BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Denny Hamlin ended two weeks of Team Penske dominance by winning the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway. Hamlin set a track record Friday with a lap at 129.991 mph to earn the top starting spot. It broke the mark of 129.535 set by Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch a year ago, and ensured that neither Brad Keselowski or Joey Logano won the pole for the first time since NASCARs new knockout qualifying debuted three weeks ago. Hamlin ran only one lap in the first segment and it was good enough to lock him into the top 12 to advance into the second segment. He then ran one lap, took the pole for Sundays race, and got out of his car to see if anyone could beat him. "As a short track guy, I can feel when, OK, this is all Ive got. Or, This is a really good lap," Hamlin said. He aborted an attempt at a second lap in the first segment because, "If that wasnt a top-12 lap, we were in big trouble. So I knew that was going to be good. Then ultimately strategy comes into play, wanting to conserve your car and keeping everything as cool as you can for the second segment "I was going to run two laps in the second segment, but I bobbled it pretty bad into Turn 3 and didnt finish the lap. But I knew the first one was good." So good that he wasnt very worried when Keselowski and Logano both pulled back onto the track as the clock ticked down to attempt to bump Hamlin from the pole. The teammates swept the front row at Phoenix and Las Vegas, where the new format was first used this season, and they made one last run at Hamlin. Keselowski came up just short, settling for second at 129.965. Logano was fourth, behind Hamlins teammate Matt Kenseth. "I feel like we did what we were supposed to do to be able to go out there and give it a shot for the pole," said Logano, the pole-winner last week at Las Vegas. "Dennys strategy was pretty good. Just not good enough for us." The Penske drivers were only able to make those final attempts because of a new rule this week by NASCAR that permitted the use of cooling units on pit road for teams to cool their engines following their runs. NASCAR decided Tuesday to allow the devices following a conference call with crew chiefs because of safety concerns raised by drivers. Because the engines had been getting so hot following the qualifying runs and the cooling units were not allowed, drivers were running laps on the bottom of the track at slow speeds to cool down. It was going on at the same time as other drivers were sailing by at full speed, and many drivers complained they had near collisions. "I think that rule change has made qualifying even better," Keselowski said. "Its removed danger and replaced with opportunity. I think that was for the betterment of the sport and certainly if for no other reason than safety, it was definitely worth it. But I also feel like being able to go out there and make multiple runs is now a lot more plausible." The early season struggles continued for Stewart-Haas Racing and even hit Kevin Harvick, who had been the lone bright spot for the organization through the first three races. Kurt Busch was the highest SHR qualifier at 13th, but Harvick was 27th and Danica Patrick was the last driver to qualify on speed at 36th. Team co-owner Tony Stewart had to use a provisional to make it in the field and will start 37th. . - Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis said Wednesday hes "nodded off" during meetings, but he said its something every player does. . The Oilers jumped into the free agent market early by signing defencemen Keith Aulie (six-foot-six, 228 pounds) and Mark Fayne (6-3, 210 pounds) and left-winger Benoit Pouliot (6-3, 197-pounds). Two days earlier MacTavish traded lightweight forward Sam Gagner to Tampa Bay for 6-3, 203-pound right winger Ted Purcell.
http://www.jerseyswholesale.net/.com) - Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight was carted off the field in the fourth quarter of 16th-ranked Sooners 48-14 loss to No. .C. -- Charles Oakley, one of the NBAs all-time tough guys, may not return to the Charlotte Bobcats bench next season because of a painful back condition he says was caused during an assault last year in Las Vegas. . Terry came from Boston along with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce but has appeared in just 35 games after a knee injury, averaging 4.5 points on 36 per cent shooting. Evans was a favourite of fans but not coach Jason Kidd, who used him in just 30 of their 51 games. MILWAUKEE -- The end of a seven-game losing streak lifted the spirits of the Milwaukee Brewers. An 11-2 win Sunday over the St. Louis Cardinals gave manager Ron Roenickes team a one-game lead in the NL Central at the All-Star break. A team that has also had to cope with the death of shortstop Jean Seguras 9-month-old son now gets a breather for a few days. With Segura home on bereavement leave, Elian Herrera had a career-best five hits a day after being called up from the minors to take Seguras roster spot. The offence tied a season high with 19 hits to back a strong seven-inning outing by starter Wily Peralta. "Somebody had to step up. ... Thats huge for us, for everybody. It lets us go into the break like that and still in first place," said Peralta (10-6), who allowed three hits and struck out five before departing after seven innings because of a minor leg cramp. Like Segura, Peralta is from the Dominican Republic. The pitcher was heading home for the break, and he was planning to text Roenicke to let him know how Segura was doing. The morning started with the Brewers organization holding its annual Family Day outing, when players and coaches can bring their children to the ballpark. Players were smiling alongside their sons and daughters on a sunny afternoon, and Roenicke hoped the day would create a diversion from the teams roughest patch of the season. All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy said he thought the family time possibly helped the squad. "But it doesnt matter if youre winning or losing whenever youre with your family," Lucroy said. "It is a business and it is a job we have to perform, but ultimately the goal is to provide for our family, and family is most important." Peralta allowed just three singles and gave up his only run after Kolten Wong reached first on a passed ball despite striking out. Wong eventually scored on Matt Adams groundout. Peralta got a defensive boost with a runner on base in the fifth when left fielder Khris Davis made an over-the-shoulder catch on Jon Jays fly to the warning track with a man on first. "I had to step in like an extra gear ... justt kind of a lucky play," Davis said.dddddddddddd "A big play with the runner on first, hes probably going to score." Davis hit his team-high 15th homer in the bottom of the fifth for a 5-1 lead. For the Cardinals, a frustrated Carlos Martinez (2-4) allowed four runs in four innings. Making his seventh career start, Martinez gave up three walks and a balk while also hitting Carlos Gomez with a pitch in the fourth. Gomez then scored on Scooter Gennetts two-out, two-run double down the left-field line for a 4-1 lead. Martinez flicked his head back in frustration as he watched the ball take a tricky carom off the side wall on outfielder Matt Holliday. An inning earlier, Martinez tossed his bat behind his back in the direction of home plate after grounding out, leading umpire Jeff Nelson to raise his arms and stare at the 22-year-old pitcher for a few seconds. "I tried to throw the bat to the ground. I dont know if it was emotion," Martinez said through an interpreter. "I went to the umpire and said I was sorry. It was just frustration." Manager Mike Matheny said Martinez was having a tough time "finding anything." "Hes trying to harness his emotions a little bit, which will harness his control," Matheny said. "It was a rough day for him. Its one of those learning points." Milwaukee added three runs off the Cardinals bullpen to stretch the lead to 8-1 in a sixth-inning burst started by Herreras double. The Brewers are in first place at the All-Star break for just the fourth time in franchise history. NOTES: Matheny said ace Adam Wainwright could pitch in Tuesdays All-Star game despite going seven innings in Saturdays win over Milwaukee. Tuesday would be scheduled to throw in between starts. Matheny will manage the National League. ... Gennett tied a career high with three hits. ... Matheny said he wasnt sure yet how he would set up the Cardinals rotation after the All-Star break. St. Louis hosts the Dodgers on Friday. ... Milwaukee doesnt plan to make any changes in its rotation, meaning Kyle Lohse (9-4) would get the start Friday in Washington. ' ' '
