Dein erstes Forum » I hope the fans loved it because I was

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ryan Hunter-Reay peeked around Helio Castroneves, then reversed course and dipped inside for a daredevil pass and the lead in the Indianapolis 500. Castroneves charged back to the front, winning a drag race down the frontstretch at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And then, in a stirring wheel-to-wheel battle between a pair of bright yellow cars, Hunter-Reay seized the lead once more Sunday as the drivers hurtled across the Yard of Bricks with a single, 2.5-mile lap remaining. With nobody in front of him, Hunter-Reay used the entire track to keep Castroneves in his rearview mirror. He nipped him at the line by less than half a car length, denying his Brazilian rival a chance at history Sunday and becoming the first American in eight years to win the Indy 500. "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" had lived up to its nickname. "This race was ridiculously close and competitive," Hunter-Reay said. "Just glad I picked the right time to go." The finish was well worth the wait -- to the fans who watched 150 laps of caution-free racing, to the drivers who bided their time unsure of when they should charge to the front and to Hunter-Reay, who finally got to drink the celebratory milk in his seventh try. He beat Castroneves by just 0.060 seconds -- only the 1992 race had a closer finish when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds. "Im a proud American boy, thats for sure," Hunter-Reay said in Victory Lane before he was joined by his wife and son. "Ive watched this race since I was sitting in diapers on the floor in front of the TV. My son did it today. He watched me here. Im thrilled. This is American history, this race. This is American tradition." He was serenaded by chants of "USA! USA!" as he made his way around the post-race celebrations. He was joined by son Ryden, born shortly after Hunter-Reays 2012 IndyCar championship and wearing a miniature version of his fathers firesuit as his parents kissed the bricks. Castroneves, trying to become the fourth driver to win a fourth Indianapolis 500, settled for second. He needed several moments to compose himself, slumped in his car, head down and helmet on. The Brazilian said a caution with 10 laps to go broke his rhythm as red flag came out so track workers could clean debris and repair a track wall. "It was a great fight," he smiled. "I tell you what, I was having a great time. Unfortunately, second. Its good, but second sucks, you know what I mean?" Marco Andretti finished third and Carlos Munoz was fourth as Andretti Autosport had three cars in the top four, as well as the winner. Kurt Busch, also in a Honda for Andretti, finished sixth in his first race of the day. He left immediately for a flight after the race and arrived about an hour later in North Carolina for Sunday nights Coca-Cola 600, where his attempt to become the second driver to complete 1,100 miles in both races on the same day ended when his car blew an engine late. Busch ended up completing about 907 miles. "All in all, Im very pleased. I cannot believe the execution of this team," Busch said before hustling away for a helicopter ride to his waiting plane. "I tried to enjoy it. My throats real dry because I was smiling the whole time and the fresh air was coming in my mouth." Marco Andretti appeared to have a shot at the win, but after the final restart he never could mix it up with Hunter-Reay and Castroneves as the two leaders swapped position four times in the final five laps. So certain his son would be a contender for the victory Sunday, Michael Andretti was just as thrilled with Hunter-Reays win. "Ryans just been a huge part of our team, a great guy, a friend," said Michael Andretti, who won for the third time as a team owner. "He deserves it. He deserves to have his face on that trophy. If it couldnt be Marco, hes the next guy I wanted." A year ago, Hunter-Reay was passed for the lead with three laps remaining and went on to finish third as the race finished under caution. He was leading Sunday and had control of the race until Townsend Bells crash brought out the red flag. Hunter-Reay figured he was a sitting duck as the leader, his chances over. "I cant get a break," he lamented on his team radio. But after swapping the lead with Castroneves three times, including a dramatic inside move in Turn 3, Hunter-Reay made the final and decisive pass as the two cars took the white flag. "At the end of the day theres stupid and bravery, and I think we were right there on the edge, both of us," Castroneves said. "Im glad we both come out in a good way. Im sad it did not come out the way I wanted." Alex Tagliani of Lachenaie, Que., placed 13th while Jacques Villeneuve of Iberville, Que., was right behind him in 14th. The race went a record 150 laps without a caution as the pace zipped along and Busch at one point had no worries at all about getting to North Carolina in time for NASCARs longest event of the year. Then a Charlie Kimball spin brought out the first yellow, a crash by Scott Dixon led to a second caution and a risky three-wide move on the next restart caused pole-sitter Ed Carpenter and Canadian James Hinchcliffe to wreck. Carpenter was livid, calling out Hinchcliffe for an "amateur" move. "The moment when Hinch decided to make it three-wide was more than any of us could handle," Carpenter said. "I told him if he didnt have a concussion last week I would have punched him in the face." Hinchcliffe, of Oakville, Ont., cleared to drive last weekend after suffering a concussion two weeks ago in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, accepted responsibility. "I was the last guy on the scene," he said. "I have to take the blame, for sure. I feel really bad for (Carpenter) because he had a great month and was doing a great job." The race resumed and Hunter-Reay was in control until the fourth and final caution, which led IndyCar to throw a rare red flag to allow the drivers a chance to race to the finish. "It went green the whole way and I love that," Hunter-Reay said. "Winning it under green like that with just a fantastic finish -- I hope the fans loved it because I was on the edge of my seat." Tony Womack Jersey . -- Max Gilbert captured his first pro victory at the Tour Championship of Canada. Cheap Diamondbacks Jerseys .J. -- Fabian Johnson scored his first international goal and Clint Dempsey doubled the lead after a defensive lapse as the United States beat Turkey 2-1 Sunday in the second of three World Cup warm-up matches for the Americans before they head to Brazil. https://www.cheapdiamondbacksjerseys.us/...amondbacks.html. Catch the action live on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Wild lead the Northwest Division and look to get back into the win column after having a season-high seven-game winning streak cut short with Tuesdays 2-1 loss at Winnipeg in the finale of a five-game road trip (4-1-0). David Peralta Jersey .Y. - Urijah Faber walked out on a Madison Square Garden stage in a Wes Welker jersey, the UFCs fun nod to that other "super" show this weekend. Matt Andriese Jersey . - Pierre-Maxime Poudrier scored twice and added an assist, and Antoine Bibeau made 43 saves as the Val-dOr Foreur downed the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 6-3 on Sunday to force Game 7 in their Quebec Major Junior Hockey League final series.JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Blaine Gabbert is back on the bench with another injury. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said Monday he expects Gabbert to miss Sundays game at Denver because of a strained hamstring. The injury knocked Gabbert out of Sundays 34-20 loss at St. Louis. Bradley also reiterated that hes planning to stick with Gabbert, the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, as the starter when hes healthy again. "Right now, thats what I think," Bradley said. "There are some crazy things that can happen, I guess. ... Well see how Blaine does this week with his injury. I know its very important for him to get back, and hes going to do everything he can to get back." Chad Henne will make his third start of the season. Henne has completed 56 per cent of his passes for 601 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has been sacked eight times. Gabbert has been considerably worse. He has completed 49 per cent of his passes for 481 yards, with a TD and seven INTs. Three of his picks have been returned for touchdowns -- one in every start. Gabbert also has been sacked 12 times. Equally troubling for the Jaguars (0-5) is that Gabbert cant seem to stay healthy. He has failed to finish six of his last 10 starts, including the preseason. Hes had a shoulder injury, a forearm injury, a broken thumb, a sliced-open hand and now a strained hamstring. He also missed time with a sprained ankle in training camp. "That is something that we have to take a look at, not only within our training and strength and conditioning, but also Blaine," Bradley said. "These things have surfaced up. And its so important to be able to trust that hes going to stay healthy. And for whatever reason, these things have happened. I know his workouts and hes training and hes doing these things. But we have to take a look at that. "We have to take a look at it and see why. We have to reeally study it.ddddddddddddBut I cant argue the fact that some things have popped up for him." The Jaguars had planned to give Gabbert every chance to prove he can be the franchises starter. They pointed to potential reasons why he struggled as a rookie and showed little progress last season. But Gabberts durability questions and his inability to move the ball with any consistency have most outsiders questioning his viability as an NFL quarterback. "I think at times maybe the quarterback is held separately than the rest of the team, and for us and my mindset, its not," Bradley said. "If the receiver makes a mistake out there in a critical situation, then hes held accountable. If its the quarterback, then so be it, the quarterback as well. (On Sunday), there were times it was the quarterback." The Jaguars have lost every game by double digits. They looked to have a shot at breaking a nine-game losing streak Sunday until Gabbert badly overthrew a pass to Justin Blackmon. It was picked off and returned 82 yards for a score. "I feel strongly about Blaine, but there were missed opportunities by Blaine this week and hes got to step up in the pocket, hes got to stay strong, hes got to play with confidence and make those passes that he does in practice," Bradley said. "And thats the next step for him. Were always competing." In other injury news, tight end Marcedes Lewis (calf) will miss another game. Fellow tight end Allen Reisner will be out at least six weeks with a sprained knee ligament. Receiver Stephen Burton, safety Dwight Lowery and defensive end Jeremy Mincey all will try to pass concussion tests Tuesday. Receiver Mike Brown (back) and cornerback Dwayne Gratz (ankle) are expected to practice in a limited capacity this week. The Jaguars also were awarded receiver Stephen Williams off waivers from Seattle. ' ' '