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AVONDALE, La. Cheap Jerseys Shop . - IndyCar racing officials expressed confidence on Monday that the NOLA Motorsports Park will be able to complete more $4.5 million in improvements needed to host the proposed Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana in suburban New Orleans next year. "IndyCar is on the rise and we are determined to be in great markets in this country and eventually throughout the world," IndyCar chief Mark Miles said in an announcement at the track on Monday. "We have no doubt this will be one of the great venues for Indy Car racing in very little time." Gov. Bobby Jindal, joined by officials from the track and Andretti Sports Marketing, said the race is expected to be locked into the IndyCar schedule for "at least three years, though the goal is to make this a permanent event." Ongoing negotiations include scheduling a weekend for the event, which would also affect the timeline for track improvements that Miles said are needed for "safety, fan enjoyment and quality of racing." Jindal will need state Legislative approval for $4.5 million, which will be combined with private money to make improvements, including pit area, straight away and perimeter fencing enhancements. Organizers estimated as many as 80,000 spectators attending over the three-day event, which is slated to include a "racing festival" including live music and other entertainment. "This is great news for Jefferson Parish and our entire state," Jindal said. "This three-day event would allow us to show off the excitement of an IndyCar race right here in Louisiana, as well as our states culture, entertainment and food. This event will be a great economic driver." The NOLA Motorsports Park, a private, $60 million facility about 14 miles southwest of downtown New Orleans, features a 2.75-mile road course that has already hosted AMA motorcycle racing and developmental levels of open-wheel auto racing including the Indy Lights, Pro Mazda and USF2000 series. The track is owned by Dr. Laney Chouest, whose family founded and operates Edison Chouest Offshore, reputedly one of the worlds leading builders and operators of sea vessels specially designed to service the offshore oil and gas industries. "We wouldnt be here without the vision of Dr. Laney Chouest," Jindal said. "Hes built this beautiful facility as a labour of love and today were seeing one of the benefits to the state." Chouest thanked Jindal for supporting a "public-private partnership that will leverage the significant private investment we made into this facility." Organizers were confident enough in the events success that they launched an Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana website, indynola.com, which referred to the event as, "Inevitable." "Im really pleased to see IndyCar preparing to bring a race to NOLA," said former racer Michael Andretti, CEO of Andretti Sports Marketing. "New Orleans is a great market to grow the sport and Im excited to have Andretti Sports Marketing involved with the operations and promotion of the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana." IndyCar, which includes the Indianapolis 500 as its marquee event, is the premier American-based open-wheel racing series. Currently, the series drivers include Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan and Scott Dixon, who are former Indy 500 winners, as well as Marco Andretti, the grandson of former racing great Mario Andretti, and Graham Rahal, son of 1986 Indy winner Bobby Rahal. AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer contributed to this report Cheap Jerseys From China .C. -- Tony Stewart will not race Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, the third Sprint Cup race hes skipped since his car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. Cheap Jerseys Authentic . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season.TORONTO -- Marcus Stroman deserved better than this. The rookie right-hander took a one-hitter into the seventh inning on Saturday only to have the game fall apart for him and the Toronto Blue Jays on one swing. When the first pitch from reliever Dustin McGowan was sent into the left-field seats by right-fielder Dayan Viciedo, the Chicago White Sox were on the way to a 4-3 victory on Saturday. "Its tough to deal with," Stroman said. "Its part of baseball. I have 100 per cent faith in Dustin to come in and get that out every time. If he makes a pitch like he knows he can, were not even having this conversation." Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said he had his reasons for removing Stroman when he did. "If you could do things over, you leave him in," Gibbons said. "But my thinking was, he pitched his butt off, it was kind of uncharted territory, I dont want him to lose the game right there. Thats the way it goes. But you always look back on things like that. I had a plan and it just didnt work." The Blue Jays scored one run in the ninth inning as their late rally fell short for the second game in a row. White Sox left-hander Chris Sale (7-1) also pitched well, holding the Blue Jays to four hits and five walks while striking out six to pick up his first career win in three decisions against Toronto. "They wore him down a bit," said Chicago manager Robin Ventura. "They were fighting off some tough pitches." The only runs Sale allowed came on a two-run homer by right-fielder Darin Mastroianni in the fourth. Stroman was strong over 6 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, two walks and two runs while striking out six. He did not factor in the decision in his sixth career major-league start. "Stroman, he was great tonight," Sale said. "He threw better than I did. Obviously, you throw like that, you deserve to win a game." Stroman allowed a second-inning double to White Sox designated hitter Adam Dunn and then walked him to lead off the fifth and nothing more through six innings. But in the seventh inning, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu doubled with two out to extend his career-best hitting streak to 13 games and Dunn walked for the second time in the game. McGowan (4-3) came in from the bullpen and his first-pitch slider was launched over the fence by Viciedo for his eighth homer of the season and a 3-2 Chicago lead. "Its tough because obviously I want to be out there," Stroman said. "I felt strong but Im also a young so that was Gibbys choice. Dustin has been great for us all year so its not like I was mad about coming out of the game. "I had 100 per cent confidence for Dustin to come in and get that out. Just one of those things and Im sure hell be right back to it." Gibbons disscussed the weight of his decision after the loss. Cheap Jerseys NFL. "This game eats at you, you review everything, you do more so at the moment of something," Gibbons said. "You get a little gun shy around this place, the way the ball has been flying out of here, especially after (Friday) night (when the teams combined for seven home runs)." The White Sox added a run in the eighth on a single by pinch hitter Alexei Ramirez against reliever Aaron Loup. The left-hander replaced McGowan after two-out singles by centre-fielder Adam Eaton and second baseman Gordon Beckham. Chicago loaded the bases in the ninth with none out against Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen but could not score. The White Sox (38-44) have won two in a row over the Blue Jays (45-38) to assure themselves of a split in the four-game series. Right-hander Zach Putnam who got the final out of the eighth stayed in the game for the ninth and allowed a leadoff double by pinch hitter Anthony Gose. Second baseman Munenori Kawasaki singled him home to cut the lead to one but Putnam held firm to earn his first save of the season. It was a disappointing result for Stroman who was coming off a strong win over the New York Yankees last Tuesday when he allowed three hits and one run in eight innings. It looked like his day when the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. It came from an unexpected source. Mastroianni, just called up from triple-A Buffalo where he has been most of the season, snapped a 0-for-14 streak to open this season in the majors by taking a 3-2 change-up to left for a two-run homer. It was his fourth career homer in the majors with the first three coming with the Minnesota Twins in 2012. It came after Colby Rasmus took a two-out walk. "Its important for me," Mastroianni said. "I want to try to help keep this team is in first place. a (Sale) just has stuff going everywhere, arms flying everywhere, he throws that change-up and then all of a sudden here comes 95. "He threw me a lot of change-ups that at-bat. He probably made a bit of a mistake, left that ball up over the plate more than I know he would have liked to." NOTES: Announced attendance at Rogers Centre was 39,623. aBefore the game on Saturday the Blue Jays recalled outfielder Darin Mastroianni from triple-A Buffalo, where he was batting .289 with four homers in 69 games, and returned LHP Rob Rasmussen on option to the Bisons. Mastroianni started in right field. a Left-hander Mark Buehrle (10-4) will start the series finale on Sunday for the Blue Jays against his former team. The White Sox will start left-hander Jose Quintana (4-7, 3.69). aThe Blue Jays have Monday off before they complete the home stand with two afternoon games against the Milwaukee Brewers. ' ' '
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