Clan-Members » and fired Charlie Partridge last month.

Its no surprise for NASCAR that no matter the aero package, racing surface and tires make a huge difference on the quality of racing. It seems so silly mentioning it because its so obvious.In the context of what fans saw Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway, it raises the question of how much did NASCAR learn about its prospective 2017 package over the 267 laps? Repaves always present challenges, so everyone knew heading into the race that the surface would feature primarily one-groove racing. After Goodyear had issues with tires in the test a month prior to the race, it changed to a harder tire to make sure that teams didnt have a wealth of blowouts from blistering.So no one should have expected the great race that Kentucky put on a year ago when NASCAR first introduced a reduced-downforce package. NASCAR brought its proposed 2017 aero package to Kentucky with a smaller spoiler, a smaller front splitter and no rear skew.NASCAR opted to bring this package because of the repave. With so much new already, why not throw in other new elements and see what the potential of that package would be for next year?Martin Truex Jr. proved that with a great car, passing can happen. But several drivers appeared stuck in the parade.The new rules package makes them harder to drive and requires a lot more precision as a race car driver, and I can appreciate that about the race, race winner Brad Keselowski said. Were still facing and fighting the same dilemmas in our sport of the lead car having a significant advantage over other cars in the field, but that advantage seemed to go from maybe on a 1-to-10 scale, from an 8 to a 6 or a 7 here, which I think is good.But until the track widens out and gets multiple grooves, I honestly think this is the best race youre going to see on a repave.NASCAR doesnt plan on using the proposed 2017 package again this year but it will have discussion within the industry. Officials dont want teams working on two separate packages at the same time, and the charter agreements require them to get the 2017 rules package done earlier than in the past. NASCAR hopes to have the 2017 rules set next month.There would be some incentive to use the 2017 package again in late August at Michigan, which was the site of the first experiment of the 2017 package in June. Using it again would help Goodyear have more tire data as teams evolve their cars to go along with the rules. However, using the 2016 package would provide a data comparison of 2017 rules vs. the 2016 rules at the same track. And the Michigan race comes with just three races left before the Chase, and that throws a twist that NASCAR apparently isnt willing to entertain as it would also potentially delay decisions on the 2017 rules.Well go back and well sort of reconvene with the drivers and the owners and the [manufacturers] and decide where were going, NASCAR senior vice president Scott Miller said. Were open to a lot of different options, and if something like that bubbles up and we have industry support for it, nothing right now is out of the question.One thing that I think we wont do is change the Chase around. Well stick to our guns and run the regular 2016 package in the Chase races.For the drivers on the bubble trying to get into the Chase, that probably would be best for them. They know what they are getting into each week.If you take me to Texas with the tire we have there and a worn out old race track and a softer tire or a tire that gets grip into the track, [we] would probably love this type of package, said Dale Earnhardt Jr., who sits 13th in the standings. But its just a bad combination for the new surface and how conservative that tire is.? I mean you couldnt hustle the car at all.Xfinity Series: Wallace rebounds for fifthRoush Fenway Racing driver Darrell Wallace Jr. was $15,000 lighter in the wallet after being fined for a tweet referring to NASCAR officials as muppets and indicating they didnt react well under pressure at Daytona.He encouraged fans who wanted to help with his fine to instead donate to flood victims in West Virginia, an attempt to have something good come out of his fine and also put it behind him.Wallace knew it would be easier to put it behind him with a strong performance at Kentucky, which he accomplished by finishing fifth. After two top-10s in his first nine races, Wallace has four top-10s, including two top-5s, in the last seven races.At ninth in points, he has a comfortable 76-point cushion on the current Chase cutoff with 10 races left before the inaugural Xfinity Chase field is set.[Roush Fenway has] been really hitting on some stuff on the Cup side and its kind of trickling down to the Xfinity shop, so we just have to keep taking notes and keep trying things, Wallace said. I say we need to win because its getting close to Chase time, but we still have some time to tweak and tune some stuff.Kyle Busch won the race Friday, his fifth win of the season.Camping World Truck Series: KBM sets markKyle Busch Motorsports set the record for the most wins for an organization in the Camping World Truck Series with 51, eclipsing the previous mark of 50 by Roush Fenway Racing.KBMs William Byron, with his fourth win of the season, put KBM alone at the top spot.Busch -- who won the first race for the organization in April 2010 at Nashville -- has 29 of the wins with Erik Jones (seven), Wallace (five), Byron (four), Denny Hamlin (two), Christopher Bell (two), Kasey Kahne (one) and Brian Scott (one) contributing.There have been five crew chiefs earning the wins: Eric Phillips (28), Rudy Fugle (13), Jerry Baxter (eight), Rick Ren (one) and Shannon Rursch (one).The 51 wins have come at 22 different tracks. Martinsville tops the list with five while KBM has four wins at Charlotte, Texas and Phoenix; three at Chicagoland, Dover, Homestead-Miami, Iowan and Kentucky. It has two wins at Bristol, Eldora, Kansas, New Hampshire, Nashville and Gateway. There is one win at Darlington, Las Vegas, Michigan, Pocono, Talladega, Mosport and Daytona.This is a special moment, Busch said. Its really, really cool. To me, what makes it most special is how weve done it in such a short period of time.From 2010 to 2016, we have gotten 51 wins and for the many teams weve excelled ahead of that have been around a lot longer than we have, this is pretty awesome.Sam Koch Jersey . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Elvis Grbac Jersey .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. http://www.customravensjersey.com/custom-eric-zeier-jersey-large-423d.html . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Nick Boyle Jersey . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. Rod Woodson Jersey . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice.BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is being pursued by Florida Atlantic to become the Owls next head coach, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Friday night.Kiffin and the Owls have had dialogue, said both people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because neither side has spoken publicly about the matter.Kiffin has been the coordinator at Alabama for the last three seasons, helping the Crimson Tide win last seasons national championship and get back to the College Football Playoff with the No. 1 ranking this year.He has been frequently mentioned for other jobs, and the former USC, Tennessee and Oakland Raiders head coach also was believed to be a candidate for now-filled head coaching openings at Oregon and Houston in recent days.Alabama coach Nick Saban recently acknowledged that he wants to help Kiffin get a chance to lead a program again.Weve had conversations about it, Saban said. He wants to be a head coach. I want him to be a head coach. I want to help him get a head coaching job.The rest of it, we have not discussed, and I dont think its the right time.Foootball Scoop first reported the interest FAU has in Kiffin.ddddddddddddLanding Kiffin would be a major coup for FAU, which has gone 3-9 in each of the last three seasons and fired Charlie Partridge last month. The Owls havent been to a bowl game since making back-to-back appearances under Howard Schnellenberger in 2007 and 2008.Since those bowl years, FAU is 28-67.Even being in the conversation with Kiffin means FAU is willing to make some serious salary upgrades. Partridge had two years left on what was a five-year, $2.7 million deal with FAU. Kiffin is making $1.4 million this season at Alabama.Kiffin lasted 20 games with the Raiders in 2007 and 2008, going 5-15. He was 7-6 in 2009, his lone season at Tennessee. And he went 28-15 in parts of four seasons at USC, getting fired five games into the 2013 season.He went to Alabama the following year and has been an annual fixture in coaching-opening whispers since.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '