So much discussion this week as we enter the second round of NASCARs playoffs has been about the effects the third and final race of this round on competitors.That race, of course, is Talladega!No team wants to pin its hopes on a perfect restrictor-plate performance, because most know perfect doesnt exist at NASCARs largest track.Talladega can be summarized by this: 95 percent of the race is rehearsal and the last 5 percent is where the chess match is played, and settled.Because of this unique form of competition, there is an elevated urgency to capitalize at Charlotte and Kansas leading up to Talladega.Martin Truex Jr. demonstrated in May at this track how one can control their own destiny. A fast car, a precise pit crew, a focused driver guided by a very wise crew chief.It resulted in a dominant win.All of those same ingredients guarantee little at Talladega, where a spotter might actually become the key component in determining a drivers fate.Those considered the fastest of the fast, Truex, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, need to capitalize this week and next to avoid entering Alabama with the same mindset one would carry to Las Vegas.Who Wins??This will be a heavyweight match between Harvick and Truex.Both teams are peaking at the most critical time, both drivers are the envy of others because it seems as though the No. 4 and the No. 78 carry speed and authority to each track regardless of its size and personality.The 1.5-mile racetracks are the most abundant on the schedule, they make up half of the Chase races and they are the strength of Harvick and Truex.Harvick gets the nod, barely, in what I believe will represent a preview between the two drivers most likely to battle for the title at a similar track in Miami.Austin Dillon will be the surprise transfer to round three. Surprise because hes never won a Sprint Cup series race, and hes a driver few expected to make it out of Round 1.The No. 3 team didnt qualify for the Chase by mistake. It has had moments of brilliance and thats come at high-speed racetracks.Their finishes at these three tracks this year were strong, and Dillon with more than 100 cup races under his belt appears comfortable and confident.Because it has led only eight laps all season, its hard to make a statistical case for the 3 team being one of the eight best teams.But Im going with my gut on this one as I believe the team has enough inertia to power into the next round.As I so often say, the Chase format depends on an underdog being in the equation to be most entertaining. We had that with Chris Buescher to begin the playoffs.The role now belongs to the 26-year-old Dillon in the second round.The Bottom LineIn sports youre taught dont look too far ahead, focus on whats in front of you: this game, this matchup, this race.The risk with worrying about a particular event down the road usually comes in the form of making mistakes in the near term?This time of the season requires laser focus; you must plan your work and work your plan.The vulnerability of competing at Talladega in two weeks will more than likely lead to teams making some extreme decisions during the Charlotte and Kansas races.Some will be rewarded, while others will lead teams to exactly what they were attempting to avoid ... depending on a Talladega win to advance to the next round.LeBron James Shoes Deals . PETERSBURG, Fla. LeBron James Shoes Outlet . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. 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Well, sort of.Lv Xiaoqian, a municipal government worker in Beijing, admires the Minnesota Timberwolves forward so much that she decided to pay a fee -- one she said was quite expensive -- in May to have a star registered in honor of the power forward.I fell in love with him immediately when I first saw him on TV and was attracted by his look and playing style, Lv told ESPN. Later on, I was drawn ever closer by his story, his character, his personality and the affinity he displays for fans. I couldnt help myself.Lv, who has been following Garnett since 1998, had been thinking about a retirement gift for him at the end of last season, when she stumbled across the option of buying a star. The business of star buying has been prevalent for decades, allowing people to document a star in the name of their loved ones, celebrities, dignitaries or anyone else by paying a fee. However, the controversial practice is often dismissed as a pure commercial move, with no scientific authenticity.According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a group of professional astronomers coordinating astronomical research, most stars are cataloged by numbers and their positions on the sky with no commercial transactions involved. Even the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has acknowledged that IAU is the only official agency when it comes to naming stars.But it didnt matter to Lvv, who sees Garnett not only as an idol but also a spiritual mentor.ddddddddddddExcept for this little star, I couldnt think of anything else to give him as a gift for his retirement. she said. When I heard that I could register it with a name, I immediately thought of KG. No one else deserves more to be eternally honored in the universe.Lv isnt alone in her admiration for Garnett. Hes considered part of the first generation of NBA stars for Chinese fans.?There were only a handful NBA jerseys for sale in the Chinese market in the beginning of 2000s. KGs was there, along with jerseys for Allen Iverson, Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. Garnett is known as the pack leader among many Chinese fans for his dominance and aggressiveness on the court. In 2010, Garnett signed an endorsement deal with ANTA -- a Chinese shoe company -- and started doing tours in the country that attracted huge crowds. Once, that crowd included Lv.Lv is hoping to make Garnett aware of her purchase. In an envelope given to ESPN, Lv included a star registration certificate displaying Garnetts name, a map purportedly showing the stars position in the universe and some handmade gifts, including a Chinese lucky knot. It also had letters and a DVD with message of love from the Garnett fan club that Lv runs.Please help me deliver this certificate to KG himself, and let him know that there is a star belonging to him in the sky, Lv said. ' ' '
