Kyle Busch Motorsports: Trucks and Nationwide head to Kentucky

Kyle Busch Motorsports: Trucks and Nationwide head to Kentucky

NASCAR’s top three series return to Kentucky Speedway this weekend, Thursday through Saturday, June 28th through 30th, and while Kyle Busch will be looking to defend his title as the winner of the inaugural Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday night, his Kyle Busch Motorsports teams will be busy on Thursday and Friday in the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series, respectively.

Jason Leffler will take the wheel of the #18 Dollar General Toyota Tundra on Thursday for the UNOH 225 Truck Series race, hoping to capitalize on his fourth-place finish in the last Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway. In his first start at Kentucky back in 2002, Leffler took the pole, led 20 laps and finished fifth in the Truck race.

“It should be a cool event and I think that the TV viewership should be pretty good,” said Leffler recently on the KBM website. “I was fortunate enough to win a lot of races on Thursday Night Thunder (a USAC Series that was on ESPN in the late 1990s) and it helped me get noticed by a lot of people -- it’s too bad that it’s not around today. Maybe we can get a few more truck races on Thursday night -- that would be pretty cool.”

Eric Phillips, crew chief for the #18 truck, is hopeful that the team will get better as the season progresses – after all, the team is in a strange place with no wins after leading the Truck Series in victories the past two seasons. “We’ve been fast,” said Phillips. “I feel like we’ve had really good trucks, but haven’t been able to finish the weekend as strong as we’ve been when we unload. We had a lot of issues early in the season -- we had an engine issue, been in a wreck and a few other things of our own doing. I feel like we’ve had top-three or four race trucks every week in practice, but we haven’t been able to finish that. Hopefully going into this weekend and this summer stretch, we can put those things behind us and be strong.”

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F1: Spanish sport, diehard fans inspire tearful Alonso

There are plenty of ways to get disqualified from a golf tournament. You can pull a "John Daly" and run out of golf balls; oversleep and pull a "Jim Furyk"; or pull a "Robert De Vicenzo" and sign an incorrect scorecard.

On Thursday at the European Tour's BMW International in Cologne, Germany, pulling a "Jose Manuel Lara" was added to the list, after the Spaniard was disqualified for one of the most bizarre reasons imaginable.

If you've ever played golf before, you know the maximum number of clubs you're allowed to carry is 14. It's the job of every caddie to make sure there isn't an extra club hanging around before a round, but for some reason Lara's caddie made the mistake of not double-checking the bag.

It wasn't until the second hole that the caddie noticed the extra club. Golf is a game of integrity where the golfer is entrusted with calling a penalty shot on himself if he does something in error. This should've been the point in the story where Lara announced the mistake, added four strokes to his card (two strokes for every hole he played with the extra club) and continued on with his day.

But instead of taking the easy way out, Lara's caddie tried to pull a fast one, disappearing into a bush -- with the bag -- to dispose of the 15th club. There was just one problem: playing partners Damien McGrane and Peter Hedblom were watching. Doing what any curious golfer would do, they approached the caddie and asked him what he was doing.

    "They went and asked the chap 'What are you doing?' and he sort of fumbled out an answer saying 'I've got this wrong - I've done something bad. I wish it hadn't happened, etc etc'," said European Tour chief referee John Paramor.

    "It was clear the club was out of the bag and in the bush at the time. He admitted it straight away and regretted his action."

Lara and his caddie ended up getting disqualified for what European Tour chief referee John Paramour called a "serious incident and warranted disqualification."

"It was clearly the caddie doing what he felt at the time was the right thing, but was clearly the wrong thing," Paramour told Sky Sports after the incident. "He's kind of been asked not to come back and that's how the matter has been resolved."

The unfortunate thing for Lara is that he had no idea what was going on, but when his caddie decided to go rogue and dispose of the evidence, it ended up costing Lara a potential paycheck. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's the last time we're ever going see him looping in the professional ranks.

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Germany vs. Greece

GDANSK, Poland -- Germany's most prominent fan will be in the stands for the quarterfinal against Greece at the European Championship.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, wins no popularity contests among the Greek contingent. So the political dimension of Friday's game only heightens what is already an intriguing match in strictly soccer terms.Germany is a three-time champion. Greece is the surprise winner of the 2004, and the Greeks are still standing again, with an unexpected place in the knockout stages.

It was always our main aim to reach the quarterfinals. So now we have nothing to lose," said defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos, one of the many Greece players with Bundesliga experience. "We are playing against one of the best teams here. All I can say is that we'll fight. If we get the win, that would be a huge result."

Greece has plenty of reason to be thankful to Germany - the 2004 championship team was coached by a German, Otto Rehhagel.

German and Greek officials are trying to play down the politics. Germany, Europe's biggest economy, has been a major contributor to international bailouts for Greece and was instrumental in demanding structural reforms and hugely unpopular spending cuts in return. Greek fans are unlikely to take kindly to Merkel's presence at Gdansk Arena.

"We are playing for our shirt, our flag and for the people back home," midfielder Costas Katsouranis said.

Added Greek forward Dimitris Salpigidis: "I don't think anyone on the team believes this will be our last game at this tournament. People have so many problems in their everyday lives. We're really hoping that we can put a smile on their face."

Gdansk also was also the scene of the first battle of World War II, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. A German soccer federation delegation laid a wreath Wednesday at a memorial for Poles at the Westerplatte peninsula on the outskirts of the Baltic city.

Germany has two Poland-born players in its squad, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, and Polish fans could throw their support behind the Germans. By winning its group, Germany got to stay in Gdansk and was spared having to travel.

Merkel attended Germany's 4-0 rout of Argentina at the 2010 World Cup and saw Germany beat Turkey in Berlin in the most important Euro 2012 qualifier for her team. She has visited the German locker room and briefly spent time with the team in Gdansk before the tournament.

"She seems to bring us luck," midfielder Sami Khedira said.

Germany is the only team to have won all three group games and goes into the quarterfinal as the overwhelming favorite. But the Germans understand the ability of the Greeks."They are a very good team, underestimated by many.

They create few chances but score from them. Technically, they are strong and play well one-on-one," Khedira said.

"It will be tough to crack their defense, but we have the means. We have to be patient, but we also have to be constantly on the move. They will try to disrupt our game and beat us, but they will not succeed."

Added midfielder Thomas Mueller: "We know what we have to do, but it's not going to be a piece of cake."

Greece will be missing playmaker and captain Giorgos Karagounis because of suspension.

There is speculation Germany coach Joachim Loew will return Klose to the starting lineup, although Mario Gomez scored three goals that won matches against Portugal and the Netherlands. Klose, a 34-year-old striker, scored the last time these teams played each other, a World Cup qualifier in 2001.

Six Greece players have either played or still play in the Bundesliga.

Greece has five defeats and three draws in the eight games it has played Germany or the former West Germany."We are not too bothered about statistics. ...

That doesn't really matter," Salpigidis said.

source: newsobserver.com/2012/06/21/2151638/politics-meets-soccer-in-germany.html

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Spain Looks Forward to Advance versus Republic of Ireland

SPAIN	Tournament Statistics (as of June 14, 2012)		REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
1	Goals Scored		1
9	Attempts On Target		5
9	Attempts Off Target		8
7	Corners		1
12	Fouls Committed		12
3	Yellow Cards		1
0	Red Cards		0
PREDICTED STARTING LINEUPS
Spain (4-2-3-1)		Casillas; Arbeloa, Ramos, Pique, Alba; Alonso, Busquets; Xavi, Iniesta, Silva; Torres
Ireland (4-4-2)		Given; Ward, Dunne, St Ledger, O’Shea; McGeady, Whelan, Andrews, Duff; Walters, Keane

Spain (N) vs. Ireland Match Preview 

Date: June 15, 2012

Time: 2:45 AM (GMT +8:00)

GDANSK: The prospects of Group C teams have become more unpredictable after Republic of Ireland suffered a disappointing loss versus Croatia at 3-1. Spain and Italy stalled one another in a draw at 1-1, citing signals of stronger winning determination from both teams.

Spain’s duty as defending champion is to strengthen their defense in order to thwart any scoring attempt of Republic of Ireland – a feat which can determine La Roja’s defense of their championship title. Republic of Ireland, on the other hand, has to recoup from their fatal mistakes against Croatia which caused the Croat’s currently wide gap from the rest of Group C.

Previous Matches

The most recent match between Spain and Republic of Ireland was during the 2002 World Cup. The match was a closely-fought one at 1-1, only to be won by Spain via a penalty shootout.

Spain won all of their last 15 competitive games, including their 2010 World Cup championship title. They are also the champions of EURO 2008.

Republic of Ireland was unbeaten in 14 matches (both competitive and friendly). Their 3-1 loss to Croatia was their heaviest major tournament loss.

Pre-Match Developments

It is unsure whether Vicente Del Bosque will pit in Fernando Torres in Spain’s starting lineup after the striker failed to show competence during their match against Italy. Their six-man midfield against the Azzurri might be altered, although changes have yet to be announced.

Giovanni Trapattoni, on the other hand, is persistent with his current starting lineup. Despite his team’s poor performance versus Croatia, no changes have been announced on Republic of Ireland’s starters.

Spain-Republic of Ireland Predictions

Sports Statistics Information Centre

(as of June 14, 2012)

v  Disclaimer: All information above is provided free for members as a 12BET service. The prediction statistics are purely a view point and there is no guarantee on the returns. Hence all members or visitors are requested to apply their prudence before acting on any of the recommendations. Neither 12BET nor any of its promoters, members, or employees holds any responsibility of any losses incurred (if any) by acting on the recommendations.

Republic of Ireland is placed at a difficult time after their focus on strengthening their defensive and counterattacking techniques have been shattered by a solid Croatia. The Irish squad lacked strikers in their roster, thus they are faced with the challenge of how to shoot the ball inside the net.

Spain, on the other hand, has to return to playing formidable possession football, which helped them gain their 2008 EURO and 2010 World Cup championship titles. Their recent match against Italy was far from resembling their usual possessiveness of the ball, which became apparent when the Azzurri treaded comfortably on La Roja’s midfield.

Overall, Spain can expect a convenient win against the Republic of Ireland, especially if they choose to become more firm in their possessive playing approach. Spain can be countered with frustrations if Republic of Ireland strengthens their defensive play for this match. 

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F1 champion Vettel: 'Red Bull out to dominate again'

(CNN) -- Double world champion Sebastian Vettel insists Red Bull can continue to dominate Formula One as the leading marque unveiled their car for the 2012 season on Monday.

German driver Vettel has been unrivaled over the last two years, winning 16 races since the start of 2010 to become the sport's youngest two-time drivers' champion.

The 24-year-old's peerless form -- which earned him 11 grand prix wins in 2011 -- has also helped Red Bull clinch back-to-back constructors' titles.

Speaking at the launch of the new RB8, Vettel set his sights on securing a third successive Red Bull clean sweep.

"We had a great year," Vettel told the sport's official website. "I think we'll always look back to 2011 and think how special it was.

"We know how special it was and we really enjoyed that but we know how hard it is to be that consistent, always there and nearly every race on the podium.

"So the target is to obviously try to do it again and try to get everything out of ourselves, so we'll see how we get on with the new car, the RB8."

Despite the success of the Austrian-owned, UK-based team -- who entered the elite division of motorsport as recently as 2005 -- Vettel warned against complacency ahead of the new season, which starts in Australia on March 18.

"At the beginning of last year we didn't really expect whatever happened last year, so I think it's the same thing again.

"It would be wrong to go into this season and expect 2011 to happen again ... I think it will be very, very tight this year and anything else would be a surprise to be honest."

The target is to obviously try to do it again and try to get everything out of ourselves
Sebastian Vettel

New car gives McLaren confidence to end Red Bull dominance

Vettel's Australian teammate Mark Webber endured a frustrating 2011, securing his first and only win of the year at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on his way to a third-place finish in the drivers' standings -- 134 points behind Vettel.

"Last year wasn't an amazing season, but it wasn't too bad for me," the 35-year-old said. "I still managed to finish third in the drivers' championship ... so it was a great way for me to finish the year with the victory in Brazil and many strong results.

"We're always learning as athletes and I'm looking forward to 2012, it's got some great opportunities for me. You know the old cliche, take each race as it comes, but that's how it will be initially and we'll go from there."

Another veteran on the grid next year will be Finland's Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, who is returning to the sport after a two-season absence.

The former Ferrari driver has joined Lotus -- who competed in last year's championship as Renault -- and spoke of his excitement at the launch of the team's new E20 car.

"Formula One is something very special in my racing career," said the 32-year-old, who participated in NASCAR and the World Rally Championship in his break from F1.

I think we'll have a lot of fun in the season ahead and hopefully we will get some good results
Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus

"You always want to race at the toughest level, so Formula One is where you want to race if you have a choice.

"I think we'll have a lot of fun in the season ahead and hopefully we will get some good results. I want a strong enough car to challenge for good results."

Swiss team Sauber also showcased their new car on Monday, with Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi and Mexico's Sergio Perez on hand to take the C31 for a spin.

Kobayashi finished last season in 12th place, four positions and 16 points ahead of Perez, and he is looking forward to his third year with the team.

"We've been through a lot together and can benefit from our shared experiences," Kobayashi said. "In my first year with the team we had a bad start but a good second half to the season.

"The second year was the exact reverse. In our third year together we should be a reliable bet to finish consistently in the points. I'm really looking forward to the new season with the Sauber team."

source:http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/06/sport/motorsport/motorsport-f1-red-bull-vettel/index.html

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Euro 2012 Group Stage – Poland Vs Greece Match Preview

Euro 2012 EUFA bet on sport 12bet

Poland Vs Greece Match Preview

In the build-up to the first activity of this season's European Championships, the betting for the Greece vs. Poland has thrown on a variety of events. When the draw was declared and the accessories were set for each team, Greece were the possibilities on favorites to choose up a win in this fascinating first experience of the tournament.

Check back for the you win match preview guide for the Euro group A stage game of Poland Vs Greece.

A couple of days before the game kicks off, we’ll be giving you our exclusive betting guide to Poland Vs Greece, with an in depth look at all the components that are likely to affect the outcome of the match – including the team line up, latest happenings off the pitch, potential goal scorers and the likely Poland Vs Greece final score and how this could affect group A.

This will allow you to make an informed decision and take advantage of some of the very best odds on Poland Vs Greece with 12bet.com.

In the mean time you can check out more about each of the individual Poland football team and Greece football team by looking at our teams guide.

Euro 2012 EUFA bet on sport 12bet

Poland Vs Greece Match Preview

 

 

In the build-up to the first activity of this season's European Championships, the betting for the Greece vs. Poland has thrown on a variety of events. When the draw was declared and the accessories were set for each team, Greece were the possibilities on favorites to choose up a win in this fascinating first experience of the tournament.

Check back for the you win match preview guide for the Euro group A stage game of Poland Vs Greece.

A couple of days before the game kicks off, we’ll be giving you our exclusive betting guide to Poland Vs Greece, with an in depth look at all the components that are likely to affect the outcome of the match – including the team line up, latest happenings off the pitch, potential goal scorers and the likely Poland Vs Greece final score and how this could affect group A.

This will allow you to make an informed decision and take advantage of some of the very best odds on Poland Vs Greece with youwin.com.

In the mean time you can check out more about each of the individual Poland football team and Greece football team by looking at our teams guide.

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