6 million. The 37-year-old Bagwell missed 115 games last season after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder. Doctors who examined him earlier this month told the Astros he's still not ready and the team decided to move forward with the claim. "From a technical point of view, he is a disabled player. He can't play professional baseball. That's the opinion of Dr. [James ] Andrews and Dr. [David ] Lintner," Astros General Manager Tim Purpura said Monday. "We have to know where we go from here. We just don't know. For him to return to play every day in the National League would be an uphill climb."

A man who punched David Wells to the floor of a Manhattan, N. Y., diner, knocking out two of the pitcher's teeth, surrendered Monday to finish his sentence for misdemeanor assault. Rocco Graziosa, who came to Manhattan Criminal Court wearing a dark blue, cotton velvet, athletic warm-up suit, didn't have much to say. Despite his self-defense claim, Graziosa was convicted Nov. 22, 2002, of third-degree assault for hitting Wells in a diner. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail. Graziosa served less than 20 days of the 45-day sentence before he was released pending appeal of his conviction. In November 2005, the state Supreme Court's Appellate Term voted 3-0 to uphold the guilty verdict.

Major league players preparing for the World Baseball Classic may report to spring training as early as Feb. 1. Under an agreement between the commissioner's office and the players' association announced Monday, players will start receiving spring training money as soon as they report.

Barry Bonds won't play for the U. S. team in the World Baseball Classic, saying on his Web site he can't risk injury after missing 148 games last season following three knee surgeries. The San Francisco Giants outfielder was one of 52 players selected last week to compete for 30 spots on Team USA's roster for the 16-nation World Baseball Classic in March. Bonds said he's disappointed about missing the tournament, the first international baseball event featuring players from the 25-man rosters of major-league teams. Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton had successful arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow Monday and is expected back in time for spring training. Helton injured his elbow last week during a workout, the team said. He bats and throws left-handed.

OLYMPICS Nardiello cleared by arbitrator Tim Nardiello was reinstated as the U. S. skeleton coach Monday night, shortly after an arbitrator found no evidence supporting claims that he sexually harassed two team members — but it's still unknown if he'll coach at the Olympics in Turin, Italy, next month. A U. S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation board member, speaking on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement was planned until today, told The Associated Press that Nardiello was reinstated during a meeting Monday night. The decision was effective immediately. Nardiello said he hopes to find a flight in time to rejoin the team for the season's final World Cup skeleton race in Altenberg, Germany, on Thursday and Friday.

Top American skeleton racer Zach Lund will apparently compete in next month's Olympics after the U. S. Anti-Doping Agency chose Monday to only issue him a public warning following a failed drug test. Lund tested positive for Finasteride, a banned substance often used as a steroid-masking agent, at a competition in November and was barred from the past two World Cup races. Lund said the positive result stemmed from his use of a hair-restoration product.

Four protesters briefly grabbed the Olympic torch from Italian track star Eleanora Berlanda as the relay passed through the Italian town of Trento on Monday. The protesters known as "the disobedient ones" — demonstrators associated with the anti-globalization movement — nabbed the torch and relay escort runners took it back, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. Berlanda, who set Italian records in the 1, 500 meters, said she was uninjured. Phoenix Suns All-Star Shawn Marion says he will be part of the U. S. team being put together for this year's world championships and the 2008 Olympics. Marion said Monday that he has been told by the head of USA Basketball, Jerry Colangelo, that he will be among those selected to the team. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are the only players publicly named to the team. Colangelo said he plans to announce the rest of the squad's makeup shortly after the All-Star break in mid-February.

Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Randy Sanders was hired Monday as the quarterbacks coach for SEC rival Kentucky. Last year, that job belonged to Kurt Roper, whom the Volunteers named Friday as their running backs coach.

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