a testament to some of the safety measures NASCAR has installed over the years. | Forum

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. Timmy Jernigan Jersey . -- Maurice Cheeks is ready for a new challenge, undaunted by the fact that the Detroit Pistons have been a revolving door for coaches lately. Cheeks is the franchises fourth coach in six seasons, so is he concerned about a job where so many others have failed? "If we thought like that, nobody would be coaching," Cheeks said. Cheeks was introduced Thursday, nearly two months after Lawrence Frank was fired. The coaching search took a while because the Pistons need this decision to work out. Detroit went 54-94 in two seasons under Frank amid sagging attendance. The previous two seasons under John Kuester werent any better. The Pistons havent made the playoffs since being swept in the first round in 2009 -- in Michael Currys only season at the helm. Cheeks is Detroits ninth coach since the 1999-2000 season. "We wanted to make sure we took our time and went through as many possible scenarios as weve come across," team president Joe Dumars said. "We feel like we got the right guy for what were trying to do." This is the third head coaching stop for Cheeks. He went 284-286 with the Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers. Cheeks coaching tenure in Portland is perhaps best remembered for a heartwarming moment when he rushed to the rescue of a 13-year-old girl who forgot the words to the national anthem before a game. But hes never been past the first round of the playoffs. "Everything you go through is a learning experience," Cheeks said. "Im here to make my own way, put my own stamp on this team. It has nothing to do with Philadelphia or Portland." Detroit drafted Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight and Andre Drummond in the lottery the last three years, and the Pistons have the No. 8 pick this year. Theyve been able to build a nucleus of young players with potential, but Detroit has lacked a legitimate star who could lift the team into the post-season and help draw fans. This off-season is an important one for Dumars after the team cleared salary cap space by trading veterans Ben Gordon and Tayshaun Prince in the last year. "This team has a lot of young talent," Cheeks said. "You go across the board, and youve got players that just have to be honed." Jonas Jerebko, a 26-year-old forward whose playing time dipped last season, was at Thursdays news conference. "Hes going to demand respect, and thats something we need," Jerebko said. "I feel like hes a great fit for our young team." Jerebko said he was shooting around with a couple other players earlier Thursday when Cheeks tried to set the tone for the future. "I had a couple flip-flops on or something -- you know, messing around," Jerebko said. "He told us: When youre in there, youve got to put in work. ... Thats what you want as a player -- you want somebody to tell you what to do. I wont be wearing my flip-flops out there." Cheeks spent the past four seasons as an Oklahoma City Thunder assistant. The Chicago native was a four-time All-Star over 15 seasons in the NBA, helping the Sixers win a championship in 1983. Next season will mark the 10-year anniversary of Detroits championship in 2004. Since then, the team has parted ways with the stars from that team, and the Pistons also have a fairly new owner. Tom Gores took over the franchise two years ago. Hall of Famer Phil Jackson helped with Detroits coaching search as a consultant, but Dumars said there was "a 100 per cent consensus" to hire Cheeks. Dumars is the teams most obvious link to its more successful past, and he acknowledges that no matter how many changes the team makes, fans will take a wait-and-see approach until the Pistons start winning again. "I think people are always skeptical until you prove yourself," Dumars said. "Im not here to try and prove to people in the press conference that everything is perfect. What I am saying, though, is were not going to stop working until we get it right. I think thats all you can do in this position." Jason Peters Jersey . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. Ronald Darby Jersey . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. http:///...-hollins-jersey.html . LOUIS -- St. CONCORD, N.C. -- Kyle Busch has shown repeatedly he can win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the Nationwide and Truck series. The question remains whether he can capture that elusive first Sprint Cup victory. Busch dominated Saturday, racing to his sixth Nationwide Series victory of the season and record seventh career win at the 1.5-mile track. He also was Truck Series winner at the track last week, his fifth victory in that circuit at Charlotte. On Sunday, he looks to make it a clean sweep of all three series events with a win in the Coca-Cola 600. Busch has finished in the top eight in 10 of the last 11 Sprint Cup races at CMS but has never won -- a clear source of frustration. "Definitely" Busch said. "I have been close here so many years. Two years ago at the fall race I led a ton of laps and then Matt Kenseth passed me with like eight laps to go. Ive certainly had some devastating moments here at this race track." He thinks he has a "top five" car for Sunday. There was no doubt he had the top car Saturday. Ten years and a day after his Nationwide debut, Busch won for the record 57th time in the series. And he did it in dominating fashion. Busch started on the front row and led 186 of the 200 laps. Thats the most laps led at this race since Dale Earnhardt led 194 in 1986. Busch managed several late restarts to break a tie with Mark Martin for the most Nationwide victories at the track. "Mark is really, really good in the Nationwide series and theres a lot of things Im beating him at, which is cool," Busch said. "This is cool for us and great for thiss team. Stefen Wisniewski Jersey. Its fun to come to Charlotte. Its my favourite track." With 13 laps to go Busch beat Kasey Kahne off the restart and was never challenged the rest of the way with the clean air helping him cruise to the finish line. "I got to the outside and just didnt get the run," Kahne said of the final restart. "It was over at that point. Kyle Busch is tough to beat in this series." Busch actually stole a page from Kahnes book late in the race, noticing his primary competitor had found success -- and was gaining ground on him -- when he moved up to the top of the track. "I hadnt been up there all day, so it was a little scary," Busch said. Once Busch made the move his lead began to expand over Kahne. Four of the top five finishers were Sprint Cup drivers as Kahne was second, followed by Joey Logano, Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick. "We have to find a way to beat that Kyle Busch guy, but hes pretty good," Logano said. Nationwide Series points leader Regan Smith was 10th. Former X Games star Travis Pastrana endured a scary moment late in the race when the back of his No. 60 Ford hit the outside and spun across the track and hit the infield wall head-on. But Pastrana was able to get out of his car and walk away. He said he felt fine, a testament to some of the safety measures NASCAR has installed over the years. "I was fighting for that lucky dog spot," Pastrana said. "But our car was free at the beginning of the run." Michael Annett, racing for the first time since his crash at Daytona in February, finished 17th. 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