Grand Prix

As matchups go, this could be the season's grandest of Grand Prix series events, a figure skating competition with crystal ball potential for this year and beyond. Kimmie Meissner vs. Mao Asada. A dozen women each will have just seven minutes to wow the judges with their athleticism and artistry at Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, which begins tomorrow. For Meissner and Asada, the expectations go far beyond the $18,000 first-prize check and a spot in the Grand Prix Final next month in Turin, Italy.

They looked like six telephone poles planted in the water when they first appeared on the horizon. Then, as these 48-foot, identically designed boats came closer, they looked like feathers in a fan, as they sailed one in front of the other in a staggered line.But finally, as they entered the Severn River and raced madly toward the finish line in Annapolis' cozy harbor, they looked like the regal, swift sailboats they are. Chessie, in the lead and with most of her crew sitting along her right side enjoying the finish, raised a glorious yellow spinnaker as she streaked to victory in the final race of the Chesapeake Grand Prix.

SUZUKA, Japan -- Damon Hill will drive in his 115th and last Formula One race tomorrow -- the Japanese Grand Prix -- before finally retiring after threatening to do it several times before.Hill, 39, who was world champion in 1996 and finished second to Michael Schumacher the two previous years, won 22 races in his seven-year Formula One career.Britain's Hill won only once in the past three seasons, though, and was going to quit in July before finishing fifth at the British Grand Prix.He won the Japanese Grand Prix in 1994 and 1996, when victory sealed his world championship.

A Virginia woman was killed outside of Annapolis early yesterday when she ran across U.S. 50 into the path of a car, Anne Arundel County police said.Vonetta Maria Muse, 23, of Vienna was a passenger in a car eastbound on U.S. 50 near the Ridgely Avenue overpass about 2: 30 a.m. when the driver pulled onto the right shoulder.Police said that for a reason they have not determined, Muse got out, ran into the road and was hit by a 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Russell E. Pedigo, 29, of Flint, Mich.

Charlie looks agitated. His busy weekend left him worn out, and now he's fighting off a cold. He restlessly paces. He stomps. He neighs."I think he'll be ready for [today]," says Lynne Little, watching her silver steed in his private paddock last week. She has a reason to be confident: Charlie has come through for her many times.Little, a world-class equestrian from the Frederick area, will put Charlie, one of her champion horses, to the test again today. The partners will compete at the annual Columbia Classic Grand Prix at Howard Community College.

To listen to Stanley Penn, Pontiac's redesigned Grand Prix is doing just what General Motors Corp. had hoped."It has an entirely new look," said the president of Penn Pontiac as he showed off a bright red coupe in his Southeast Baltimore showroom."

Administrators are delighted with all the horsing around expected today at Howard Community College.The eighth annual Columbia Classic Grand Prix national horse jumping event, which begins at 10 a.m., benefits the college's Educational Foundation scholarship program.Since the Columbia Classic began in 1987, the event has raised about $650,000 for the foundation, including $200,000 last year, bringing the endowment to more than $1 million."The majority of the funds were raised over the last four years because the event has grown and gotten so successful," said Sandra Harriman of Laurel, who has been the foundation's executive director for five years.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Pontiac teams on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series tour generally have had a tough time this season.Among drivers Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip and Wally Dallenbach Jr., there have been only three top 10 finishes. Two were by Petty -- a fifth in the Pontiac 400 at Richmond and an eighth place in the Goodwrench 500 at Rockingham. The other was by Waltrip, fifth Sunday in the Food City 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Raceway.However, help appears on the way.A few days ago Pontiac officials treated racing team members to a tour of the General Motors Design Center in Warren, Mich.

NAZARETH, Pa. -- If this were a game of Monopoly, Michael Andretti and Bobby Rahal would be in jail and Emerson Fittipaldi would be counting all his money.Fittipaldi, who earned $300,000 yesterday by winning the sixtannual Marlboro Challenge all-star race, is hot. But, perhaps, not quite as hot as Andretti and Rahal, who were both given stop-and-go penalties for improperly entering pit road.It was a perfect demonstration of just how difficult it is thandicap the PPG IndyCar championship points race with just two races left in the season.

SURFERS PARADISE, Australia -- For a man who had won both races in which he earned the pole position, Al Unser Jr. was indifferent about the honor.Unser, driving a new Valvoline Galmer-Chevy, set a track record yesterday at the Gold Coast Indy Grand Prix -- the first series race of 1992. He sped around the revamped street course at 101.900 mph, passing a trouble-plagued Michael Andretti for the pole position in today's race.Andretti, last year's IndyCar series champion, had electrical problems yesterday and failed to record a lap time.

Just a week ago, Kimmie Meissner was talking about a comeback - from bad performances in recent years and from injuries that continued to nag her as she readied for a new season of figure skating. Now her dreams of a second trip to the Olympics in February are over. The former world and national figure skating champion from Bel Air has not recovered quickly enough from a dislocated right knee cap and tendinitis, which forced her to withdraw Thursday from both of her Grand Prix assignments.

The Baltimore Racing Development group proposing an Indy Racing League event said yesterday that if all goes according to plan, the city would have its own Grand Prix IndyCar event running on a street course through the Inner Harbor on Labor Day weekend 2011. "Given what our communications have been with the IRL, I would say [whether or not the race comes here] is on our end," said Jay Davidson, BRD's chief operating officer, during a news conference at the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards.

EVERETT, Wash. - There was no America in Skate America this year on the women's side of the ticket. Kimmie Meissner's comeback yesterday derailed in a series of falls and poorly executed jumps that left her in eighth place out of 11 skaters. Injured U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu fell twice and had numerous elements downgraded to finish fifth. And Rachael Flatt couldn't untrack her jumps and finished fourth. Instead, Yu-Na Kim of South Korea and Japan's Yukari Nakano and Miki Ando took control of the event and made it their own. Kim, who led after the short program by nearly 12 points, rarely paused in her pursuit of the gold medal, earning a total score of 193.45, almost 21 points ahead of Nakano.

Leaping horses, socializing supporters and a family-friendly atmosphere have drawn spectators to Howard Community College's Grand Prix for 20 years. But the true appeal for organizers has always been the scholarship money it raises for students. The equestrians and the entertainment will return to the Columbia campus Saturday, and college officials say the need is greater than ever. Applications for financial aid have risen 19 percent from fall 2007 to this year, said Nancy Santos Gainer, an HCC spokeswoman.

COLUMBUS, OHIO -- When Katie Hoff finished the 400-meter individual medley last night, everyone assumed she just had set a U.S. Open record. It was announced over the public address system at the Ohio State Grand Prix, the crowd roared, and a representative from USA Swimming tried to congratulate her. Hoff, though, knew better. "It's not a record," she insisted. "Really, it's not." Hoff was right. Her time of 4 minutes, 34.49 seconds wasn't quite as fast as the 4:34.25 that Kristy Coventry of Zimbabwe swam at the Missouri Grand Prix - U.S. Open records don't have to be set by Americans, just set in an American pool - but it was perfect example of how sharp Hoff is. The North Baltimore Aquatic Club swimmer knows, down to the tenth of a second, the marks she has to hit to achieve her goals.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- When Katie Hoff was less than two pool lengths into the 400-meter freestyle final yesterday, everyone at the Missouri Grand Prix - including the swimmer - sensed something special might be happening. At each turn, as her lead widened and her time kept pace with the U.S. record, the crowd turned up the volume and the announcer grew more frantic. Phelps cruises Michael Phelps wins the 200 butterfly in the second-best time ever, 1:53.31. PG 3D

As matchups go, this could be the season's grandest of Grand Prix series events, a figure skating competition with crystal ball potential for this year and beyond. Kimmie Meissner vs. Mao Asada. A dozen women each will have just seven minutes to wow the judges with their athleticism and artistry at Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, which begins tomorrow. For Meissner and Asada, the expectations go far beyond the $18,000 first-prize check and a spot in the Grand Prix Final next month in Turin, Italy.

The Commission on the Future of Howard Community College, a group of community and business leaders, has been given the task of providing recommendations to guide academic planning at the college. Mary Ann Scully, president and CEO of Howard Bank, will chair the commission. The group will begin meeting Sept. 19 to identify innovative ideas, emerging issues and alternatives for the college's future. The commission will be organized into six task forces: They will examine environmental sustainability, work force development, education of health care professionals, creation of new programs, global education and establishment of an innovative, creative organization.

Women for Women benefit Wednesday Singer-songwriter Laura Dause will host and perform at Women for Women International's benefit coffeehouse concert Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Oliver's Carriage House, 5410 Leaf Treader Way, Columbia. Women for Women International provides financial, educational and emotional support, job-skills training and assistance with small business development to women in war-torn regions of the world. Admission is $10. Reservations are suggested. Beer, wine, coffee and desserts will be available to purchase.

Although figure skater Kimmie Meissner did better on her second tour of the Grand Prix circuit than she did in 2005, she missed qualifying for the Grand Prix Final. Still, she ended the season with silver and bronze medals vs. two fifth-place finishes. But Meissner has her eye on a different prize this season: the U.S. title. The challenge got easier last month when Sasha Cohen, the reigning U.S. champion, announced that she would not defend her title Jan. 25 and 27 in Spokane, Wash. From nationals, the Bel Air teen moves on to defend her world title March 19-25, in Tokyo.