Allgemeines » loose from centre Matt Faddes hands

DOVER, Del. -- Jimmie Johnson was despondent in the garage, his Dover dominance and championship drive over.With one, cheap part busted, Johnson was knocked out of the Chase.The winningest driver in Dover International Speedway history, Johnson entered a first-round elimination race fifth in the standings and seemed a lock to advance. Just an average finish -- at a track where Johnson has won 10 times -- would keep him alive for a record-tying seventh championship for at least three more races.Instead, Johnsons No. 48 Chevrolet was forced off the track for 36 laps with a torn rear axle seal and his title shot was gone. He plummeted to 14th in the standings and was one of four drivers cut from the field.A year later, Johnson returns to Dover eighth in the standings out of 16 Chase drivers and painfully aware that one flat tire, one ill-timed wreck could keep him stuck on six championships for another season.I think last year shows that you really cant count on a race track always being kind to a driver or always working in their favor. Its part of racing, Johnson said Friday.The Chase faces its first round of cuts Sunday and Jamie McMurray, Austin Dillon, three-time champion Tony Stewart and Chris Buescher are on the outside of the points cutoff. Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick have secured spots with Chase race victories and Johnson, Chase Elliott, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson face serious risk of elimination with a disastrous race.Johnson not only expects to survive the first round, he says hell be racing for the championship in the finale at Homestead.We can be one of the final four cars, Johnson said.Elliott, who made the Chase in his rookie season, said Hendrick would be represented with a championship contender in the finale.I 100 percent think our group or Jimmies group could make it, Elliott said. I feel confident in that. I think weve been fast enough these first two weeks to do it, but obviously you have to have some things go your way throughout this deal and youve got to execute your races and try to stay mistake free.Johnson won championships in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013, putting him one shy of matching Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most on the career list. The Hendrick Motorsports driver swept Dover in 2002 and 2009 and also won races in 2005, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.Johnson won twice in the first month of the season -- and no Hendrick driver has won again, falling behind the dominant Toyotas. Even with his spot as one of NASCARs greats secured, Johnson was rarely discussed this season as a true championship contender.In the summer leading into the Chase, I think we were fast enough to move out of the first round, but I wouldnt have put us in championship-caliber position, he said. I think were still building that way, and I feel right now in my heart that we can be one of the final four. We still need some more work to go to Homestead and dominate the race and win, as we think well need to, to be the champion.Johnson and Elliott combined to lead 193 of 270 laps in the playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway. Johnson has finished 12th and eighth in the Chase races; Elliott was third and 13th.Hendricks season was marred by the prolonged absence of Dale Earnhardt Jr. with a concussion. Earnhardt will watch Sundays Sprint Cup race from the pit box for the first time this season he exited the No. 88 Chevy in July.Its great from a public perception that hes coming and that people can really see how hard hes working and then kind of tie that together with his recovery process, Johnson said. Ive seen a lot of him and I know hes dying to get back in the race car and eager to feel amazing again. I think hes on a great road of progress right now.Jeff Gordon, a four-time NASCAR champion, will drive the No. 88 Chevy on Sunday and Martinsville. Alex Bowman will start the other six races.Johnson starts eighth because rain wiped out qualifying and the field was set on points. The rain gave Johnson plenty of idle time at Dover -- exactly what hed like to avoid once the green flag drops on Sunday.We do know we need to finish and cant be laps down behind the wall fixing our race car, Johnson said. San Diego Padres Shirts . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. Stitched Padres Jerseys . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. https://www.cheappadresjerseys.us/ . Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net. Padres Jerseys 2020 . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. San Diego Padres Store .Y. -- Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have another World Cup gold medal after winning the two-women bobsled race on Saturday in Lake Placid, N. The Highlanders have finished the Super Rugby regular season in second place in the New Zealand conference after a pulsating 25-15 win over previous leaders the Chiefs.The result means the defending champions, who have been in Port Elizabeth and Buenos Aires over the previous two weekends, will avoid another long-haul trip next week.They had faced the prospect of having to return to South Africa, but are set to travel across the Tasman in the first round of the playoffs.Their win in Dunedin on Saturday night also means the Hurricanes, who beat the Crusaders 35-10 with a bonus point earlier in the day, top the New Zealand conference and will host a quarter-final.The Highlanders victory extended their winning streak over the Chiefs to six matches.The intense and physical contest ended in a touch a controversy with five-eighth Lima Sopoagas try that effectively sealed the win seven minutes to go.The ball had gone loose from centre Matt Faddes hands, but it was ruled to have been knocked from his grasp by the tackler, before Sopoaga swooped.The Chiefs would have finished as the NZ conference leaders had theyy won and they struck first through winger Toni Pulu.ddddddddddddThey were then called on to do plenty of defence and they scrambled well before winger Waisake Naholo came up with a piece of magic.Naholo had earlier touched down under the crossbar only to called back for obstruction.But with half an hour gone and the Highlanders having pounded away for 15 phases, the All Blacks flyer produced a spectacular a one-handed diving put-down in the corner.Sopoaga missed the sideline conversion and the Highlanders went into halftime trailing 7-5.The two sides traded penalties early in the second half to maintain the two-point margin.Chiefs flanker Tom Sanders was then yellow-carded for a lifting tackle on opposition fullback Ben Smith and the Highlanders took advantage.Sopoaga added another penalty before flanker Dan Pryor scored from a brilliant counter-attack that involved several pairs of hands.Back to 15 players, the Chiefs struck back with a try to loose forward Lachlan Boshier. 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