ad received word that coach Summitts health was declining rapidly. I did not know how I would feel when I saw her.When I

WATKINS GLEN, New York -- It wasnt by design, but a true wild card has popped up late in the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series championship.The cancellation of a proposed Labor Day weekend street race in Boston resulted in the last-minute substitution of Watkins Glen International for a fast-paced road race at a track the IndyCar Series hasnt visited since 2010.With only nine prior races, The Glen isnt steeped in IndyCar history. But its one of Americas most famous and significant road courses and the Boston cancellation created the opportunity for a reunion that just about everyone in the series is looking forward to.These cars belong on tracks like this, said three-time IndyCar champion Bobby Rahal. You can really see what they can do and it separates the best drivers from the rest.Nobody is going around here with one hand on the wheel, I can tell you that.If The Glen was an oval track, it would be a superspeedway. Nearly three and a half miles in length, it links a series of long straights with just eleven corners, all of which require an average speed of 100 mph or more.Combine a recent full repave with a newer generation of Indy cars featuring high-downforce aero kits, and the product is a comprehensive rewrite of the record book.Scott Dixon ran a 1:23.892 second lap in the opening practice session Friday in his Ganassi Racing Chevrolet that was more than four seconds faster than Ryan Briscoes 2010 track record of 1:28.13.Dixons lap works out to an average speed of 144.614 mph, making it the fastest road course in the IndyCar Series this year. Dixon averaged a little more than 142 mph for his best lap in June at Road America.If Dixon or any of the other drivers can find a little more speed over the next 48 hours, Watkins Glen could officially take over from Road America as the fastest road course in IndyCar racing history. Dario Franchittis pole lap at Road America in 2000 corresponds to a 145.924 mph average.Franchitti, now retired from driving, shares Rahals belief that Indy cars belong on wide-open natural terrain road courses like The Glen.Outside of Indianapolis, this is the natural habitat for Indy cars, Franchitti said. Theyre so fast and its just stunning at a place like this.This place was even fun for me in a stock car, so thats saying something!With three career wins at Watkins Glen, Dixon enters the weekend as a strong favorite to score his second win of the season. But the New Zealander is a distant sixth in the IndyCar standings and the focus this weekend is more on the championship battle between Penske Racing teammates Simon Pagenaud and Will Power.Pagenaud leads 2014 IndyCar Series champion (and 2010 Watkins Glen winner) Power by 28 points with two races remaining, including the double-points finale at Sonoma Raceway. Seven other drivers remain mathematically eligible for the title, but they are all remote long shots.By winning four races each this year, Pagenaud and Power have separated themselves from the field and the ace road racers are likely to fight for the title at the front of the pack.But Pagenaud must be wary because the driver who has led the standings with two races remaining failed to finish the job in six of the past nine years. Powers come-from-behind charge to the title in 2014 was one of the exceptions.Although Pagenauds 28-point cushion is the smallest it has been since May, the Frenchman is not concerned.Were just going to keep doing what we have been doing, he said. Were going to keep focusing on ourselves and extract the best out of the situation. I think our team has done the best job all season, and if I drive the best I can, it should take care of itself.IndyCar ran at Watkins Glen from 2005 to 2010 but the series and the track were unable to find a mutually agreeable date and attendance was generally poor.Since then, natural terrain road courses like Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Barber Motorsports Park have enjoyed steady growth in their spectator count. Advance response to this years return has been positive, prompting WGI president Michael Printup to already line up a two-year extension with IndyCar through 2018 on the Labor Day weekend.Elkhart [Road America] and Mid-Ohio were tremendous and there was lots of interest at Watkins Glen when we tested there, observed legendary team owner Roger Penske. At the NASCAR race there was a lot of talk about the Indy cars coming back to The Glen and its great to be back.Football Jerseys Wholesale . 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Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . -- The Magic have their first victory of the new year.I remember the first time I met coach Summitt. My grandmother and I were in awe of how powerful and sharp she was in person when she came to my projects in Astoria, New York, to recruit me to UT.She promised me three things that day: I would graduate college, I would always have my family and sisterhood at UT, and that she would always be there for me.As amazing as she was as a coach she was so much more as a person. No matter what I was going through during and after my college playing days, she was there for me. I remember when I first was having issues in college, she met with me and told me, You have to do what makes you happy. She got me the help I needed.When things spiraled out of control when I was in D.C., having these blackouts and things, coach Summitt was knocking at my door. She spent time talking with me after the season. She wanted to make sure I was ok and getting the medical attention I needed. When I lost my grandmother, when I was really struggling with my mental illness, whenever I needed her, she was there for me. When she first went public with her battle with dementia, our UT family rallied around her, but we all believed that if anyone could beat the odds it would be coach Summitt.She was something like a superhero to me. Inn the face of adversity she never showed weakness, she never backed down.ddddddddddddEven up until these final days, she lived up to her promise to me and Im sure to so many others. I went to Knoxville this weekend with a heavy heart. I had received word that coach Summitts health was declining rapidly. I did not know how I would feel when I saw her.When I arrived, I was overwhelmed by the love and outpouring of support for coach Summitt.My UT family was there sharing stories, laughing, crying, wanting to be there for the woman that had never let them down. I spent some time with her and I thanked her for everything she has done for me and for every other life that she touched. People came from far and wide to be there in her presence for one last time, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. If anyone could pull out a miracle it would be coach Summitt. But the miracle was her life and her legacy. Her incredible journey and the lives that she touched on and off the court. Her impact on the world is far greater than the game of basketball. She will forever and always be my superhero.Thank you coach Pat Summitt. ' ' '