BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Joey Logano was only a few laps away from victory when suddenly, holding off Paul Menard wasnt his main problem. "I could tell something was wrong on the back straightaway," Logano said. Loganos flat tire with about five laps remaining allowed Menard to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. It was Menards second victory on that circuit and first since 2006, and Logano was left trying to come to terms with a race that was going well until the final moments. "I hate to give them away like that," Logano said. "You look at the silver lining I guess, which is we had a fast race car and should have won the race. You win some this way and lose some this way." Logano was leading when he was derailed by the tire problem. Menard took advantage of his good fortune, holding off Sam Hornish Jr. by 0.468 seconds. It was Menards first Nationwide start of the season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third, followed by pole-winner Kyle Busch and Brian Scott. Regan Smith finished seventh and remained atop the points list. Menard, one of several Sprint Cup drivers in contention in the event, won the 250-mile, 125-lap race in his No. 33 Chevrolet. He figures he might have had a shot to win even without Loganos mishap. "I would have liked to have lined up nose to tail with Joey," he said. "It would have been a hell of a race." Logano wasnt disputing that, but the point became moot when he ran over something in his No. 22 Ford and dropped all the way back to 16th place because of the cut tire. "The 33 was quick and had a fast race car also. We were going to have a race because he was catching me a little bit," Logano said. "Sometimes you are the bug, sometimes you are the windshield. It is never over until it is over. You think you are in good shape and you are worried about a caution more than anything else and then the next thing you know you hear it starting to come apart." Busch won his third Nationwide pole of the year but was unable to repeat his victory two weeks ago at Dover. Scott was the highest finisher among this years Nationwide regulars, holding his own among several Cup drivers. "Ive been fortunate to run a couple Cup Series races, and I felt like it was a huge benefit to me and my team in the Nationwide Series," said Scott, who along with Menard was part of a big day for Richard Childress Racing. "The added track time, just driving something with more horsepower. You actually figure out ... the grip threshold, and you realize just how high it is. Then you can get in your Nationwide car and you know that youre nowhere near it or youre at it, and how to approach that." Hornish nearly won the Nationwide Series in 2013, but his sponsorship money dried up and he parted ways with owner Roger Penske. Hes made only three Nationwide starts this year, but the irregular schedule doesnt seem to be affecting his performance. Hes finished in the top five in all three races, including a victory at Iowa in May. He was in the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing on Saturday. "Its not really a knocking-off-the-rust thing, because Im at the shop every week," Hornish said. "I feel like Im keeping from being rusty by the amount of things that Im doing as far as that. Gotten to do a little bit of testing, and theyve given me good cars. Everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing has been super nice to me so far -- glad that we could come out and have another good day for them." Marcedes Lewis Jersey . Andy Dirks didnt play until the sixth -- and still had time to drive in four of his own. Luke Joeckel Jersey .J. Pollock. The young centre fielder, in his second full big league season, hit a two-out, two-run homer on the first pitch he saw in the ninth to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a 7-5 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night. http://www.authenticjaguarsshop.com/Bryan-Anger-Jaguars-Jersey . -- The Chicago Bulls didnt get a great night from their starters Wednesday. Austin Pasztor Jaguars Jersey . Yukon and Northwest Territories joining the perennial powers was not. Jamie Koes Yellowknife team snared the fourth and final playoff berth with an 8-3 win over B. Will Taufoou Jaguars Jersey . The 32-year-old native of Duncan, B.C, who fights out of Las Vegas, is coming off a loss to fellow Canadian Mark Bocek in his return to the UFC at UFC 145 in April. OBERHAUSEN, Germany -- Wladimir Klitschko toyed with Alex Leapai and knocked him out in the fifth round to retain his four heavyweight belts on Saturday. Klitschko, taller with a longer reach, controlled the fight at will, scoring with left jabs and straight rights with hardly any opposition from the Samoan-born Australian. Leapai went down when he was hit with a left-right combination. He got up but Klitschko put him away for good with 58 seconds left in the fifth. "Glory to Ukraine," Klitschko said after his one-sided win. Klitschko recorded his 53rd KO in 62 wins, with three defeats. Leapai dropped to 30-5, with three draws. In his 25th world championship fight, Klitschko retained his WBA and IBF heavyweight belts, plus the minor WBO and IBO versions. Leapai, the first Australian challenger in 106 years, never had a chance. The only time he ever got close to the bigger Ukrainian was just before getting floored in the fifth. He took an eight count in the first round, although he claimed to have slipped. Leapais only chance was to try to get inside, buut Klitschko easily stopped him with his effective jab.ddddddddddddLeapai appeared to finally hit Klitschko in the fifth but the champion replied with a barrage and put the Australian down. Leapai got up but was clearly shaken, and Klitschko finished him off with a huge right to the jaw. "It wasnt easy, my head was in Ukraine and what is going on there. I hope there is no war and people dying. I am proud of my people," Klitschko said. Klitschkos elder brother, Vitali, who has retired from boxing to run for political office in Kyiv and who has been one of the leading opposition figures in Ukraine, was in Wladimirs corner as usual. Vitalis wife, Natalia, sang the Ukraine national anthem before the fight. "It was textbook fighting by Wladimir. He did not make a mistake," Vitali said. Leapai, a delivery truck driver, said it was time to "go back to the gym." "I tried to take the fight to him and it didnt work. I am all right, I was waiting for my opportunity but he is a champion and a great fighter," Leapai said. ' ' '
