ld seem to leave little room to dramatically upgrade a defe

Championship drag racing team owner Don Schumacher once spotted Leah Pritchett racing Nostalgia Funny Cars and brought her to Indianapolis for a test session prior to the U.S. Nationals. She proceeded to earn her NHRA Nitro Funny Car license with Don Schumacher Racing.That was eight years ago. At this years U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend, Pritchett raced her Don Schumacher Racing Top Fuel car into the NHRAs six-race Countdown to the Championship for the first time.Pritchett entered nationals tied with Terry McMillen for 10th in points. Both drivers were eliminated in the first round, but because Pritchett outqualified McMillen by six positions (she was 10th; he was 16th), she beat him by one point for the final Countdown position.Actions speak louder than words, Pritchett said. I said I was going to make the Countdown and we did. Im going to give everybody one hell of a run for their money for this championship.By Pritchett making the Countdown, which begins Friday at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, all eight DSR teams are in title contention: four in Top Fuel and four in Funny Car. It is Pritchett, however, who is the surprise of the group.?Four races into the season, Pritchetts team, owned by Bob Vandergriff Jr., abruptly shut down. After the unexpected death of the teams financial backer and C&J Energy Services founder Josh Comstock, Vandergriff announced his retirement. Pritchett hastily put together a deal for the Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX with Lagana Family Racing, but she had nothing solidified for the next event. Pritchett then turned to Schumacher.I went ahead and hired Leah, even though I didnt have a car for her to race, Schumacher said. I did put a team together a couple of races later. Shes been employed by me ever since the Atlanta race [in May].Pritchett was responsible for obtaining the teams funding -- $125,000 per race. That money pays for things such as parts, fuel, per diem for crew members and hotel rooms. In the first 18 races this season, she missed only one because of a lack of a sponsor. She currently has sponsors for four of the six Countdown events, but Schumacher has assured her shell be at all of them.Schumacher supplies the cars, which have to be built, the transporter for them and the full-time crew at the shop to build and prepare the cars.Im very impressed by her effort, hard work to get that done [acquire funding] and her willingness to do anything necessary sponsorship-wise, Schumacher said. Shes a talented driver, quick on the starting line. Shes very good with TV, very good with sponsors and a very good teammate, which is very important to my organization. She needs to fit in with everyone, and she does a very good job of that. It makes a great situation.Deb Williams is a North Carolina-based writer and former editor. She has covered auto racing for United Press International, USA Today and The Charlotte Observer. MacKenzie Weegar Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Custom Florida Panthers Jerseys . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. http://www.hockeypanthersofficialonline.com/vincent-trocheck-hockey-jersey/ . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. Keith Yandle Panthers Jersey . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. Frank Vatrano Panthers Jersey . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break.TORONTO – Maple Leafs general Dave Nonis touched base with his coach Randy Carlyle on the eve of the NHLs free agent frenzy with a general game-plan for the hours ahead. "Randys not the most talkative guy," Nonis joked afterward, "I didnt need too much time to get through it." By the time the dust had cleared from the annual spending extravaganza on Friday evening, Nonis had in fact altered his roster, once more, to better suit the needs and wants of Carlyle. David Clarkson, a one-time 30-goal man and pesky Toronto native in the gutsy Carlyle mold was brought in from New Jersey on a whopping seven-year deal. He was joined by Tyler Bozak, the Leafs incumbent first-line centre and leading minute man at forward, the 27-year-old inking a lengthy five-year contract, which seemed to oust Mikhail Grabovski, not a Carlyle enthusiast in any sense, from the picture. Those moves capped the draft-day acquisition of Dave Bolland, a scrappy pivot chock-full of Carlyle qualities, and the earlier addition of Jonathan Bernier, who offers security beyond James Reimer. "I can tell you our coach is happy with the options that we have right now in a lot of different areas," Nonis said, citing increased flexibility on both the penalty kill and power-play, Bolland filling the former, Clarkson the latter. In Clarkson, the Leafs get a "truculent" irritant with a knack for finding the back of the net in recent years, the 29-year-old sniping 30 goals a season ago before adding 15 more in 2013 (but only five in the final 28 games). While an upgrade on the wing with a straight-line abrasive style, capable of playing both in the top six and bottom six and certainly on the power-play, Clarkson came at a considerable price, especially over those that he effectively replaced in Clarke MacArthur and Matt Frattin, landing $5.25 million over the stretched term of seven years. Whether he can make good on the hefty investment is a legitimate question, especially given the unlikelihood of another 30-goal season. Nonis, rather, is banking that under the pugnacious leadership of Carlyle, the brash and intensely physical Clarkson will thrive once more, adding an increased element of chippiness to the Toronto lineup. "If David Clarkson doesnt score 30 goals in a Leaf uniform," Nonis stated, "but provides all the other things that we know hes going to provide, were pretty comfortable were a better team." And of the price and term, Nonis said it was simply the cost of playing the high stakes game of free agency. "If we wanted to get in on a player like David Clarkson, that was the price-tag for us to pay," he conceded, just days after Grabovski and Mike Komisarek were bought out by the organization. "Im not worried about [years] six and seven right now. Im worried about one [year] and year one I know were going to have a very good player." In the case of their positioning down the middle, the Leafs ultimately chose Bozak over Grabovski, in a move that, again, aligns with Carlyle. Save for a trade, Toronto could not have kept Grabovski at the inflated price of $5.5 million, retained Bozak at $4.2 million annually and also added Clarkson for the weighty price he was sure to demand and did, in fact, receive. So they opted for Bozak, a player whom Carlyle trusts fervently in every situation and one who is closely linked to Phil Kessel, a free agent after next season. "How Randy uses him you can easily draw that conclusion," Nonis agreed of deeming Bozak a better fit for the club than Grabovski, denying however that their choice came down to one player over the other. "Not that Grabo isnt a great player, its just for us, Bozie is a better fit; plays more minutes. But it wasnt about Grabo or Bozak." Its obvious why they opted for Bozak over Grabovski given Carlyles preference, but theres a real question as to whether Bozak is the better option, even in spite of Grabovskis obvious struggles in 22013.dddddddddddd Bozak posted 18 even-strength points in 2013 in 700-plus minutes, only marginally ahead of Grabovski, who totaled 13 with a far more defensive lean and far fewer opportunities. Of repute for his acumen on the draw, Bozak posted a 52.6 per cent rate, again only slightly better than Grabovski at 50.6 per cent. Bozak, shooting a sizzling 20 per cent, totaled 12 goals to nine for Grabovski, this in spite of substantially more power-play opportunity. Additionally, over the two seasons prior to 2013, Bozak tallied 33 goals and 79 points, vastly inferior to Grabovski, who had 52 markers and 109 points. But in the case of their decision at centre, the Leafs opted for the player who fit more suitably under the graces of the head coach and his strategy. Carlyle employed Grabovski in mostly defensive situations in his first full season behind the bench in Toronto, his checking line centre more often than not. Bozak in contrast, lined up with Kessel and James van Riemsdyk on the top line all season, garnering first duty on both the power-play and penalty kill and additionally on every key draw. Nonis said he exercised the buyout option on Grabovski without knowledge that Bozak would in fact commit to remaining with the Leafs, describing the move as one demanded by the cap crunch this summer. "Which made for a very uncomfortable sleep last night," he grinned. The money for Bozak, while a significant raise that nearly triples his previous salary, was not a huge stretch considering the wealth of duties he does assume and was, according to Nonis, the max his team would pay. "It wasnt out of any disrespect to Tyler, but it was a number that topped out for the Toronto Maple Leafs," Nonis indicated. "To his credit, I think that Bozie wanted to stay here." Securing Bozak for a continued presence in a first-line role, the acquisition of Bolland at the draft this past Sunday works to additionally solve a need that Carlyle struggled to fill all season, that of the checking line centre. As noted above, Grabovski assumed the role almost by default with Bozak entrenched alongside Kessel and Nazem Kadri bursting on the scene as a viable offensive option in training camp. With Bolland now in the fold, Carlyle can employ a scrappier, more defensive-minded element against opposing top lines while additionally employing Jay McClement in a secondary role. Adding to Carlyles options in the crease, the Leafs swung a trade for Bernier during the Stanley Cup Final, inking the 24-year-old to a two-year deal worth $5.8 million late on Friday evening. After acquiring Bolland and signing Bozak, Clarkson and Bernier, Nonis now has upwards of $10 million to spend as his team draws down to the $64 million cap, still with restricted free agents Kadri, Cody Franson, Carl Gunnarsson, and Mark Fraser to sign. That would seem to leave little room to dramatically upgrade a defence that was often over-matched last season, T.J. Brennan, who played with Buffalo and Florida last season, the lone addition to the group thus far. Nonis was asked early in his administration as Leafs general manager whether or not the group assembled fit under the style of Carlyle – who had assumed control from Ron Wilson as the Toronto coach in the final stages of the 2011-2012 campaign. He replied toward the negative before an ultimately successful 2013 campaign. "We need to alter that a little bit," Nonis said of the teams construction in early January. "We need to make a couple of changes to play that style." And while his group unquestionably veered toward the Carlyle brand of smash-mouth hockey, Nonis moved toward adjusting the group further to fit the needs of his head coach as the offseason kicked into gear on July 5th. "The good news for me is, its not my problem any more, thats up to Randy," Nonis quipped when questioned on the breakdown of his forward complement with the Clarkson addition. "Ive done what I could do." ' ' '