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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Brian Vickers is eager to get back on the racetrack and prove to everyone he still has what it takes to win Sprint Cup races following emergency open heart surgery last month.Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, Vickers said Tuesday during NASCARs annual media week. I am still kicking.Vickers will miss the first two Cup races as part of his recovery process, but has been given a clean bill of health to begin racing March 8 at Las Vegas. He will drive the No. 55 Aarons Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing.Vickers said doctors told him that three months will be more than enough time for his chest to heal after they were forced to crack open his sternum on Dec. 15 to repair a hole in his heart for a second time.I feel great, said Vickers, a three-time Sprint Cup Series winner who had nine top-10 finishes last season and finished 22nd in the final standings.The December setback was the third major health scare for Vickers since 2010.Five years ago he underwent a pair of procedures — one to close a hole in his heart and another to insert a stent into a vein in his left leg. He missed 25 races during the 2010 season. He would miss an additional five races in 2013 after being placed on blood thinners to treat a blood clot in his right calf.Vickers said the latest procedure was the most traumatic and the toughest to recover from, calling it painful and extreme. He briefly contemplated retiring from racing.I have had to deal with a lot of these emotions and thoughts several times now, Vickers said. Could I ever race again and, if I could, would I want to? ... There was times where I was like, somebody is trying to tell me something.But Vickers said he is driven to win a Sprint Cup championship, and doesnt want to look back later in life in regret passing up a chance to reach that goal.Vickers took over as a full-time driver for Michael Waltrip Racing last year after sharing a seat with Mark Martin in 2012 and most of 2013. His only win in 58 races with MWR came at New Hampshire in 2013.Vickers toughness has resonated with the man who writes his checks.Not a lot of people have gone through what that young man has gone through, Waltrip said. His determination and his desire to be a champion in the Sprint Cup series is something that motivates our whole team.Vickers latest heart issue came in December when he became ill on the way to a photo shoot. He wound up at Carolinas Medical Center where doctors rushed him into surgery to repair the hole in his heart after his body rejected his artificial patch that was initially used in 2010.At the time, the 31-year-old Vickers was told he may never race again.It was a pretty traumatic event going through that, Vickers said. It was the worst of all the medical procedures I have had to face.Through it all, Vickers hasnt lost his sense of humour.He sat on stage Tuesday joking with teammate Clint Bowyer about how doctors replaced his heart with that of a lion.Yeah, its way stronger, Bowyer cracked.Waltrip will fill in for Vickers at the Daytona 500, while Brett Moffitt will race the second week at Atlanta.After that, its all Vickers.He said he has been training feverishly to get healthy. He swam two miles in the pool over the weekend.Hes primarily focused on strengthening his chest.There was a lot of uncertainty going into the surgery, Vickers said. Unfortunately I have had to hear that youll never go racing again too many times in my life. But Ive been able to get past that. China Jerseys 2020 . The Brewers finalized a US$36 million, three-year contract with free agent third baseman Aramis Ramirez on Wednesday, adding a much-needed bat to their lineup. Fake Nike NFL Jerseys . "Its amazing to do this coming from such a small island, where tennis isnt necessarily recognized as one of the main sports," Puig said. "Im just happy Im able to be here playing tennis not only for myself, but for my country too. https://www.wholesalejerseysreview.com/ . Beckham finished 2 for 4, adding a double in the first inning. Chicago has won eight of 12 to get back to .500 (27-27). The White Sox are 6-3 against Cleveland this season after losing 17 of 19 to their American League Central rival in 2013. Mike Aviles went 1 for 2 with a walk and drove in Clevelands run. Cheap NFL Jerseys 2020 . - Roger Federer squandered a big lead and lost to No. Wholesale Jerseys Review . -- When Steve Blake checked in at the scorers table with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter, Stephen Curry shook his head and shouted across the court, asking Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson not to take him out.PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins wont meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. If their paths cross down the line, the theatre should be delicious. As usual. Mark Streits backhanded shot from the right circle caromed between Marc-Andre Fleurys pads 2:10 into overtime as the Flyers beat the Penguins 4-3 on Saturday to assure themselves of a first-round matchup with the Metropolitan Division-rival New York Rangers. Streits 10th goal of the season was the game-winner. "It was another big game, its always a big rivalry," Streit said of the Penguins. "It got heated at the end, a lot of emotions. We wanted that third spot and we got it." Jakub Voracek scored twice for the Flyers, and Claude Giroux added his team-high 28th goal of the season. Ray Emery made 12 saves after replacing injured starter Steve Mason to begin the third period. Mason was held out as a precaution after getting bowled over late in the second period when Pittsburghs Jayson Megna failed to put on the brakes while streaking to the net. Flyers coach Craig Berube expects Mason to be fine, though the play turned an atypically sleepy meeting between the two clubs into something decidedly more lively. There were three goals in the final 5 minutes of regulation, a brief dust-up at the end of regulation that led to a rare 3-on-3 to start overtime, and plenty of pushing and shoving. At one point Philadelphias Scott Hartnell hit Kris Letang from behind just days after Letang returned from a stroke that kept the 2013 Norris Trophy finalist out for more than two months. While Letang called the incident "part of the game," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma was a little more pointed. "Its a guy picking on a guy who had a stroke," Bylsma said. If thats the case, Berube is wondering why Letang is in the lineup at all. "Then (Letang) shouldnt be out there playing, bottom line," Berube said. "Its a stupid comment." Letang gained a measure of revenge when he scored with 36 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime, his first goal since Jan. 23. He nearly won it in overtime but Emery made a sharp stick save. SSeconds later, the Flyers were celebrating at the other end of the ice when Fleury misplayed Streits innocent-looking backhander.dddddddddddd. "It was a great pass by (Matt) Niskanen," Letang said of the near miss. "It could have ended it and probably should have." Jussi Jokinen and James Neal also scored for Pittsburgh. Fleury stopped 17 shots and hardly looked sharp while giving up the winner. The Penguins will play either Detroit or Columbus in the opening round of the post-season. Philadelphias victory might be a blessing for the Penguins, who lost the season series to the Flyers 4-1 and were shoved out of the playoffs by Philadelphia two years ago. Still, Pittsburgh — which locked up the Metropolitan Division title more than a week ago — saw progress. "I thought we were much better, and for a game that doesnt move us in the standings anywhere, I liked our mindset," said centre Sidney Crosby, who earned an assist to boost his NHL-leading point total to 104. The Penguins spent most of the first two periods tilting the ice but struggled to beat Mason. The NHLs top-ranked, power-play unit couldnt convert during a 5-on-3 advantage early in the second that lasted more than 90 seconds. A one-timer by Neal clanged off the right post, and Mason made a lunging glove save from his belly to deny Beau Bennett. Thrust into action unexpectedly after Mason left the game, Emery was similarly sharp. His best save might have been his last when he denied Letang. "Im just happy that it turned out the right way," Emery said. "It was kind of ugly, but it turned out the right way." NOTES: The game was the 400th behind the bench for Bylsma, who is 252-117-31 since taking over midway through the 2008-09 season. Only Eddie Johnston (516) has coached more games in team history. ... The crowd of 18,673 tied the largest at Consol Energy Center since it opened on Oct. 7, 2010. ... Philadelphia D Hal Gill played 15 minutes in his first game since Dec. 21. Gill had been a healthy scratch in 44 straight games. ... Both teams will end the regular season on Sunday. Pittsburgh will host Ottawa, and the Flyers will face Carolina in Philadelphia. ' ' '