Names In The News

Mya To Perform During Halftime Of WNBA All-Star Game

In Winston-Salem, Mike Mulhern, as part of a four-part piece on the career of late NASCAR Vice Chair BILL FRANCE JR., noted France and SMI Chair & CEO BRUTON SMITH “never really did any deals together, until the souvenir business came under one joint umbrella [Motorsports Authentics] two years ago, a venture that Smith said was done more with [ISC President] LESA FRANCE KENNEDY ... than with France himself.”  Smith: “I don’t think Billy and I could have done anything jointly.  I don’t remember us ever discussing anything like that.  I think we were too competitive. ... Some people in New York wanted us to come together on that [track] project, because they thought that would clinch the deal.  But there was never any real strong effort on that” (WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 7/9).

NAMES: Suspended Coyotes assistant coach RICK TOCCHET, who awaits sentencing after pleading guilty on May 25 to gambling-related charges, did not return for his second day of play yesterday in the Main Event at the World Series of Poker.  He had advanced with 17,100 in chips (USA TODAY, 7/12)....MYA, a DC native, will perform during halftime of Sunday's WNBA All-Star Game at Verizon Center.  VANESSA CARLTON will perform the night before at the WNBA Welcome Party & Concert Presented by AOL (WNBA)....Pro Football HOFer MICHAEL IRVIN will donate $100,000 to his alma mater, St. Thomas Aquinas High in Ft. Lauderdale (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 7/12).