Meister der Farbe » brother Jamie is also in with a shout of fi

SALT LAKE CITY -- Sam Wheeler, a renowned land-speed motorcycle racer, is dead after the high-performance bike he was testing at Utahs famed Bonneville Salt Flats fish-tailed, went airborne and crashed at 200 mph. He was 72.Wheeler died Monday afternoon at Intermountain Medical Center in the Salt Lake City suburb of Murray because of traumatic injuries suffered in the motorcycle accident, hospital spokesman Jess Gomez said.Wheeler was going about 200 mph (322 kph) during a test run when the back of the streamliner motorcycle started fish tailing, said Mike Cook, the event organizer who witnessed the incident. His motorcycle began to slide and then popped into the air and came crashing down on the caged section where Wheeler was seated, Cook said. Wheeler was alive when emergency crews extracted him from the car, but he died about four hours later at the hospital, Cook said.We all have real heavy hearts, said Cook, organizer of Mike Cooks Bonneville Shootout. Land-speed racing is one of the most family-orientated sports there is in the world.Wheeler, an engineer from Arcadia, California, was known as an innovator and pioneer in the sport. He spent more than two decades building, fine-tuning and racing a motorcycle on which he reached speeds exceeding 300 mph, said Pat McDowell, a fellow racer and longtime friend. At one time, he held the land-speed record for motorcycles, he said.Hes was pretty much one of the legends of our sport, McDowell said. He did it with his brain, not his wallet.Wheeler was testing the motorcycle this week in anticipation of two big races in August and September at the Salt Flats. The site brings races from around the country to use the flat, glasslike surface to set speed records.He had been working on the motorcycle in recent years with a goal of setting the motorcycle speed record and surpassing 400 mph, McDowell said.Everyone was rooting for him, even competitors, said McDowell, vice president of the Southern California Timing Association.Wheeler was known for his ability to build and modify his motorcycle by himself. He was a perfectionist who knew aerodynamics well, said Bill Lattin, president of the Southern California Timing Association, which is set to host a major racing event at the Salt Flats in August.He built that motorcycle by hand. Every single part on it, Lattin said. Hes been rebuilding it, making it stronger, faster and more aerodynamic.Wheeler is survived by his wife and two children, McDowell said. Wheelers family couldnt immediately be reached for comment.McDowell, Cook and Lattin said Wheeler was a kind-hearted, laid-back man.He was the nicest guy in the world, Lattin said. He would do anything for anybody. Discount Saucony Shoes . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Saucony Shoes Nz On Clearance . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. http://www.cheapsauconynz.com/ .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. Saucony Shoes Nz Cheap . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. Saucony Shoes Nz Sale . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. LONDON -- Its been a lively start to the season finale at the O2 Arena, with Novak Djokovic almost tagging Boris Becker and Andy Murray making his debut as world No. 1.The top two players in the world are edging closer to a straight battle for the year-end No. 1 spot, though there are plenty of other storylines developing at the Tour Finals.Here are five things to watch out for Tuesday:?1. Has Djokovic cooled off?Novak got a little wound up by one British journalist in his news conference after being Dominic Thiem.He didnt react too well when it was suggested he may have been close to hitting a fan when he struck a ball in frustration towards his players box after losing a first-set tiebreaker.Venting his anger on-court may have worked -- he lost just two more games on his way to victory -- but his post-match outburst added fuel to the feeling Djokovic is still not quite himself.It has been a rocky six months for the Serb since winning the French Open, culminating in him losing the No. 1 ranking to Andy Murray.He will need to show he can deal with the pressure of battling back from adversity, something he has rarely had to do the past several years.2. Can Raonic snap his winless streak vs. Novak?It is seven matches and seven defeats against the current world No. 2 for Milos Raonic, who got off the mark with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Gael Monfils Sunday evening.The Canadian admitted it would be quite the step up.He was very commanding towards the end of his match [against Thiem], Raonic said of Djokovic. He really stepped up after a difficult, slow start.Its going to be a difficult task that I have ahead of me. I feel like Im doing some things well. I feel like I can do some things better.I was quite proficient on returning [against Monfils]. I took care of my serve like I hoped to. Thats what my game depends on. I hope I can keep moving forward.3. Will the real Monfils stand up?After all these years hes finally here. Its been a long time waiting for one of the most highly touted players of this era, and the 30-year-old Gael Monfils Tour Finals debut was one to forget.I simply love it, the Frenchman said, of his first experience playing at the O2 Arena, in a straight-sets defeat to Milos Raonic.But hopefully Monfils wants to prove he is here in London to do more than just make up the numbers.Well give him the benefit of the doubt against Raonic. I came heree with not even a week of practice.dddddddddddd, he said. Even when youre 100 percent, its tough to beat those guys. Hes No. 4 in the world.Next up is Thiem. Its going to be a tough one, Monfils said. Not much time for me to recover. To be honest, a bit sore. I can feel it straightaway, so its not a good sign. Its a while I didnt play with pressure, I guess, in a tournament, with competition.Dominic is a fantastic player. He play from the baseline. Maybe give me a bit more time than Milos.4. Time for Thiem to turn it onDominic Thiem is 23. He has won titles on all four surfaces. But he wilted spectacularly under scoreboard pressure, after going a set up against Novak Djokovic.There are so many things to improve, the Austrian said after his opening defeat, I think there were too many unforced errors in the first few shots, in the rallies. Yeah, other things were good, other things were bad.For the man touted as one of the next big stars of the mens game, Thiem has had a number of early losses since reaching the French Open semifinals -- he has failed to make it past the second round at Wimbledon, Kitzbuhel, Toronto, Beijing, Vienna and Paris.He will need to find another gear against Monfils if he doesnt want another early departure in London.5. Can Jamie Murray cap off a stellar year?All the talk has centred on Andy Murrays bid to finish the year on top of the rankings, but his brother Jamie is also in with a shout of finishing as doubles No. 1.He and Bruno Soares will be looking to cap off a memorable 2016 with the doubles crown here, after winning the Australian Open and US Open.Tuesdays afternoon session throws up an intriguing battle against the Bryan brothers, with both teams having won their opening matches.Its always exciting to play against them, said Murray. Theyre clearly the best team in history with the amount of titles they won. They always bring a great energy to the court. We all look up to them. We all aspire to kind of get to their level.Of course, probably theyre starting to kind of decline a little bit. But thats always going to happen when youve won so much, and time has taken on.Were really fired up to play against them. Should be a great match. Well, Im looking forward to it. I hope Bruno is, as well. 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