first place in the NFC North, they werent willing to keep risking

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- After creating the customary cloud of smoke before his third straight trip to victory lane at Watkins Glen International, Joey Logano was beaming.Confidence is high, Logano said Saturday after his second straight dominant performance in the Xfinity race at The Glen. Its a great thing for Team Penske. Weve been off to a rough start this year.Just as he did a year ago, Logano started from the pole in the Zippo 200 and dominated, leading 67 of 82 laps. It was Loganos 26th win in the series and the first Xfinity triumph for Penske since November, a span of 21 races.Teammate Brad Keselowski, who started second, was in contention the entire race until a track bar malfunction sent him to the pits while running second with six laps to go. He finished 24th.Paul Menard finished second, followed by Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, Trevor Bayne and points leader Elliott Sadler.Kyle Busch challenged for the lead early, but damage to his splitter forced him to the pits and he also was involved in a nine-car crash that sent him to the garage.Running second, Busch had to pit during the races first caution for repairs to his splitter, which was damaged running over the tracks new curbing, and dropped far back in the field. The big crash came in the high-speed esses and brought out a red flag on lap 19.This is really unfortunate, crew chief Chris Gayle said. When you know you have as fast of a car as we did, and to not have the opportunity to complete the race, its just really disappointing. Kyle just got caught up in something that we never should have been around.Ryan Sieg precipitated the pileup, getting into Todd Bodine as the cars snaked uphill into the narrowest section of the track with virtually no visibility ahead.I got sideways. I thought I had it but it hooked right, said Bodine, who grew up in nearby Chemung, New York, and considers Watkins Glen his home track. It was a hard hit. The car is junk. Its the first time Ive ever wrecked at Watkins Glen. I know these guys want to make a name for themselves. Sometimes, youve got to give. I was in line and I think Ryan thought he was just going to dive in there.Bodine careened sideways into the wall after contact with Blake Koch and cars began pinballing off one another in a chain-reaction crash, also taking out Darrell Wallace Jr., J.J. Yeley, Ryan Ellis, and Tomy Drissi. Bodine, Drissi, and Koch were treated at the infield care center and released.Just bad luck we continue to have, said a dejected Wallace, who is ninth in points. Hopefully, we can shake it off. I felt really good where we were at. Just not our day.Keselowski scooted past unscathed on the left side to remain in contention in 10th.By the midpoint of the race, Logano, Keselowski and Larson were running 1-2-3 and during a round of pit stops Larson pitted from the lead. He exited pit road just ahead of the Penske cars moments before rookie Erik Jones ran out of gas while running third to bring out another caution.Ty Dillon then inherited the lead but was penalized for a commitment line violation while heading to the pits.When the race restarted, Larson and Suarez were on the front row but not for long. One lap later the Penske cars were 1-2, with Logano leading the way as it became a two-car race to the finish.Derrike Cope brought out the sixth caution on lap 60 when he slid into the runoff area in the chicane and the front of his No. 70 Chevrolet exploded. He was not injured, and after exiting the car was unsure exactly what had happened.Keselowski, who never led but ran second for nearly half the race, challenged Logano on the restart and dogged him as the laps wound down, trying to pressure him into a mistake. It was a futile effort for the No. 22 Ford, which finished 24th.It was a lot of fun racing against him, said Logano, who also won the Sprint Cup race at The Glen a year ago. Thats the guy you know the best. He knows what Im doing up front. Were trying to battle each other. We both want to win.Logano maintained his slim edge in the No. 12 Ford and was home-free when his teammate had to pit, beating a fast-closing Menard by 1.5 seconds.It was a hard-fought one for sure. I was pretty sure my car wasnt going to hold together, Logano said. I know I was out there making qualifying laps for 20 laps. Im glad I had enough of a cushion.---Follow Kekis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Greek1947 Brandon Saad Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Erik Gustafsson Blackhawks Jersey . Wall made the comment in a speech to a Regina business crowd that included Lesnar. The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say. http://www.officialblackhawksfanstore.com/authentic-bobby-orr-blackhawks-jersey/ .875,000, avoiding arbitration. Clippards deal Monday means all eight Nationals players who filed for arbitration wound up settling before a hearing. Brent Seabrook Jersey . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. Jeremy Roenick Jersey . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Kai Forbath spent his first morning in Minnesota at the stadium where hell make his debut with the Vikings, testing his footing on the artificial turf and gawking a bit at the light-filled, luxurious building that will give him the advantage of a controlled climate.Such conditions are every kickers preference. The same goes for the fresh start Forbath will be afforded with his new team and its discouraged fan base.This isnt my first time coming in and replacing someone, said Forbath, who finalized his contract with the Vikings on Wednesday following the teams fourth straight loss and the release of struggling incumbent Blair Walsh.Forbath, whos 69 for 82 on field goals (84.1 percent) and 124 for 127 on extra points (97.6 percent) over his NFL career, also has the benefit of working with fellow UCLA products long snapper Kevin McDermott and punter/holder Jeff Locke.So Im feeling pretty confident going into it, said Forbath, who was part of a six-man tryout group last week before the Vikings decided to give Walsh one more opportunity to escape his slump.Forbath overlapped with McDermott and Locke in the program for three years, and theyre offseason workout partners in Los Angeles along with, coincidentally, Walsh, who missed his league-most fourth extra point last week at Washington.Having been cut by the Redskins one game into the 2015 season, Forbath knew that feeling of sudden job loss.Ive learned the hard way that this is a tough business. I obviously wish him the best, Forbath said, adding: He did really well for a long time. Im just here to take it one kick at a time, and hopefully Ill be here for a long time.Forbath estimated the long end of his field goal range around 57 yards. One of the reasons Washington cited in cutting him last year was a lack of distance on kickoffs, but Forbath said he believes he has improved that skill through experience.Locke handled kickoffs at UCLA, leaving Forbath to focus on extra points and field goals, but the Vikings want Locke to stay solely a punter during what has been a solid season for him.ddddddddddddts nice to have that familiarity especially with a quick change like this, McDermott said.The cold, hard nature of NFL business sure hit the Vikings specialists hard this week.Its vicious sometimes, and its really hard to see people go through it, but hes going to get an opportunity to go somewhere else, McDermott said.I believe that hes going to be successful in the future and hes just an unbelievable guy, so I really have just the utmost respect for him. I consider him one of my closest friends.With the Vikings (5-4) still tied for first place in the NFC North, they werent willing to keep risking victories with missed kicks.It was just something we felt like we needed to do, kind of move forward, coach Mike Zimmer said.Were all accountable for the things we have to get done, and I think we gave him a lot of opportunities. Although Blairs a great kid and it was hard to do, its just part of the business.In a season of an almost unfathomable series of shuffles the Vikings have had to make, its only fitting that theyll have another new left tackle Sunday when they host Arizona.Jake Long had surgery Wednesday on his left Achilles tendon, bringing the total of tackles the Vikings have lost to injury since the week before training camp to five.Zimmer wouldnt reveal who would start against the Cardinals, but left guard Alex Boone sounded as though hell be the one to move so the Vikings can keep T.J. Clemmings at right tackle.Ive played it before, Boone said. I just feel like itd be an easier move for me than T.J., but at the end of the day its up to the coaches.In that scenario, Jeremiah Sirles would move to left guard. He has played every position but center this year.We know everyone thats going to be out there, Boone said. Weve just got to figure out where theyre going to be.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '