06-11-2019, 03:01 AM
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Josh Jackson Jersey . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. As far as hes concerned, those are the only major changes since he broke two bones in his leg in an August sprint-car crash. So when the green flag drops Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway for his first race since the accident, Stewart believes it will be the same old "Smoke" behind the wheel. "Were not going to need a backup driver," boasted Stewart, who is scheduled to be in the race car for the first time Friday for 105 minutes of practice for the exhibition Sprint Unlimited. "I feel good enough that Im confident were not going to have to worry about anything," he added. "Weve planned for anything that we think might or could go wrong, and when I say go wrong, its not anything thats going to take us out of the race car. Its just a matter of making everything as comfortable as possible." Stewart has not raced in more than six months, an unheard of amount of time off for a driver who makes his money racing in NASCAR yet crisscrossed the country cramming 50 or more weeknight events into his year-round schedule. Six-time champion Jimmie Johnson isnt dismissing Stewarts chances of making a successful return. "Tonys a guy that when hes motivated, he can do anything," Johnson said. "And his motivation and desire to get in the car is probably higher than its been since he was a little kid, so it could be really dangerous for all of us, you know what I mean?" Last August, Stewart was leading with five laps remaining at Southern Iowa Speedway when a lapped car spun in front of him, causing Stewart to hit that car and flip several times. Stewarts time sidelined was certainly difficult, enhanced by the pain from his broken leg. He had two surgeries for the breaks, then a third to treat an infection. He was flat on his back, confined to the first-floor bedroom of his longtime business manager, where he was forced to lay with his leg elevated above his heart. When there was Stewart-Haas Racing business to address, team personnel did it at his bedside. Stewart required an ambulance to get to his doctor appointments, and when he finally was able to get out of bed, he needed a wheelchair to get around. And when Stewart -- a driver SHR vice-president of competition Greg Zipadelli referred to as "Superman" in the days after his accident -- finally made an appearance at the race track, it was on a motorized scooter. Nobody was comfortable seeing the three-time NASCAR champion so restricted. Many wondered if hed ever be the same. Not Stewart. "Right off the bat, the surgeon, the therapists, theyve all said, Youre going to have 100-per cent recovery," Stewart said. "With that, from Day 1, it took the doubt out." Any questions about getting back into a race car were erased, and Stewart turned his attention to his recovery. He wondered when hed be 100 per cent -- doctors have told him it will take a year, and he said this week his leg is only 65-per cent healed -- and when the pain would subside. He asked doctors if hed always have some sort of lingering pain, and he threw himself into a tough rehabilitation program. As he progressed and moved closer to Fridays practice sessions, his SHR team built a module that includes a seat, steering wheel, steering column and pedals so Stewart could sit and hold the pedal down for 20 minutes to simulate the pressure of having his foot on the throttle. New teammate Kevin Harvick ordered Stewart a special pad that hangs off the steering wheel that will prevent his knees from banging into the steering column. Now his peers wait to see how Stewart will drive. Harvick said they attended a sponsor appearance together this week and when they left, Stewart "was like a crazed lunatic. You could see that look in his eye. He looked at me and said, Im ready to ... race!" A driver who has excelled in races because of his ability to feel the car, some have wondered if the injury has taken that talent from Stewart. He doesnt believe the broken leg has robbed him of anything. "When you hear the quote, Its a seat-of-the-pants feel, you feel it in your core," he said. "Everything that is processed through your brain is between your core as far as feeling whats going on. Your hands and arm are feeling pressure in the steering wheel. But as far as from your legs down, youre not really feeling that sensation. Its more of what your brain is telling your legs to do. "If we had to have an area to have an injury, my right leg was probably the one." Denny Hamlin struggled all last season after missing five races with a fractured vertebra in his lower back. But Hamlin cited Stewarts superior talent as reason why Stewart wont have similar issues. Custom Suns Jerseys . But this time, the Gunners weathered the storm. Arsene Wengers team was on the ropes in the early stages of a lively FA Cup tie, until Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a goal against the run of the play. Deandre Ayton Jersey . Rico dove horizontally to meet Andoni Iraolas precise long cross from the right to score his second league goal of the season in the 33rd minute. Two minutes later, Aritz Aduriz netted Bilbaos second when he raced forward and pounced on a poor clearance by Villarreal defender Mateo Musacchio, sending a low shot rolling past goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo. http://www.officialsunsfanstore.com/marq...ns-jersey/ . Toronto dropped a 7-2 decision to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon, with only a pair of late runs preventing a second straight shutout loss. Josh Willingham belted a two-run homer in the first inning and Kendrys Morales hit a bases-clearing double in the seventh as the Twins took the rubber game of the three-game series.MIAMI -- In the third quarter, LeBron James lost his headband and turned his left ankle. Neither slowed him for long. James finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and nine assists despite getting an extended break after tweaking the ankle, Dwyane Wade added 27 points and the Miami Heat beat the Utah Jazz 117-94 on Monday night. It was the best shooting night in team history, Miami connecting on 63.4 per cent of its shots. James led the way, making 13 of 17 attempts. "Im excited I could go back out there, make some plays and finish the game off," James said. "But I know in the morning, when I wake up, its going to be pretty sore." Chris Bosh scored 20 points for the Heat, who moved within two games of Indiana for the East lead. Miami hosts the Pacers on Wednesday. Alec Burks scored a career-high 31 points for Utah, which got 17 from Derrick Favours. "We didnt match their intensity in the second half," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. "Give them credit. They know what it takes to get themselves out of holes." It was Miamis 17th straight victory over a Western Conference opponent, the second-longest regular-season streak by an Eastern Conference team in NBA history. Boston won 20 straight over the West during a nine-month span of 1973. A game in December pitting the two-time defending champions against the team with the worst record in the West wouldnt seem all that likely to conjure some NBA Finals memories. Then James lost his headband, and once again, everything started to click for the Heat. Just like in Game 6 of the Finals against San Antonio this past June, when James had his terrycloth accessory knocked to the court, something just seemed to change about his game. Miami was up only three points when James went without the headband, and the lead was up to 13 later in the quarter. Miami outscored Utah 36-21 in the third. The Heat had been outscored 56-33 in their two most recent third quarters combined. "The guys have owned that, addressed it, came out with great activity, but also offensively, very aggressive in that third quarter," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "The last two games we settled, less energy that we brought to that quarter offensively, less patience." James left late in the third quarter aafter twisting his ankle on a dribble about 30 feet from the basket. Charles Barkley Jersey. After re-lacing his sneaker -- his typical self-inflicted treatment for ankle twists -- he wound up getting subbed out a few seconds later. He walked off the court slowly, took a seat on the floor near the Heat bench and smacked his hand on the hardwood with such anger that the hit could be heard halfway up the arena. "He does it once a year," Bosh said. "This is his time. Its usually in December, too. Got that out of the way and now we can keep moving on." During the stoppage between the third and fourth quarters, James didnt even get up to join his teammates at first, remaining down with a towel over his head. He eventually got to his feet, draping the towel around his neck and largely keeping to himself, shrugging his shoulders when Bosh approached to ask him something. But he came in for Wade midway through the fourth, finished the game, and the Heat cruised. Miami shot 68 per cent after halftime. "I didnt feel like we were in that great of a flow," Wade said. "I guess the numbers prove me wrong." Burks made 12 of 17 shots for the Jazz. Enes Kanter had 14 points and eight rebounds for Utah, which led by as many as eight points in the second quarter. The Jazz wound up trailing by as many as 25. "They did what they do," Burks said. "They had fast-break plays and great stops to win the game." Norris Cole scored 13 points and Mario Chalmers finished with 12 for Miami. The clincher came with 3:10 left. James drove right by Burks, threw down a dunk while getting fouled and made the ensuing free throw to get to 30 points and give the Heat a 109-90 lead. All that remained undecided at that point was whether James would get another triple-double. He wouldnt, leaving one rebound and one assist shy -- the second straight game thats happened. It was the eighth time in James career that he finished exactly one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double. NOTES: Miamis last loss in a regular-season game against a West foe was against Utah, back in January. ... The Jazz had only one starter finish in double figures. ... Jazz rookie Trey Burke shot 1 for 8, scoring a season-low three points. ... Chalmers had eight assists. 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