Vorstellungen » aku Nishikawa (Urawa Reds).Defenders: Y

INDIANAPOLIS -- While his team struggled with setup and speed, Scott Dixon has flown under the radar during preparations for the Indianapolis 500. Its exactly how he wants it. Its how he has tried to be his entire career. "I like to live simply," Dixon said. As such, one of the most decorated drivers of the last decade goes grossly underappreciated for his accomplishments. Hes the Jimmie Johnson of IndyCar, the driver tearing through the record books with his eye on the top names in series history. Dixons 33 career victories rank seventh all-time, and three more wins would leapfrog him past Al Unser Jr. and Bobby Unser into fourth place. The only drivers who rank higher than Dixon in victories right now have the last name Andretti, Foyt and Unser. Since joining Chip Ganassi Racing in 2002 while the team still raced in the now-defunct CHAMP Car Series, Dixon has won at least one race in every season except two. He has an Indianapolis 500 win on his resume, and his three IndyCar championships -- spread out in 2003, 2008 and 2013 -- show a consistency and longevity thats hard to match. At just 33 years old, he conceivably has almost another decade of racing ahead of him. But hes worked in the shadow of some huge personalities and some of open-wheel racings biggest stars. When Dario Franchitti joined the Ganassi organization in 2009, Dixon watched his famous teammate reel off three consecutive championships and two Indy 500 wins. In that same span, Dixon finished second in the championship once, third three times, and finished second to Franchitti in the 2012 Indy 500. Living in Franchittis shadow never bothered him. "I preferred that, actually," said Dixon, who will start Sundays Indy 500 in 11th, in the fourth row. "When I come out of the truck and everyone is standing around waiting, they all chased after Dario and I could just get on the scooter and ride off and get to work. Ive never had any problem not having the spotlight on me." Franchitti is on the sidelines now, forced into retirement last November from injuries suffered in a crash at Houston a month earlier. The imposing 1-2 attack of the two red Target cars has been broken up. It means Dixon finally has the team to himself, but he doesnt view it that way -- he maintains its always been owner Chip Ganassis team -- and the laid-back New Zealander isnt seeking any fame. Its a shame, because hes earned the attention. "Hes achieved so much, hes one of the most successful of all time, but a lot of people dont know that," said reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, a fan favourite and Franchittis replacement this year in the Ganassi organization. "He just does his job. Is he more famous than me? Not really. But were not talking about that. Its not what his goal is. Hes doing exactly what he wants to do." Dixon excels at striving for more and putting in the work toward continuing to improve his race craft. "He doesnt stop learning. He doesnt allow what hes just done to be the high point in his life, in his career. He only uses that as a springboard for the next day," said Mike Hull, Ganassis managing director and the strategist atop Dixons pit stand. "We just do not stop learning together, and he represents us. I wish we could clone him, to be honest about it, moving forward because hes the kind of person you need driving your race cars." In his 13th season with Ganassi, Dixon is easily the longest tenured driver in organization history. The team owner says the longevity is because Dixon "doesnt seem to carry much baggage with him." For an owner who dislikes drama or having to massage egos and manage personalities, Dixon is his easy child. As for where Dixon ranks among the all-time greats, Ganassi doesnt want to be part of the conversation. "Were obviously very proud to have Scott," Ganassi said. "When you talk about legacies ... that will be something someday for you in the media to talk about. I dont think its our position in the race team to talk about that. We certainly think his name deserves to be up there as well." Brian Leetch Jersey . -- Hal Steinbrenner says Alex Rodriguez is "a great player" and "obviously an asset," but the New York Yankees managing general partner wouldnt discuss the third basemans possible return to the team following a season-long suspension. Phil Esposito Jersey . The Spanish champions decision not to sign a defender during the January transfer window may have backfired after Valencia took advantage of a lethargic, uninspired effort by its hosts at the Camp Nou, where former Spain coach Luis Aragones -- who previously coached the Catalan side -- was honoured after his death on Saturday. http://www.authenticnyrangerspro.com/Pav...rangers-jersey/. Returning to Davis Cup tennis, Federer cruised past Ilija Bozoljac, winning 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 in less than two hours. Federer faced little challenge from Bozoljac, who served well but still was no match for his Swiss opponent. Wayne Gretzky Jersey . Chile applied pressure in midfield right from the beginning, challenging aggressively and continually surging forward. Eduardo Vargas beat the offside trap and fired home a stinging shot for Chiles opening goal in the fifth minute. Marc Staal Jersey . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win.TOKYO - Japan coach Javier Aguirre opted for experience Monday when he named his 23-man squad for next months Asian Cup, where the defending champion will be bidding for a record fifth title.Aguirre named Europe-based regulars including Keisuke Honda of AC Milan, Shinji Okazaki of Mainz and Shinji Kagawa of Borussia Dortmund for the January 9-31 tournament in Australia.Drawn in Group D with Palestine, Jordan and Iraq, Japan has dominated the continental competition over the past two decades, winning in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011.Aguirre insisted Monday his team wont be distracted by Spanish media reports that authorities in Spain are moving to prosecute him and some 30 others on suspicion of fixing a league game against Levante when the 56-year-old Mexican managed Zaragoza in May 2011.At the Asian Cup I will just be concentrating on the sports and competition side of things, said Aguirre, when asked about the allegations that he denied in a meeting with the Japan Football Asssociation.ddddddddddddAguirre selected Hannover midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake for the first time since taking over as Japan coach. Veteran striker Yoshito Okubo, who led the J-League with 18 goals this season, was not included.___Japan SquadGoalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Standard Liege), Masaaki Higashiguchi (Gamba Osaka), Shusaku Nishikawa (Urawa Reds).Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan), Masato Morishige (FC Tokyo), Kosuke Ota (FC Tokyo), Atsuto Uchida (Schalke), Maya Yoshida (Southampton), Tsukasa Shiotani (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Gotoku Sakai (Stuttgart), Gen Shoji (Kashima Antlers).Midfielders: Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Yasuyuki Konno (Gamba Osaka), Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt), Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund), Hiroshi Kiyotake (Hannover), Gaku Shibasaki (Kashima Antlers)Forwards: Yohei Toyoda (Sagan Tosu), Shinji Okazaki (Mainz), Keisuke Honda (AC Milan), Yu Kobayashi (Kawasaki Frontale), Takashi Inui (Eintracht Frankfurt), Yoshinori Muto (FC Tokyo). ' ' '