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lingzi
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Dec 12 2012, 07:22 AM
Post #1
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CHARLOTTE, N. Ray Rice Nike Jersey .C. -- AJ Allmendinger will get another start with Phoenix Racing this weekend at Kansas Speedway. Phoenix general manager Steve Barkdoll said Monday the team was pleased with Allmendingers performance at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he finished 24th in his first race since his July suspension for failing a random drug test. "We were extremely happy with the job he did in our car," Barkdoll said. Allmendinger had three days notice he was going to race last Saturday night. The team had planned to use Regan Smith in the No. 51 Chevrolet, but Hendrick Motorsports asked for Smith when Dale Earnhardt Jr. was sidelined with a concussion. Earnhardt is also out for Sundays race at Kansas. Allmendinger was at the track when the garage opened Thursday, and the Phoenix crew had to hustle to get the cockpit adjusted to his size. It had been fitted that week to Smith. He qualified the car 38th at Charlotte, and Barkdoll said Allmendinger got up to speed quickly. "The first lap in the car, his first in three months, he was seventh out of 31," Barkdoll said. "We had him too loose for qualifying, but in all the practices we were around 20th. He drove it to 19th under all the green flag runs. Our pits let a tire get away, or I think we would have easily had a top-20 finish." Allmendinger was grateful for the second chance. He had last raced June 30 at Kentucky. He was suspended hours before the July race at Daytona for failing a random drug test for what hes said was Adderall. NASCAR does not reveal the substance involved. Allmendinger was released by Penske Racing when his backup "B" urine sample also tested positive, and he entered NASCARs recovery program. He was reinstated by NASCAR in September, and Phoenix gave him his first chance last weekend. "It was great to get back into a Cup car, and I just want to thank James Finch and everyone at Phoenix Racing for giving me this opportunity," Allmendinger said. "I was hoping I could have repaid that favour with a little bit stronger finish. But it was great to get back in the car and compete again. It was a solid weekend all around despite everything coming together so quickly." Now he gets to go to Kansas, where Allmendinger won the pole in April and led the first 44 laps with Penske before a mechanical failure. Allmendinger has two career top-10 finishes at Kansas, which was repaved this summer and is open two days this week to testing for teams to adapt to the new surface. Barkdoll said that will give the team additional time to get used to Allmendinger. "His attitude is outstanding, he is here at the shop today laughing and meeting the guys," Barkdoll said. "With two days of testing at Kansas, were pretty excited to have him in the car." Michael Oher Jersey . Speaking with TSNs Gino Reda on Fridays edition of Thats Hockey, Howson talked about what it would take for him to pull the trigger on a deal for his captain. Dennis Pitta White Jersey . Brazil right back Maicon opened the scoring in the ninth minute at the San Siro and midfielder Andrea Poli doubled the lead with his first goal for Inter in the 50th, giving the Milan club its seventh consecutive win in all competitions. http://www.nflravensfansshop.com/torrey-smith-jersey/ . The Blue Jays slugger blasted a three-run shot for his major-league leading 26th home run of the season Thursday, but Cecil couldnt hold the lead as the Los Angeles Angels hung on to defeat Toronto 9-7. Torrey Smith official Jersey . Beck spent the last two years with the Washington Redskins. He appeared four games with three starts last season, throwing for 858 yards and two touchdowns with four interceptions. Torrey Smith Limited Jersey . - Seemingly headed toward another embarrassing loss to the NBAs worst team, the Sacramento Kings produced one of the best comebacks of the season.RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Carolina Hurricanes had a pretty good night: They added "Skins," a Finn -- and another win. Joni Pitkanen had a goal and an assist in his first game in three months, and Carolina beat Florida 3-1 Wednesday night to snap the Panthers five-game winning streak. "For a guy thats been out of the lineup as long as he (has), he looked real good," captain Eric Staal said. Staal had his second straight two-goal game -- giving him a team-leading 23 goals -- and Cam Ward made 30 saves to help the Hurricanes win their season-best fourth straight and earn points for the 14th time in 17 home games. Two key players were back on the ice for Carolina: Pitkanen, a native of Finland who missed 44 games with a concussion and a left knee injury that required surgery, and Jeff Skinner, a teenager nicknamed "Skins" who served a two-game suspension for kicking St. Louis forward Scott Nichol last week with his skate. "I dont remember the last time I was this nervous before a game," Pitkanen said. "The first period was so fast, and the game went longer, and I started feeling more comfortable." The Hurricanes are still a longshot to make the playoff field -- they trail eighth-place Washington by five points with eight games left -- but theyre at least keeping things interesting. Tomas Fleischmann scored for the Southeast Division-leading Panthers, who had been on their longest winning streak since a club-record seven straight in 2008 and were denied their first season sweep in Raleigh. "We knew that we just couldnt throw our sticks in there and be handed two points," defenceman Ed Jovanovski said. "We knew we had to work hard. We knew theyre playing well of late, theyve won a few in a row, and it was going to be a tough game." Jose Theodore, who entered 4-0 this season against the Hurricanes, stopped 36 shots for Florida. Pitkanen put the Hurricanes up 2-0 with 9:05 left in the second period when he scored in transition. Tuomo Ruutu left him the puck behind the lefft circle and the defenceman blasted it past Theodore. Lardarius Webb Womens Jersey. Florida made it 2-1 68 seconds later after Ward couldnt wrap up a shot by Jovanovski. Fleischmanns second-chance attempt ricocheted off Pitkanens skate and into the net for his 23rd goal, matching a career high. "I thought they came out very hard, and really showed they wanted to win this game," Florida forward Mikael Samuelsson said. "We battled back a little bit, but in the end, they played better than we did. ... Special teams (are) huge, and we were not great today, by no means." Staal then scored on a power play with 11:36 left in the third -- off a pretty assist from Pitkanen -- and Ward stopped the final 13 shots he faced for his second straight win. Staal entered with 42 goals in his previous 36 games -- a major reason why the Hurricanes have been so hot lately -- and wasted virtually no time adding to that total. He put Carolina up 46 seconds in when he skated unimpeded down the wing and behind Theodore, then flipped a shot along the red line that clipped a Florida skater on its way into the net. "I think Ive tried that probably 15-20 times this year and it hasnt gone in," Staal said. "But it was good timing tonight, because it was nice to get off to the 1-0 lead and take our game from there." Brandon Sutter came close to making it a two-goal game for the Hurricanes with a short-handed wraparound that got behind Theodore and travelled along the goal line -- but never fully crossed it. A 2-minute video review upheld that on-ice call, and Pitkanens goal came 31 seconds later. NOTES: Things got chippy after the final horn, with both teams briefly confronting each other at centre ice before the officials sent them to their dressing rooms. ... The Hurricanes have scored at least one goal in 10 consecutive periods. ... Fleischmann has four goals this season against Carolina. ... Staal has four goals in his last two games and points in three straight. ... Florida C Shawn Matthias, a healthy scratch, missed his first game since Oct. 20. ' ' '
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