CHARLOTTE, N. Derek Stepan Rangers Jersey .C. - NASCAR wont change its new championship format, which chairman Brian France said Monday is overwhelmingly popular with fans.The Chase was revamped last year into an elimination-style system that created a winner-take-all final race among four drivers. Kevin Harvick won the season finale at Homestead in November to claim his first Sprint Cup title.France called it perhaps the best Chase ever and said the excitement will carry into this season.Its overwhelmingly popular with our most important stakeholder, the fans, France of the Chase during the kickoff to the annual NASCAR media tour. They (fans) like the fact that it tightened up competition. They liked the drama down the stretch. They like the emphasis on winning. And one of the things they told us that they really liked is the idea that we werent going to change anything. And they strongly suggested that we didnt. And were not going to.NASCAR launched the Chase in 2004 and tweaked it several times in the first 10 years. But it got a dramatic overhaul before the 2014 season, when the field was expanded to 16 drivers with four eliminated after every third Chase race. The final four drivers then went to Homestead even in the standings, with the highest finisher guaranteed the championship. The system worked in creating an eventful finale in which all four contenders raced for the win.France said he believed the simple formula that did not require following points — drivers made the Chase by winning a race, and advanced through the rounds with wins — was embraced by fans.One of the magical parts of this Chase, and we want to make sure we keep it this way, is the simplicity of it: Win and youre in, said France.One change coming into 2015 will be that NASCAR will no longer permit teams to alter their cars side skirts during a race, a widespread practice last season. Many crew chiefs believed the flaring of the skirts violated the rules, but because NASCAR was not acting on it, they were forced to manipulate the sheet metal to keep up with other teams.Steve ODonnell, executive vice-president and chief racing development officer, said cars will be brought back in if NASCAR sees the skirts have been manipulated during a pit stop. Policing the flared skirts will be done by any means possible, ODonnell said.Other topics covered Monday by France:— Sprint is not likely to be replaced as title sponsor before its deal expires at the end of next season. Sprint said last month it will not renew its contract with NASCAR, but will honour the remainder of its deal. The last time NASCAR needed a new sponsor, when R.J. Reynolds said in 2003 it wanted out of its deal that expired at the end of 2007, the sanctioning body nabbed Nextel to take over in 2004.I dont anticipate anybody being in a position to leave early, but well get out into the marketplace and see, France said.— NASCAR would like to have the 2016 rules decided and delivered to teams earlier than ever, and is eyeing the All-Star Race in May as a possible deadline. Teams received the 2015 rules last September, and the 2014 rules were not set until last January.— France took a moment to acknowledge Jeff Gordon, who said last week this 23rd season will be his last as a full-time driver.Jeff is a friend of ours, a friend of mine personally, and certainly I dont have to tell you what hes done for the sport, France said. I dont have to tell you the amazing accomplishments on and off the track. From everybody at NASCAR, (we) wish him a strong final season.France has previously acknowledged that attention in NASCAR is increased when Gordon is a part of the title race. The four-time champion is one of the very few drivers who transcends NASCAR and is famous beyond the sports landscape. It will be difficult to replace his star power, but France said its part of sports.The changing of the guard, thats always part of sports, part of NASCAR, he said. Thats what you count on, to have great farm system of aspiring talent, hopefully of a diverse background, to let their talents and their abilities land with the Sprint Cup Series. Brian Leetch Jersey . The third-year pro went shot for shot with Knicks star Carmelo Anthony down the stretch before nailing the most important one of the night. Authentic New York Rangers Jerseys . Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans ended up with the bigger problem.NEW YORK -- This nicely sums up Tommy Rees Notre Dame career. The senior threw for 319 yards and no interceptions in his final college game, leading No. 25 Notre Dame to a 29-16 victory against Rutgers that was far from pretty but ultimately successful -- and an offensive lineman won the MVP award. "I was giving Tommy a hard time," said senior tackle Zack Martin, who took home the award. "I think he got snubbed a little bit." Rees finished four years of football for the Fighting Irish packed with both memorable and forgettable moments with a solid performance, going 27 for 47. He has been "The Closer," rallying Notre Dame to victories with late drives, and "Turnover Tommy," making crushing mistakes at the most inopportune times during his time in South Bend, Ind. For his finale, against one of the worst pass defences in the nation, Rees was mistake free and productive. He missed some throws that could have broken open the game, but, typically, he persevered. "Im a Tommy Rees fan for life," coach Brian Kelly said. Kyle Brindza kicked five field goals for the Fighting Irish (9-4), who completed their follow-up season to last years run to the national championship game a long way from the BCS -- facing a two-touchdown underdog that was trying to avoid a losing record. Notre Dames play was less than inspired -- Kelly said about a dozen players were fighting a flu bug -- but the win prevented the Irish from finishing with eight victories for the third time in his four seasons. "A good season that could have been a great season," Kelly said. Notre Dames TJ Jones scored on an 8-yard run in the first quarter and Rutgers star Brandon Coleman answered with a 14-yard touchdown catch soon after. Tarean Folstons 3-yard touchdown run with 3:38 in the fourth made it 26-16 and finally gave the Irish a comfortable lead. On the slick turf at Yankee Stadium, the Pinstripe Bowl turned into a field-goal kicking contest. Brindza was 5 for 6. Kyle Federico made 3 of 3 for the Scarlet Knights (6-7). The Irish dominated in yards (494-237) and time of possession (38:49) but bogged down in the red zone repeatedly. "I loved the way we were able to stay calm and stay within our offence and continue to kind of monotonously move the ball down the field," Reess said.Martin St. Louis Blue Jersey. . Twice Notre Dame put together double-digit play drives that ended in short field goals for Brindza. A 15-play, 90-yard march that started in the third quarter and ended in the fourth with Brindzas 25-yarder made it 19-13 Notre Dame with 12:46 left. "I love the fourth quarter," Brindza said. "Thats pretty much what a kickers job is supposed to be." Brindzas third field goal, a 26-yarder with 6:03 left in the third quarter, gave Notre Dame a 16-13 lead -- after the Irish caught a break. Brindza had missed from 36 yards but Rutgers was flagged for running into the kicker to give him a second, easier, try. "We thought we played good red zone defence and we could make them kick a few field goals and attempt some field goals, maybe we could block one and then win the game in the fourth quarter," Rutgers coach Kyle Flood said. "We were kind of poised to do that." Senior quarterback Chas Dodd, whose career has been similar to Rees in terms of ups and downs, finished with 156 yards passing for Rutgers. "What we saw with their defence was just what we knew we would see," Dodd said. "We had a game plan ready to attack it. We just werent able to because of our execution." Notre Dame improved to 17-6-3 at Yankee Stadium, though this ballpark in the Bronx is only a few years old and across the street from where the original House that Ruth built sat for decades. "Its great to be in New York," Kelly told what was left of bowl record crowd of 47,122 during the postgame trophy ceremony on the field after the Irish had sung the alma mater with the band in right-centre field, near the Yankees bullpen. The Fighting Irish played the first football game in the new stadium back in 2010. Rees, a freshman then, helped the Irish beat Army and got to use Derek Jeters locker. Called upon to lead the Irish this year after Everett Golson was suspended from school for academic cheating, Rees became the third Notre Dame player to surpass 3,000 yards through the air in a season. Rees will next play in the East-West Shrine Game, trying to impress pro scouts. "Hes going to keep chasing that football dream," Kelly said. "But I told him hes got a bright future as a graduate assistant for Brian Kelly anytime." cheap nfl jerseyscheap jerseys ' ' '
