Danica-mania returns to Nationwide at New Hampshire

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06/22/2010 - Loudon, NH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Nationwide. Date: Saturday, June 26. Race: New England 200. Site: New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Track: 1.058- mile oval. Start time: 3:30 p.m. (et). Laps: 200. Miles: 211.6. 2009 winner: Kyle Busch. Television: ESPN. Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.

She's back. After a four-month hiatus, Danica Patrick returns to the Nationwide Series this weekend at New Hampshire.

Of course, Patrick will be the center of attention at New Hampshire, as one of auto racing's most popular and widely marketable drivers is expected to make her fourth career Nationwide start. She is guaranteed a starting position in the 200-lap race since her No.7 JR Motorsports team currently sits 20th in owner points.

"I'm really looking forward to getting back to all the cool people that I've met, my friends and the team; they've been great," Patrick said. "I really like driving the cars. They're a lot of fun, and they are a different challenge than IndyCar, but I think some of things I learned over [in IndyCar], they have helped me over [in NASCAR]."

Patrick has spent the last four months focusing on her full-time IndyCar efforts. After struggling earlier in the IndyCar season, the 28-year-old driver has nicely rebounded with three straight top-10 finishes, including a second-place run earlier this month at Texas. She currently sits 11th in points.

This is an off-week for IndyCar before the series resumes on July 4 at the Watkins Glen, NY road course.

Before her foray into NASCAR, Patrick made her stock car racing debut with an impressive sixth-place finish in the February ARCA event at Daytona. One week later, she competed in the Nationwide season-opener at Daytona. Patrick finished 35th after being caught up in a multi-car pileup mid-way through the event.

At California, Patrick finished the 300-mile race without incident, but fell three laps behind with a 31st-place result. Her most recent Nationwide event came at Las Vegas, where she crashed early and wound up finishing 36th.

With its length at 1.058 miles, New Hampshire will become the shortest track that Patrick will run so far in her early stock car racing career.

No doubt, Patrick will have her hands full at New Hampshire.

"This will be the most sort of dramatic back and forth sort of stuff that I will be dealing with," Patrick said. "At the beginning of the season, it was a little bit more cut and dry. It was more NASCAR than IndyCar. Now, it's definitely going to be back and forth, but I have to say in the times that I have gone back and forth, I don't have any problem with it."

After New Hampshire, Patrick is scheduled to compete in nine more Nationwide races this season, with the next one on July 9 at Chicagoland.

Another big story at New Hampshire will be the possibility of a 24th different winner in as many Nationwide races here.

Last year, Kyle Busch made a late-race pass on his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano for the lead, and then held it to become the 23rd different winner at New Hampshire.

Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Jason Keller, Joe Nemechek and Kenny Wallace are those drivers on the 43-team preliminary entry list for the New England 200 that have won at New Hampshire in the past.

Could one of these drivers become the first repeat winner, or could someone like Logano or points leader Brad Keselowski keep the streak alive at New Hampshire?

We'll find out on Saturday.

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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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