BRIEFLY.

King sues champ Byrd

Promoter Don King says in a lawsuit that his desire to unify four major heavyweight boxing titles in a television tournament was spoiled by IBF champion Chris Byrd.

In the suit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, King said Byrd owes him at least $1 million for breach of contract and not less than $3 million for interfering with King's business prospects.

King said the 35-year-old boxer disrupted his plan to unify the titles by refusing to participate in a tournament the promoter hoped would air on HBO or Showtime.

The lawsuit accuses Byrd of refusing to participate in a bout last spring or in March 2006 against Vitali Klitschko, a Ukrainian boxer who was the WBC champion until he retired last month.

Patrick English, a lawyer for Byrd, said the allegations were not true.

--Boxing promoter Cedric Kushner agreed to pay a $60,000 fine to settle federal regulators' charges that he signed false and misleading financial statements filed by his company in May 2003.

MOTOR SPORTS: NASCAR officials are ``extremely disappointed'' in Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and other drivers who failed to attend the season-ending awards ceremonies.

``It was very disappointing to NASCAR and the entire industry that drivers did not show up for various awards,'' spokesman Jim Hunter said. ``It shows a lack of respect for the history and tradition of the sport.''

NASCAR president Mike Helton plans to speak with the drivers who failed to attend last week's ceremonies in New York, Hunter said.

--An American driver is back in Formula One racing for the first time in more than a decade.

Scott Speed, a 22-year-old who grew up in Manteca, Calif., was chosen to drive next season for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team. He's the first American in the series since Michael Andretti in 1993.

FOOTBALL: Pierce College head football coach David Banuelos has resigned after six seasons with the Brahmas, leaving to pursue other opportunities.

- Vincent Bonsignore

BASKETBALL: Former Lakers center Corie Blount, the center on Cincinnati's Final Four team in 1992, was hired as an assistant coach to help the Bearcats' depleted staff.

--WNBA teams will have less time to shoot and play 10-minute quarters next season under rule changes approved by the league.

When the WNBA begins its 10th season next year, the shot clock will be shortened from 30 seconds to 24 seconds. Also, 20-minute halves will be dropped in favor of 10-minute quarters.

LUGE: Nearly three weeks after sustaining a concussion during training for a World Cup luge race on the Olympic track in Italy, U.S. doubles slider Christian Niccum has been cleared to return to competition.

EQUESTRIAN: Lexington, Ky., the self-proclaimed ``Horse Capital of the World,'' will host the 2010 World Equestrian Games - the first time the event will be held outside Europe.

- Daily News Staff and Wire Services