Former Formula One Champion Hunt Dies at 45

James Hunt, who won the Formula One world championship in 1976, died of a heart attack early Tuesday morning at his London home. He was 45.

Hunt was as well known for his temperament as for his driving ability. He raced for six years in Formula One, earning 10 victories and 14 pole positions in 92 starts.

His 1976 triumph came after Niki Lauda was injured in a fiery crash midway through the season. Lauda made an unexpected return to the circuit six weeks later, but Hunt edged the Austrian by one point to win the title.

Hunt was the last British Formula One champion until Nigel Mansell won the title last year.

Hockey

The Detroit Red Wings hired Scotty Bowman, a Stanley Cup winner with the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins, as their coach. Bowman is the winningest coach in NHL history. Bryan Murray has been coach and general manager of the Red Wings since coming to Detroit in 1990. He will remain general manager.

The Mighty Ducks have invited former King coach Mike Murphy, minor league coach Al Sims of the Ft. Wayne Komets and Vancouver Canuck assistant Ron Wilson to Anaheim for second interviews later this week in the search for their first head coach.

Brett Lindros, following the path of his older brother Eric, will play hockey for Canada in the Olympics. Lindros, 17, and forward Craig Woodcroft, 23, signed with Canada’s national team for the 1994 Winter Games, Hockey Canada announced.

The Pittsburgh Penguins named Jack Kelley as president, replacing Howard Baldwin, who remains owner and chairman of the board.

Baseball

Baseball owners are expected to expand the playoffs for the first time in 25 years when they gather for a two-day quarterly meeting, beginning today at Denver. American League President Bobby Brown said there will be discussion, but no decisions, on how to deal with the increase in on-field fights. Council chairman Bud Selig said no vote will be taken on plans to go to three divisions in 1995 and start interleague play. Owners will vote Thursday on expanding the playoffs to a third tier in 1994, pending approval of the players association.

Miscellany

Panama defeated Cuba, 96-82, for its first victory at the Panamerican basketball tournament at Rosario, Argentina. Panama lost, 93-75, to Brazil and Cuba lost to the United States, 121-52, in games Monday. Also participating are Canada, Argentina, Uruguay and Mexico. The winner and two runners-up will qualify for the World Under-22 tournament to be played next month in Spain. . . . Beginning July 1, boxers fighting on a Top Rank Inc. card will be insured to a limit of $50,000, the company announced. The current minimum insurance policy for fighters required by California law is $20,000. . . . The U.S. national soccer team will face Uruguay today at Ambato, Ecuador. The last time the teams met was in May of 1991 at Denver, where the Americans beat the two-time World Cup champions, 1-0, on a goal by Peter Vermes.

Names in the News

Finalists for CIF City Section commissioner will take a written exam Thursday at the district’s senior high division and will return Tuesday for interviews. The front-runners for the job include: Lee Joseph, former City athletic administrator; Barbara Fiege, athletic director at Belmont High; Neil Stone, vice principal in charge of athletics at Eagle Rock; Chuck Didinger, vice principal in charge of athletics at Wilmington Banning, and Wallace Hugo, vice principal at Griffith Middle School and former athletic director at Locke. Officials said they hope to have a replacement by July 15.

Josh Lakatos, 20, of Pasadena set a junior world record in trap shooting at the World Shotgun Championship at Mollet Del Valles, Spain.