07-04-2016, 03:28 AM
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. wholesale jerseys . -- An accomplished veteran in open-wheel racing, Alex Tagliani probably could find a full-time ride in the IndyCar series if he wanted it badly enough. So whats he doing driving stock cars? Having the time of his life, apparently. "You need to throw some challenges into your life, into your career," Tagliani said. "If not, it gets boring. For me, when I drive a stock car, it doesnt come natural. It takes a lot of control. So when I get out of the car, I feel like I want more. Maybe thats what keeps the spark in you to be in love with what you do." Tagliani, a 40-year-old native of Montreal who made his name in Indy-style racing -- he won the pole position for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 -- is driving two road courses for Team Penske in the NASCAR Nationwide series this season. He dominated much of a rain-soaked race at Road America last weekend, only to run out of gas near the end; he refuelled and made a mad charge to a second-place finish in a green-white-checker overtime. Hell drive again for Penske at Mid-Ohio in August. Beyond that, Tagliani is racing in the relative obscurity of the Canadian Tire series, NASCARs humble attempt to establish a foothold for stock car racing north of the border. Hes also doing some sports car racing. He did drive in the Indianapolis 500 in May, finishing 13th, but he has very little desire to pursue a full-time IndyCar ride at this point in his career. Backing away from IndyCar has largely freed him from the money-fueled politics that frustrated him. "The Indianapolis 500 is a huge event," Tagliani said. "But running an Indy car for a full season, theres a price to pay, and I was not willing to continue to pay that price this year." When Tagliani says theres a price to pay, hes being literal; unlike other sports, where teams draft and sign the best players they can, talent is only one factor in determining who gets hired by a particular team in auto racing. All teams expect a driver to be a good spokesman they can sell to a corporate sponsor -- but some teams take it one step further, actually expecting the driver to come to the table with sponsorship deals already in hand. "Youre actually funding, or helping, a team to survive, and youre helping their business, but theyre not helping you back," Tagliani said. "Youre helping them with your energy and your money and your work, and they use that, and theres always the grass is greener somewhere else, right? Youre never able to build something for the long term. To the point where it frustrates you, and I didnt want to drive frustrated. I just wanted to enjoy driving, you know? "And thats where I am now. Every step you make in your career has some consequences, and Im still glad I did them because I ended up in a Penske car. I cant ask for more." The move to the Canadian Tire series was actually a plus to his main sponsor, the Canadian division of drug manufacturing giant Pfizer. The company wants to promote its EpiPen allergy treatment -- a natural fit for Tagliani, who has a nut allergy -- in Canada. "They wanted a Canadian presence," Tagliani said. "So at some point, you can push and push and push, but theyre going to say you either race more in Canada and you give us a Canadian program, or we cut the money out. So I kind of revamped my program, and made sure it was beneficial to me." Now Tagliani doesnt plan on slowing down anytime soon. "Ill replicate this 2014 season again for the next five," Tagliani said. "Because Im having a lot of fun, Im able to do IndyCar at the speedway, that I like. Im able to please my sponsor in Canada and also race the 22 car for Team Penske and run prototypes when Im free. What else could a driver ask for?" cheap jerseys from china . Ching threatened to retire after the Impact made him the first pick in the Major League Soccer expansion draft on Nov. 23, but when the Houston Dynamo made no move to get him back, the 33-year-old elected to report to Montreal. jerseys from china .K. Subban in the final minute of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. "I obviously got caught up in the moment," Thornton said on an offday at the TD Garden. NEW ORLEANS -- Portland was trailing by three points with under five minutes left in the game and Damian Lillard was determined to keep the Trail Blazers losing streak from reaching five games. Lillard nailed a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game and give Portland the momentum it needed to snap its four-game skid with a 111-103 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. Lillard finished with 27 points, Nicolas Batum added 22 and Wesley Matthews had 20 for the Trail Blazers, who played without All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge. He was sitting out with a back contusion. Anthony Davis scored a career-high 36 points for New Orleans and Brian Roberts added 19. Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon added 16 apiece after both missed one game because of illness. Portland was trailing 94-89 with 7:30 to go in the fourth quarter when Lillard scored the games next seven points, and his jumper with 4:15 gave the Trail Blazers the lead for good at 96-94. "Up to that point I hadnt been able to get it going the entire game," Lillard said. "... Coach Stotts just kept deciding to put me in ball screens and in situations where I could attack; especially late in the game. My shot started to fall. I was able to make some plays and get it going a little bit." Wrapping up a five-game road trip, Portland opened the game on a 10-2 run. From there it became a back-and-forth affair that featured 18 lead changes with no team ever having a double-digit advantage. Davis alley-oop dunk with under 3 seconds to go in the half gave the Pelicans a 55-53 lead at the break. "A much-needed win needless to say," Stotts said. "I was proud of the way we competed and kept focused. ... Everybody that was on the floor tonight rreally had an impact on the game. wholesale nfl jerseys. ." The game was tied 75-75 with 3:36 to go in the third quarter when the Pelicans went on a 6-0 run to grab an 81-75 lead. They stayed in front until midway through the final quarter, when Lillard scored 16 points to lead Portland to victory. Emotional throughout the game, particularly after his jumper gave Portland the lead for good in the fourth quarter, Lillard said the victory was crucial to his teams post-season hopes. "I mean we had lost four games in a row," he said. "Then we finally were able to close a team out in the fourth quarter and come away with the victory. It was a great feeling." New Orleans coach Monty Williams wasnt surprised by Lillards performance. "You know what hes capable of doing," he said. "Some of the stuff is un-guardable like the last 3-pointer he made. Our guys know that when hes going left late game, you know hes going to raise up. We just didnt execute that well. Weve played against him a number of times the past two years so youve got to know what to expect." Davis scored 30-plus points for the sixth time this season "I didnt care about that," he said. "I only care about winning. We lost, so all of that is up to you guys. We just didnt get the stops. I missed some shots. They (Portland) made some shots. We just have to defend. We cant let them score thirty-something points in one quarter. We especially need to defend." NOTES: Davis received the February Kia Community Assist Award in recognition of his community work around NBA All-Star 2014 festivities. ... Davis tied the New Orleans franchise record for most consecutive games with 28-plus points with his 36 Friday night against the Trail Blazers. Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' ' nba jerseys shop
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