tlanta Dream 95-87 in the regular season finale on Sept. 17.Phoenix went 16-18 during the regular season to claim the WNBAs eig row

SEARS POINT, Calif. -- Ryan Hunter-Reay left the last Verizon IndyCar Series race at Watkins Glen International on Sept. 4 having just learned that his title sponsor DHL was on the brink of signing a contract extension through the 2020 season with Andretti Autosport. It was great news.Since then:? He and his wife Beccy welcomed a third child to their Florida home, a healthy baby boy named Rhodes, on Wednesday.? Later the same day, Beccys father, Bob Gordon, and his wife perished in what Orange County (Calif.) police are calling a murder-suicide.? Friday was Beccys birthday. Thats the same day Ryan went back to work, stepping into his No. 28 DHL Honda Indy car across the country at Sonoma Raceway to practice for the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma.? Sunday afternoon, Hunter-Reay and the Andretti Autosport team signed the contract extension and made the news public.Few people have experienced the wide spectrum of emotions that have affected Hunter-Reay over the past few days, yet once strapped into his bright yellow race car at Sonoma, he was at his level-headed best.In a season when most Honda cars have struggled for qualifying speed on road courses, Hunter-Reay advanced to the Firestone Fast Six for only the third time this year.While he understandably misses his wife and family, being in the company of his extended work family has brought the driver comfort at a difficult time.Absolutely, Hunter-Reay said Sunday, speaking to a small group of reporters after the media conference to announce his contract extension.Especially to be surrounded by a group of people I work so well with. They feel like family; theyre my friends. I know this is not about me, but being here is what everyone wanted and it has been a great bit of relief.Nothing can really prepare you for any of it, but on the professional side, things are going in the right direction and todays announcement is great news, he added. Im very happy about this and obviously its been a lot of highs and some lows. Its just been a wild ride for the past week and a half.Hunter-Reay has been though his share of professional stress and strife. After winning an Indy car race as a rookie in 2003 in the Champ Car World Series, he struggled to maintain a foothold in the sport over the next few years.He caught a break when Rahal Letterman Racing signed him in mid-2007, but even though he won a race, that ride fell through when the sponsor pulled out of racing and he faced several winters of uncertainty.Michael Andretti scraped together enough backing to sign Hunter-Reay to a three-race deal at the start of 2011, and once again, RHR came through by posting a win at Long Beach in his third start. The Andretti/Hunter-Reay combination has been together ever since, with DHL signing on as title sponsor in 2012.Now the most experienced American driver in the IndyCar Series is contracted for three years as opposed to three races.I was on the brink there in 2006-07, Hunter-Reay admitted. I was maybe a month or two away from going and doing something else with my life when Bobby Rahal gave me the chance at Rahal Letterman. Every time I got in the car I knew I had to prove myself immediately because it wasnt going to be a two-year deal where I could just take my time to develop.That fighting mentality was instilled at that time, when I was given opportunities and not a lot of time to prove myself.Beccy was a big part of Ryans support network in those tough times, and now the couple are established in the fabric of the IndyCar Series. Having grown up in a racing family (Bob Gordon was a well-known off-road racer, and brother Robby is a former Indy car and NASCAR star), she understands why it was so important for Ryan to get back into his work environment this weekend.That didnt make it any easier for Ryan.Beccy is doing amazing, Ryan said. Shes strong, and focusing on a newborn baby has been a blessing at this time. Its amazing how strong she is, how strong Robby has been, and her sisters Robyn and Hailey. Its blown me away because this is nothing you can prepare for. This isnt as simple as a life passing.Team owner Michael Andretti had no doubt that Hunter-Reay would be in the car this weekend. As a former driver, Michael knows that being in the car is the best sanctuary during emotional times for a racer.Michael famously continued competing in the 1992 Indianapolis 500 after his father Mario and brother Jeff were both hospitalized with significant leg injuries from crashes.Hes a professional, Andretti said. He even made the comment that hes so happy to be here at the racetrack and getting back in the car because hes able to just focus on that. Thats the best medicine. I know how he feels; Ive been there where I had to focus when there were outside things. It was always good to get in and just do your job and I know thats the way it is with him.I truly believe hes one of the best and its very important to have a talent like him on your team, Andretti added. Now hes got stability as well and thats huge. Its big for him, its big for us, its big for the team itself.Now in the most secure position of his career, its likely that the best is yet to come for Hunter-Reay. Hes won 16 races and the 2012 championship, making him the most successful American driver currently competing in the IndyCar Series, and at age 35, hes just hitting his prime.Hes the lead driver for Hondas flagship Indy car team, putting him in prime position to capitalize if the manufacturer can gain the upper hand over its competition from Chevrolet.And even though he has been put through a world of worry in the last week, the next four years look pretty much care-free.To not stress about a contract, I cant tell you how beneficial it is to the racing side, Hunter-Reay said. You dont have to think about the pressure involved in that. You can just go out there and put everything on the line and you know that if you over step the edge or if you try to make that pass and it doesnt work out, its not going to blow back on you.I know when we get this program sorted, were going to contend for championships. Cheap Jerseys .com) - The Calgary Flames aim to bounce back from their first regulation home loss of the campaign on Friday night when they host a Detroit Red Wings club that they swept in three meetings a season ago. Wholesale Jerseys . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. https://www.fakejerseysfromchina.com/ . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Fake Jerseys From China . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Cheap Jerseys From China . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. The defending champion Minnesota Lynx will face the Phoenix Mercury in a rematch of last years Western Conference finals on Wednesday in the opener of a best-of-five semifinal series at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.Minnesota and Phoenix are meeting with a trip to the WNBA Finals on the line for the fourth year in a row and the fifth time in six years. The Lynx swept the Mercury last season under the old playoff format and went on to defeat the Indiana Fever in five games to win their third WNBA championship in five years.Minnesota went 28-6 during the regular season to win the Western Conference with the best record in the WNBA. Under the leagues new playoff format, the Lynx secured the No. 1 seed and received a double-bye to the semifinals. They won seven of their last eight games but have not played since defeating the Atlanta Dream 95-87 in the regular season finale on Sept. 17.Phoenix went 16-18 during the regular season to claim the WNBAs eighth and final playoff berth. The Mercury went 10-14 before the month-long Olymppic break, but won eight of their next 12.ddddddddddddPhoenix has won four in a row and five of its last six, including road victories over fifth-seeded Indiana and the third-seeded New York Liberty in the first two rounds of the playoffs.Diana Taurasi scored 20 points and DeWanna Bonner had 18 in an 89-78 victory over the Fever. Taurasi scored 30 points in a 101-94 victory over New York.The Lynx swept the three-game season series against the Mercury, winning 95-76, 85-78 and 89-81. All three contests were played in the first month of the season.Minnesota and Phoenix have been two of the most successful franchises in the history of the WNBA. Both have won three league championships and can join the now-defunct Houston Comets as the only teams with four titles.Minnesota is trying to become the first team to win back-to-back WNBA championships since the Los Angeles Sparks accomplished the feat in 2001 and 2002. ' ' '