xpectation and the Storm did it beautifully.Th | Forum
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May 9 '19
TORONTO -- The Honda Indy Toronto is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and while that makes it one of the most stable and long-running events on the Verizon IndyCar Series calendar, much has changed over the past three decades. Air Jordan 1 Retro Uk .If you attended the race in the early years, when it was known as the Molson Indy, you wouldnt recognize the town or the track. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the world, with a population now approaching seven million. Much of the development is in the form of high-rise housing, and even though the race track runs through the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition, it couldnt avoid the urban sprawl, with construction of a new luxury hotel forcing the most extensive changes to the racing layout since 1995.The changes made back then opened up the track and addressed concerns resulting from a 1994 crash in which driver Bryan Herta fractured his pelvis. This years changes are in roughly the same place, but they are set to have the opposite effect, with the racing line through Turns 10 and 11 that close out the lap barely wide enough to accommodate a single Indy car.?The track surface is also bumpier than ever, and changes to curbs and the moving of a tire barrier in Turn 8 also raised concerns from the drivers. But the biggest potential safety hazard is the pit lane, which has been moved to the opposite side of the track (drivers left), a change that could place mechanics changing right-side tires in serious jeopardy.?All that resulted in a contentious 35-minute drivers meeting to kick off the weekend, and potential changes for race day could include moving the start of the race to the much longer back straight.?Changes like that to a racetrack can have a larger effect than meets the eye, so well just have to see how it goes once we get out there, remarked IndyCar Series points leader Simon Pagenaud before practice.?The event has changed in other ways from the glory days. Molsons in-house promotional company, Molstar Sports and Entertainment, papered the GTA with posters and flyers and the event had a strong television presence until Molson pulled out in 2006.?The CART-IRL split failed to kill off the Toronto race, though it wasnt run in the reunification year of 2008. But the event is a shadow of its former self, when it routinely drew three-day crowds of 170,000, making it the second largest sporting event in Canada. The recruitment of Honda Canada in 2009 in the role of title sponsor to replace Molson helped matters, but Toronto race crowds are maybe half of what they used to be.?Some of that can be attributed to a lesser Canadian presence in Indy car racing. Scott Goodyear, now a television announcer for ABC, was a big draw in the early days of the race, but it was the arrival of Paul Tracy and Greg Moore into the CART-sanctioned Indy car series in the first half of the 1990s that really boosted the sports popularity in Canada. Jacques Villeneuve, Patrick Carpentier and Alex Tagliani also played important roles as prominent Canadian Indy car drivers, a mantle now taken by James Hinchcliffe.? ?The Toronto native (and Honda driver) has been a ubiquitous presence promoting the event?in local media in recent weeks, and hes pleased that the Indy is back in its traditional mid-July date after attendance dipped a year ago when the race was run a month earlier to accommodate the citys hosting of the Pan-Am Games.?Ive heard lots of good things about the race this year, about ticket sales and corporate sales and things like that, Hinchcliffe told reporters earlier this week. Were coming off having to move around the date last year and working around this hotel being built, so Im looking at this as a fresh start for the race. ?Im looking forward to doing my bit to make this one of the great races again.?The race has certainly produced its share of memorable on-track action over the past 30 years, and the changes made to the circuit this year are likely to make the event even more of a crash-fest than usual.?Bobby Rahal won the inaugural event in 1986, but it was his longtime rival Michael Andretti who stamped his authority on Toronto, winning seven times between 1989 and 2001.?Tracy is the only Canadian to have won the race, triumphing in 1993 and during his championship season of 2003, when he elicited a roar from the crowd by announcing, My name is Paul, and I am Canadian! from the podium to mimic a popular Molson ad campaign of the era.?Among active drivers, Scott Dixon, Sebastien Bourdais and Will Power are two-time Toronto winners, while Josef Newgarden of Ed Carpenter Racing is the defending champion.?Newgarden, who is coming off his first win of the 2016 season one week ago at Iowa Speedway, confirmed that the changes to the track are a major topic of conversation among drivers and teams.?I think were going to have to ease into it, Newgarden said. The last three corners are trickier than last year -- a lot tighter, with slower speeds, which will hopefully help the run up to Turn 1 and create more passing. That would be the benefit if we find one.?We talked in the drivers meeting about how we are going to prepare for a two-wide start, and Im not sure what they are going to do, he added. They were waiting to see feedback from [practice] Session 1, but Id be surprised if they switch it to the back stretch, especially from a promoters standpoint. My guess is there will be a discussion and a vote, but I think were just going to have to go really, really slow at the start of the race.?Newgarden, who sits second in the IndyCar Series standings, said he is still nursing the effects of the broken right wrist and clavicle he sustained in an accident at Texas Motor Speedway on June 12. While he is no longer wearing a brace on his right hand, (It was taking up too much room and I couldnt grip the wheel) he doesnt expect to return to full strength for another two to three weeks.?I really thought Iowa was going to be the biggest challenge, but I havent been on a street course since Texas and I forgot how demanding they are, he added. Youre really getting rocked around this place and Im sure Im leaving some time on the table. The hand is the biggest thing, because when you get hit by curbs and everything, it just hurts. Air Jordan 1 For Sale Uk . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rookie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead. Air Jordan 1 For Sale Cheap . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. http://www.cheapukairjordan1.com/ . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. The business end of the NRL season is here and ESPN NRL expert Brett Kimmorley believes some teams will be happy with their form, some wont and what also-rans can expect improvement in 2017 in his latest edition of Set of Six.Broncos beat Roosters but were far from brilliantThe Broncos were outstanding in round 25 against Melbourne but they forgot about playing round 26 because I thought they were pretty poor against the Roosters.I wouldve thought for Corey Parkers last regular season game at Suncorp Stadium there would have been plenty of emotion and reason to celebrate, but I thought the Broncos were extremely poor.We know that the finals are another level again and I thought Brisbane in round 25 were preparing for the playoffs, but round 26 probably wasnt the ideal preparation lead in to what semi-final football will look like.Roosters must fix defence before 2017The Roosters will need to work a great deal on their defence ahead of the 2017 season. We know there has been a roster change there - they have lost a fullback, they have lost a five-eighth and they have lost a centre - but when they were minor premiers for three consecutive years they were the best defensive team in the competition.That certainly has not been the case this year and they have leaked a lot of points. It just seems like every time the opposition gets down their end they are generally waving the white flag -- which is certainly not the Roosters of old.They have seen the emergence of Latrell Mitchell and Connor Watson, they get Luke Keary and Michael Gordon joining the club next year so they have got some talented players for 2017, but if they dont fix their deficiencies then it doesnt matter who plays for them.I think the Roosters are seeing the impact of Sonny Bill-Williams and Anthony Minichiello starting to wear away. There will be pressure on everyone at the Roosters next year - I think Trent Robinson is a pretty good coach but the chairman or CEO wont accept another year of re-building.Rabbitohs have found a spine for 2017Its taken them two years and a lot of different personnel but I think South Sydney have finally found a spine for next year. Cody Walker has been very good for them, Greg Inglis has to play fullback as thats where he has the most impact for the team.I think the spine will include Robbie Farah. I dont think dummy halves can play 80 minutes anymore. I think the likes of Cameron Smith will retire in the next few years and well see two hookers in every football side.Its too hard a game where you are expected to play 80 minutes of football, make around 55 tackles and the other players are generally bigger and stronger.The players are getting bigger and faster and the game is becoming more intense, yet we ask these guys to play 80 minutes, create line breaks, create set plays and do all of that under a fair bit of pressure.Very important to have two very good dummy halves and Souths will probably have Damien Cook and Robbie Farah. I think Cook has been outstanding for them and also what he brings is great pace. Hell make a great impact off the bench after that early arm wrestle.Cowboys best attacking unit in the NRLThe Cowboys are the best attacking team in the competition and I am convinced they can win the competitioon again. Nike Air Jordan 1 Wholesale. I have jumped off Melbourne because North Queensland can play in so many different ways and have so many different attacking options.They have a great forward pack, Jason Taumololo is that x-factor that just creates havoc, Jake Granville is a genuine dummy half threat, they have Lachlan Coote and Michael Morgan who have not really fired in the past few weeks, but Im expecting a big semifinal performance from them.Having Johnathan Thurston in your side also gives them the best halfback in the NRL so I think the Cowboys are a realistic chance of going back-to-back. Ive heard coach Paul Green say he thinks they have got more options than 2015 when they were the eventual premiers.But for this to happen I think the Cowboys must have Matt Scott back from injury. The closeness of the NRL competition, the depth of all of the teams so I think the team that wins the competition needs to have most of their best players on the park.Bulldogs must find some halves before the finalsThe Bulldogs will welcome back their biggest halfback in Sam Kasiano this week and he will give them a lift but they had a thousand opportunities to attack the line against Souths but it didnt look like they were going to score the try.I know Moses Mbye is a great runner of the ball and a great left foot kicked but I think they need a bit more first ball and I think Brett Morris needs to go back to fullback. Brett Morris is a guy that pops up in the right places at the right times and knows how to score a try. While William Hopoate is a good defensive fullback, I dont think he has that presence and awareness that Morris does.I know Des Hasler is as successful as Wayne Bennett and all of these other coaches in the finals but Id like to think they have something different in mind this week against Penrith.If they get momentum off the back of their monster forward pack, please let the halves play football. Its a do-or-die attitude but theyve lost a few games now so they may as well throw all of their eggs in the one basket and just go out with all guns blazing.Storm are clinical in big gamesThe Sharks tried extremely hard on Saturday night but the Storm showed why Craig Bellamy is such a great coach. Melbourne were extremely poor last week against Brisbane but they turned it around very quickly - they were so good, so clinical, super-fit and they go through their structures extremely well.At halftime the Storm were 16 from 16 completed sets and I think the game was pretty much over. The scoreline did not reflect it but just how clinical they were, their knowledge to handle a big game and it was a football lesson for Cronulla.Playing high-intensity Origin, high-intensity semi-finals, high-intensity grand final football is another step up in class and youve got to be able to handle that pressure and expectation and the Storm did it beautifully.The Storm beat you in the wrestle every day of the week, they do it extremely well, they dont put their hands on the ball, they do things better than most sides so how you combat that is you play a little bit of football -- similar to what Brisbane did in round 25. ' ' '
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