Chicago ? Danica Patrick’s “heart and soul” are with the Indy Racing League, so that’s where she’ll stay – for now.

A new career in NASCAR will have to wait.

Though she isn’t ready to give up the speed of open-wheel racers for the popularity of stock cars, Patrick is switching teams. One of the IRL’s most popular drivers in years signed Tuesday with Andretti Green Racing, which has produced two straight series champions and last year’s Indy 500 winner. Her current contract with Rahal Letterman Racing expires at the end of the season, and she had toyed with the idea of joining NASCAR – a possibility she left open for the future.

“NASCAR is not out for good,” she said. “It’s out for right now.”

Patrick said she was just exploring every option and was always leaning toward staying in the IndyCar series. She will start driving for the team led by Michael Andretti in 2007.

“My heart and soul is in IndyCar racing,” Patrick said at a news conference.

Patrick burst on the scene in 2005 when she nearly won the pole at the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie, then went on to become the first woman to lead laps at the Brickyard and finished fourth. She was also named IndyCar rookie of the year.

“She has made it very clear that one of her goals as a driver is to win the Indianapolis 500,” Andretti said, “and we are looking forward to giving her a great opportunity to do that.”

Patrick is the third driver under contract to Andretti Green racing for 2007, joining Tony Kanaan and 19-year-old Marco Andretti, Michael Andretti’s son and the sport’s other budding young star.

“Danica has shown great talent during her first two seasons in the IndyCar Series,” Michael Andretti said in a statement. “Our focus has been and always will be on winning races and winning championships. We certainly believe Danica will do that.”

Patrick has finished fourth in back-to-back races and is currently ninth in the IndyCar standings, but her Rahal team had problems this season before switching to a more competitive chassis.

Patrick’s father, T.J., caused a stir earlier this month when he showed up at a Nextel Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway and told a Chicago Tribune reporter that Patrick was interested in switching to NASCAR.

NFL

Chiefs’ Law says he’s ready

Kansas City, Mo. – Ty Law greeted Kansas City wearing baggy shorts, flip-flops and a tight-fitting, sleeveless, white T-shirt that clung to his deep chest and flat belly like an extra layer of skin.

This is one 30-something who hasn’t let himself go. Any Chiefs fan, in fact, who might be worried about whether Kansas City’s new cornerback was out of shape should have attended his introductory news conference at Arrowhead Stadium.

“I’m 110 percent better than what I was last year, physically, mentally,” said Law, 32, a five-time Pro Bowl cornerback. “I’m ready to go.”

Completely gone, Law said, is any lingering effect from the severe foot injury that had him on crutches when he visited the Chiefs last year.

Still hobbled by the foot, he nevertheless intercepted a league-high 10 passes for the New York Jets and then-head coach Herm Edwards.

Now he’s back with Edwards, Kansas City’s new head coach, and armed with a five-year, $30 million contract.

Tagliabue tours Superdome

New Orleans – NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue toured the hurricane-damaged Superdome on Tuesday with Saints owner Tom Benson and Gov. Kathleen Blanco, and was encouraged with the progress that has been made.

Though repairs are ongoing, Tagliabue was impressed. He had said during earlier visits he had concerns about how long it would take to get the facility reopened.

Rams sign three draft picks

St. Louis – The St. Louis Rams on Tuesday signed three draft picks: defensive end Victor Adeyanju, offensive guard Tony Palmer and linebacker Tim McGarigle, moving closer to getting the full roster under contract heading into training camp.

Raiders’ Huff reaches terms

Napa, Calif. – First-round pick Michael Huff signed a $22.5 million, five-year contract with the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday that guarantees the safety $15 million. Huff played every secondary position at Texas, making 318 tackles in his career.

Barton County Scandal

Ex-AD Elliott pleads guilty

Wichita – Barton County Community College’s former athletic director pleaded guilty Tuesday to mail fraud for a scheme to get a medical hardship request for an athlete who was not entitled to it.

Neil Elliott, 42, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Monti Belot on the day his trial had been scheduled to begin for 12 counts alleging conspiracy, theft of federal funds, embezzlement from student assistance programs, and mail fraud.

As part of a plea deal with the government, prosecutors dropped 11 counts against him. Under the agreement, Elliott will pay no restitution and prosecutors will recommend the low end of sentencing guidelines.

Sentencing was tentatively set for Oct. 2. The judge said he wanted to sentence other coaches and assistant coaches in the college’s basketball and track programs on the same date.

Elliott, who resigned as athletic director in May, was the highest-ranking Barton County Community College official charged in an investigation that snared eight people and led to the firing of the college’s president.

NBA

Majerus turns down Nuggets

Denver – Former Utah coach Rick Majerus turned down an offer to become an assistant to Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, the team said Tuesday.

“He offered me the job a month ago,” Majerus told the Rocky Mountain News in Tuesday’s editions. “But I can’t move (to Denver) right now.”

Majerus, 58, coached the Utes from 1989 until January 2004. He now lives in Milwaukee and works as an ESPN college analyst while caring for his mother, Alyce.

Sixers: Iverson staying

Philadelphia – After coming ever-so-close to trading Allen Iverson before last month’s NBA Draft, the 76ers and general manager Billy King found offers from other teams for the guard to be insufficient. So King has decided to end all the suspense over whether Iverson will be going elsewhere after a 10-year run in Philadelphia, saying Tuesday that he has taken Iverson’s name off of the trading block.

Terry signs deal with Mavs

Dallas – Jason Terry finally signed his six-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. Terry was the team’s second-leading scorer last season.

College Basketball

Top center chooses UCLA

Kevin Love, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound high school senior from Lake Oswego, Ore., on Tuesday orally committed to play basketball at UCLA. He chose the Bruins over North Carolina. Love is the top-ranked center and the No. 5 overall prospect in the class of 2007.

Hockey

Panthers add goalie Belfour

Sunrise, Fla. – Ed Belfour, whose 457 victories rank second on the NHL list, signed a one-year deal with the Florida Panthers on Tuesday and likely will be the backup goalie to newly acquired Alex Auld. The 41-year-old Belfour spent the last three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and went 22-22 with a 3.29 goals-against average during the 2005-06 campaign. The five-time All-Star helped lead the Dallas Stars to the 1999 Stanley Cup championship.

Tennis

Haas victorious in L.A.

Los Angeles – Tommy Haas took another step toward regaining his early season form with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Wayne Arthurs in the first round of the Countrywide Classic on Tuesday. Two-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 Marat Safin, who’s also trying to regroup after an injury, moved into the second round with a 6-4, 7-5 win over American Mardy Fish.

Top seed rolls at Budapest

Budapest, Hungary – Top-seeded Catalina Castano of Colombia defeated Hungary’s Kyra Nagy, 6-3, 6-2, to advance to the second round of the Budapest Grand Prix on Tuesday. Nagy led 3-1 in the first set before Castano won five straight games.

Jankovic wins opener

Stanford, Calif. – Jelena Jankovic beat Lilia Osterloh, 7-5, 6-3, on Tuesday to earn a spot in the second round and a match against world No. 2 Kim Clijsters at the Bank of the West Classic.

Defending champ Coria falls

Umag, Croatia – Robin Vik beat defending champion Guillermo Coria in the first round Tuesday, and David Ferrer withdrew at the Croatia Open. Vik easily dispatched third-seeded Coria, 6-2, 6-3, while No. 1 Ferrer pulled out, citing exhaustion after prevailing in a five-hour final Sunday in Stuttgart, Germany.