Kinderwunsch » ray, will not play against the Cowboys

INDIANAPOLIS - Local driver Ed Carpenter has made himself at home on the Indianapolis 500 pole. The last of nine qualifiers to take the track, Carpenter bumped Canadas James Hinchcliffe from the top spot, posting a four-lap average of 231.067 mph to win the 500 pole for the second straight year. "I felt that it was harder," Carpenter said. "It was just a different position because when I made my run last year, we didnt really have anything to lose. This year, being the last guy to go out, I think there was a little bit of pressure to not mess it up." He didnt mess it up, not at all. Carpenters No. 20 Chevrolet was the car to beat all weekend, and the hometown favourite showed no signs of rust in his first IndyCar Series race of the season. He owns Ed Carpenter Racing and decided in November to run only on ovals, where he excels. He turned his car over to Mike Conway on road and street courses, and skipped the first four races of the season. He knew he had the pole secured when he nailed the final two corners on the last lap. "I could really just kind of enjoy it knowing that we were going to be on the pole for the second year," he said. Hinchcliffe, from Oakville, Ont., will start second after sustaining a concussion last weekend in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Will Power will join them on the front row. Three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves was fourth followed by Simon Pagenaud and Marco Andretti. Carlos Munoz, Josef Newgarden and J.R. Hildebrand will be on the third row. Carpenter, the stepson of former speedway executive Tony George, was 10th in last years Indy 500. He is 11th driver to earn consecutive 500 poles and the first since Castroneves in 2009-10. "Its all about the race," the 33-year-old Carpenter said. "Hopefully, we can close the deal this year." As a single-car team last year, Carpenter was unable to get help on data and much-needed setup information. He didnt want a repeat this May, so he hired Hildebrand to drive a second car at Indy for Ed Carpenter Racing. Hildebrand nearly won the Indy 500 as a rookie in 2011, but he crashed exiting the final turn and was passed for the win by the late Dan Wheldon. "I wish we could have got him up on the front row with us, but the shootouts tough," Carpenter said. "The conditions were hard today, but having him go first today also helped me because we were able to make an adjustment." Carpenter thrived in the first year of a new Indy 500 qualifying format. He posted the top qualifying speed Saturday when the fastest nine drivers advanced to Sundays shootout for the pole. Juan Pablo Montoya had the fastest four-lap average (231.007 mph) among drivers ineligible to win the Indianapolis 500 pole and will start 10th. "We have a pretty quick car," Montoya, the 2000 winner, said. "Hopefully, my guys can learn something for the Fast Nine. I think that will put us in a good spot to start the race." Montoya was followed by reigning series champion Scott Dixon and former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch. Busch is set to race 1,100 miles in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25. Busch raced in NASCARs All-Star race the night before and flew back from Concord, North Carolina, on Sunday morning. Busch was humbled when he said hed never be able to duplicate a weekend like this one — "except for maybe next week." Defending 500 champion Tony Kanaan will start 16th. Hinchcliffe appeared to have no problems in the car days after he was cleared to return for his concussion. He paced as he watched Carpenter make his final run, then his chance at the pole end when Carpenter found more speed on his final lap. He was injured last weekend in Saturdays Grand Prix when debris from Justin Wilsons car flew into the cockpit, striking Hinchcliffe in the head. He was taken away from the track on a stretcher, transported to a hospital and diagnosed with a concussion. The 27-year old Canadian was cleared to drive Thursday, and took the wheel back from pinch-driver E.J. Viso. "I had to kind of pretend that I had been here all month and take the feedback my teammates had given me at face value," Hinchcliffe said. "I knew what to expect from the car and that was a huge part of it." For the first time, IndyCar awarded points based on qualifying runs. The top qualifier on Saturday earned 33 points, second place got 32 and so on, all the way to one point for the 33rd-place entrant. The pole winner earned another nine points Sunday, decreasing to one point for the ninth-place starter. Carpenter, a Butler University alum, is an avid Indiana Pacers fan and couldnt wait to watch them play the Miami Heat in the playoffs. "Racers and Pacers right now," he said. "So go Pacers, beat the Heat." Joe Namath Jersey . Scheffler told The Associated Press on Wednesday he made the choice because he had three concussions over the past four years. Custom Los Angeles Rams Jerseys . Louis Cardinals continued their offensive tear with a 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a four-game series. http://www.officiallaramspro.com/Jared-goff-rams-jersey/. Jagr had a goal and two assists, Andy Greene scored 43 seconds into overtime and Marek Zidlicky had two goals as the Devils rallied past the Washington Capitals 5-4 Saturday night. Kurt Warner Jersey . With Bernard hurt, the second-round pick has emerged.Hill ran for 152 yards during a 27-10 win at New Orleans on Sunday, his second big game. He also ran for 154 yards against Jacksonville earlier this season. Robert Woods Jersey . The Big Man finished 3-1 in Week 19, and sits at 53-24 on the season. Now Schultz is ready for more action.IRVING, Texas - Tony Romo took all but one snap for a regular-season finale that had little chance of meaning anything for the playoff-bound Dallas Cowboys.DeMarco Murray got his 20th carry late in the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, not long after Dez Bryant made his final catch of the day.Sure enough, a 44-17 win over Washington didnt change Dallas post-season position. Not that coach Jason Garrett cares.We have been playing well as a football team the last few weeks and thats certainly an important part of it, Garrett said. But I think as much as anything else is to take advantage of an opportunity to get better as a football team. Guys embraced the opportunity to play. I think we saw that in the spirit and demeanour we played with.The team that couldnt win big games in December went 4-0 this time, zooming past Philadelphia to win the NFC East and earning a first-round home game against Detroit (11-5) on Sunday.Now the question is whether keeping to the routine over resting Romos surgically repaired back will make a difference against the Lions, or if matters that Murray missed a chance to ease up at the end of by far the NFL rushing leaders busiest season as a pro.Two things have already broken the Cowboys way.They got a Sunday playoff slot — and extra day for Romo after even he admitted that the much shorter Thanksgiving week was a problem. And Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who figured to be the most important player in trying to control Murray, will not play against the Cowboys after he was suspended for stepping on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers leg Sunday.Needless to say, players were on board with Garretts plan to play to win.I think everybody was serious and just to hear that come out of his mouth, it motivated us even more, Bryant said. We know what we have to do and we did exactly what we wanted to do. We just have to keep fighting, have to keep playing together.Here are some tangible things that Sundays dominating win did for Dallas:The Cowboys are one of five teams that tied for the best record in the NFL at 12-4. They averaged more than 40 points per game in their December victories and won four straight by double digits.dddddddddddd Dallas last did that in the first four games of 2007, finishing the season as the top seed in the NFC.This games about momentum and how you go into the playoffs, tight end Jason Witten said. We didnt want to come in here and get beat and then try to go into the playoffs and turn it on.Dallas last two trips to the playoffs offer glimpses of each approach. Seven years ago, they pulled the starters in an uninspiring loss at Washington to finish the regular season, then had the bye before losing to the New York Giants in the divisional round.Two years later, the Cowboys had to beat the Eagles in the finale to win the NFC East and secure a home game, then turned around and beat them again in the first round. Thats the only playoff win for Dallas since 1997.I dont think 07 really was (a comparison), just because we had the bye and worked hard to get to that position, Witten said. I know in 09 we played well, finished the season and then come back in the playoffs and kind of that momentum, you kind of ride that into the playoffs. I think thats good.If nothing else, the Cowboys get ready for the Lions feeling like theyre playing as well as any team in the NFL.I just think were gelling, said Murray, who finished with 1,845 yards rushing, broke all-time NFL leader Emmitt Smiths franchise record from 19 years ago and tied for the league lead in touchdowns rushing with 13. Were executing the pass game and running it well. I think were playing good, situational football. Our defence is playing good, our specials teams is playing well.Garrett simply didnt want any of that to change.NOTES: Garrett essentially ruled out DT Henry Melton against Detroit because of a right knee injury sustained against Washington. Garrett said it was not a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Melton tore the ACL in his left knee last year in Chicago, ending his season after three games.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler Wholesale Orioles Jerseys Red Sox Jerseys China Cheap Stitched Yankees Jerseys Cheap Stitched Rays Jerseys Wholesale Blue Jays Jerseys Cheap White Sox Jerseys Cheap Indians Jerseys Wholesale Tigers Jerseys Royals Jerseys China Cheap Stitched Twins Jerseys Cheap Stitched Astros Jerseys Wholesale Angels Jerseys Athletics Jerseys China Wholesale Mariners Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Rangers Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Braves Jerseys Cheap Marlins Jerseys Wholesale Mets Jerseys Cheap Stitched Phillies Jerseys Wholesale Nationals Jerseys Cheap Cubs Jerseys Online Wholesale Reds Jerseys Cheap Brewers Jerseys Online Cheap Pirates Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Cardinals Jerseys Cheap Diamondbacks Jerseys Authentic Cheap Rockies Jerseys Authentic Cheap Dodgers Jerseys Authentic Cheap Padres Jerseys Online Wholesale Giants Jerseys ' ' '