Neues » The 57-year-olds long-term

LOS ANGELES -- When Scott Dixon stood next to the Astor Cup on a stage in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, he was still a bit surprised to be so close to IndyCars championship trophy heading into the season finale. Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping . Just two weeks ago, Dixon needed an enormous amount of help to take control of the overall IndyCar race. Helio Castroneves gave it to him with a broken gearbox during a wild doubleheader in Houston, allowing Dixon to head for California with his third series title in sight. "Its been such an up-and-down season for us that its kind of hard to believe were here," said Dixon, the series champion in 2003 and 2008. "We started so poorly, but we managed to find some redemption at midseason and got back in the hunt. And then Houston happened, and now were here. Its been a wild ride." Indeed, Dixon hadnt been on top of the overall standings all season long until he left Houston with the lead. The last time Dixon led the championship was back in 2009, with one race to go -- and Dario Franchitti sped past him to claim the title. Thats why Dixon isnt cocky about his chances in IndyCars season finale at Fontana on Saturday night. "Its very easy to jinx yourself," Dixon said. "I think maybe you start thinking its a given, and you get too complacent. Everybody knows its not over. If were leading at the end of this race, then job accomplished, but we could still very well lose it." The New Zealander realizes he only needs a fifth-place finish to stay ahead of Castroneves for the overall title, but he wont change tactics just to stay safe. He expects a dynamic race on the long oval east of Los Angeles -- but hopefully without the pyrotechnics of the Houston doubleheader, which ended with teammate Franchitti in a hospital with two broken vertebrae, a broken ankle and a concussion. Castroneves had led the overall standings for 14 of the 18 races this season, and the Brazilian had a 49-point lead in the overall standings heading to Houston. But mechanical failures in both races left him 25 points behind Dixon, who won the first race of the doubleheader and finished second in the second race. Despite the horrific results in Houston, Castroneves hasnt lost his usual chipper demeanour -- or given up hope for a dramatic comeback. Hes the only racer who could mathematically catch Dixon for the title. "The reason Im not mad is because its not over," Castroneves said. "We have a chance. Some things happened in Houston that youd never expect. Breaking the gearbox? No way to predict something like that could happen." Roger Penske said his team "fell on our face" in Houston, a failure that could leave Penske just short of the title for the sixth time since 2006. "In our case, with the scenario, its pretty simple," Penske Racing President Tim Cindric said. "Winning is really the only thing at the end of the day, and then you still have to hope." Dixon was among the first people to realize Castroneves championship hopes were in trouble during that second race in Houston: Oil from Castroneves gearbox doused Dixons car from the second or third lap onward, and Dixon screamed about it into his radio. Even when Castroneves was forced to stop, Dixon got no enjoyment from Castroneves woes. "Youre thinking, If its happening to him, it could very well happen to us as well," Dixon said, realizing Castroneves problems probably were caused by contact with a bump on Turn 1 in Houston. "Youve had so many situations where you think its great, and then five laps later, you have a problem yourself. Its very easy to get ahead of yourself and lose focus." Both Castroneves and Dixon are changing engines for the Fontana race, a common tactic on an oval track that makes the resulting speed more important than the 10-spot penalty on the starting grid for making a switch. Castroneves had easily the fastest race car at the Fontana test last month, and hes counting on that speed to give him a shot at the title. Dixon also will have a new teammate as he goes for the Cup: Alex Tagliani is the temporary replacement for Franchitti with Target Chip Ganassi Racing. "Its going to come down to the last lap, the last corner, probably," Dixon said. "Were going to have to dig deep. Im just excited to be a part of it." Chinese Jerseys Factory .200. His solution to his hitting woes was business in the front and a party in the back."That would be a mullet," Norris says. Cheap NFL Jerseys China .Impact president Joey Saputo confirmed Thursday that he is part of a group of investors whose offer to buy the 105-year-old Italian club was accepted by the teams board of directors. http://www.wholesalestitchedchinajerseys.com/ . In sunny and almost windless conditions, the Swede shot four consecutive birdies on the front nine on his way to a 68 and went 9 under for a one-shot lead over Englands Lee Slattery and two over Paraguays Farbrizio Zanotti (68).Houston, TX - The Houston Rockets have agreed to a three- year extension with head coach Kevin McHale that will run through the 2017-18 season. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey relayed the news via Twitter Wednesday morning, with the Rockets confirming the agreement shortly afterward. Very excited about Coach McHales extension, Morey tweeted. He is the winningest coach in Rockets history and knows what it takes to win championships. Though the Rockets did not reveal financial terms of the new contract, Yahoo! Sports reported the pact to be worth close to $13 million. McHale was in the final season of the original four-year deal the Hall of Fame player signed to become Houstons head coach in June of 2011. The 57-year-olds long-term status with the organization had been unclear entering this season, with the Rockets losing in the first round of the playooffs in each of the previous two years. Cheap Jerseys Online. However, Houston got off to a 9-1 start and ranks among the Western Conferences top teams with a 20-7 overall record. McHale owns a 153-104 record in his three-plus seasons with the Rockets and guided the team to a 54-win campaign in 2013-14, the franchises largest victory total since 2007-08. His .595 winning percentage is the highest in club history. Kevin is an integral part of the Rockets family, said Rockets owner Leslie Alexander. He embodies the leadership, passion, knowledge, and team-first qualities we need as we continue our pursuit of bringing another NBA Championship to the City of Houston and Rockets fans all over the world. A three-time NBA champion, McHale previously spent two separate stints as the Minnesota Timberwolves head coach, compiling a 39-55 record with that franchise. ' ' '