ERST LESEN! » e numbers would have looked better if h

LOUDON, N.H. -- Carl Edwards had another hard race to the finish against Matt Kenseth. The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates had skipped the track for the bike path, and what Edwards thought would be a leisurely ride between colleagues turned into a competitive duel on two wheels.It was a pretty hard ride, said Edwards, laughing.The 44-year-old Kenseth flashed the kind of speed that made Edwards wonder how he continued to turn back the clock on all modes of transport.Hes somehow figured out how to age backward now, said the 37-year-old Edwards. Hes getting faster, hes getting stronger, hes figured something out here for sure and it gives guys like me hope, you know?Kenseth has certainly figured out New Hampshire Motor Speedway since making the move in 2013 to Joe Gibbs Racing. Winless in 26 career starts at the track driving for Jack Roush, Kenseth has three wins at New Hampshire since `13 and has won the last two races here.He had a bit of luck to win the fall 2015 race when leader Kevin Harvicks gamble to stretch his fuel backfired and Kenseth took the lead to clinch his spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. His first New Hampshire win of this season came under similar circumstances. Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch each led more than 120 laps before faltering over the final 75 laps, paving the way for Kenseth to stretch his Magic Mile win streak.I think a lot of it has to do with, obviously the equipment and the people working on it, and all that stuff, but its hard to figure out sometimes, Kenseth said. This used to be probably one of my worst tracks on the circuit, honestly, and now it seems like its been one of our best. That doesnt mean its going to be this week, but it has been in recent past.Edwards joked before Fridays qualifying session that hed like to steal some tips from Kenseth and crew chief Jason Ratcliff and try and earn his own win at the track.I can lean on that and look at that and understand what he does, Edwards said.Edwards then turned the fastest lap and won the pole; Kenseth starts eighth. Edwards won the pole for the third time in the last four New Hampshire races, his sixth pole of the season, but has failed to end the race the same way he started -- in first.Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR champion, had a season more solid than spectacular with two wins, but just four top-five finishes. He had 12 top-fives and five wins last season. Martin Truex Jr. earned a spot in the next round of the Chase with a win in the playoff opener last week at Chicagoland Speedway.The 16-driver Chase field will be cut to 12 after next weeks race at Dover International Speedway. Kenseth is seventh in the standings after one race and has the kind of resume that would suggest he can survive to the next round even without a victory over the next two races.But last seasons stunning knockout of Jimmie Johnson at Dover is a reminder that win-and-in beats hoping for the best. Johnson entered Dover fifth in the standings and, with 10 career wins at Dover, seemed a lock to advance. His No. 48 Chevrolet was forced off the track for 36 laps with a torn rear axle seal and he was eliminated from contention.Kenseth, with 38 career wins, knows time is of the essence for another title shot. Kenseth said he had no immediate plans to follow fellow 40-something NASCAR champions Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart into retirement.I havent put a ton of thought into it, Kenseth said. I realize there are more years of racing behind me then there are in front of me. But I feel great, I feel like were running good. Im having a lot of fun. I dont have any plans to quit in the near future.Here are other items of note from Saturday at New Hampshire:FAST PRACTICE: Kyle Larson turned the fastest laps in his No. 42 Chevrolet in each of the two Sprint Cup practices. He topped the second session with a lap of 132.577 mph and posted the fastest laps in practice for all sessions heading into Sundays race.Larson topped the morning session with 132.186.Larson should hope that translates into success in Sundays race. He finished 18th in the Chase opener and Chicagoland and is 15th in the standings.Our short run speed is really good, Larson said.Edwards had the best consecutive 10-lap average in the second session, with an average speed of 131.663.Chase drivers took the top seven spots on the speed chart over a 10-lap average and 13 of 15 spots overall. Chevrolet drivers took six of the top 12 spots.Danton Heinen Jersey . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. Adam Oates Jersey . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. http://www.thebostonbruinshockey.com/jaroslav-halak-hockey-jersey/ . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. Jaromir Jagr Bruins Jersey .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. Brad Marchand Jersey . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons.It took a six-game winning streak, but Washington State finally cracked the Top 25.The Cougars, who rallied to win 35-31 at Oregon State last week, have won six in a row for the first time since the 2003 season and remain tied with unbeaten and fourth-ranked Washington atop the Pac-12 North.No. 25 Washington State (6-2, 5-0) will look to keep its momentum going Saturday with a game against reeling Arizona (2-6, 0-5) in Pullman, Wash., starting at 4 p.m. ET. The Wildcats have lost five in a row for the first time since 2011.I think there are always some ups and downs, Washington State coach Mike Leach said of his teams performance. I think under the best of circumstances, anybody in the Pac-12 is very tough to play against. Were definitely searching for consistency.Weve played way over our heads, and there are times when we definitely could have played better. Last week, we definitely could have played better in the first half.The Cougars trailed the Beavers 24-6 at halftime before winning, and they were taken to the limit in their two previous games -- against UCLA (27-21 win) and ASU (37-32).Leach says he likes the resiliency of his team, which, as usual is dangerous offensively. WSU averages 39.8 points per game and is third nationally with 372.6 passing yards per game. Junior quarterback Luke Falk ranks second with 365.8 passing yards per game.He denied a report Monday that he would enter the NFL Draft after the season.I dont know where the sources are coming from at all. I havent said anything, Falk said.If I had to make a decision right now, Im definitely staying. This has nothing to do with our season. This is just noise. ... Its kind of frustrating that someone said (you said) something you didnt say. I really dont like dishonest people.Falk threw for 415 yards against Oregon State last week, his 10th career 400-yard game, and increased his career passing yards to 9,351, third-most in school history. Falk threw five touchdown passes, passing Jason Gesser for third in school history with 75 career touchdown passes.Senior wide receiver Gabe Marks became Washington States career leader with 33 touchdown receptions, the second-best mark in Pac-12 history. Markks and fellow senior receiver River Cracraft are the only teammates in league history to each have 200-plus catches at the same time.ddddddddddddArizona, uncharacteristically, is looking for offense under coach Rich Rodriguez.Quarterback health and rustiness have been issues in the past two games -- combined with a lack of a running game -- so the Wildcats have completed only 16 of 46 passes in that stretch.Last week, quarterback Brandon Dawkins was coming back from a one-game absence from a concussion. He has missed parts of two games because of a rib injury before that. Erstwhile starter Anu Solomon did not look sharp Saturday, appearing briefly in two series and wearing a brace on his left knee after missing six games.There are some things in the passing game that looked like we were a little rusty; it looked like the quarterbacks missed some time in practice, which they had, Rodriguez said. We can play better overall at that position and I think we will going forward.The receiving corps doesnt have anyone who demands double-coverage, and attrition at running back has meant that Rodriguez has twice had to start converted receivers at running back in recent weeks. The latest was senior Samajie Grant, who rushed 19 times for 64 yards in a 34-10 loss to Stanford on Saturday night.Those numbers would have looked better if he hadnt reversed field on a run and took a 24-yard loss.We thought he played well, because he is a competitive guy and a good football player, but he was still learning the position, Rodriguez said. As the game went along, Samajie got a little more comfortable with it.Rodriguez said Grant will stay at running back. Dawkins and Solomon were listed as co-starters on this weeks depth chart.Arizona is 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring (24.1 points per game) and figures to have a tough day if its running backs cant get going against the leagues top rush defense. Washington State allows 113.9 rushing yards per game.The Cougars won last years meeting in Tucson, 45-42, but the Wildcats have won four consecutive games in Pullman. ' ' '