Plauderecke » the heels of Ganassis switch last month fr

LAS VEGAS -- Chip Ganassi is making another manufacturer switch, taking his sports car program to Ford to run the new EcoBoost engine package next year. The move announced Tuesday at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association show comes on the heels of Ganassis switch last month from Honda to Chevrolet in the IndyCar Series. Chip Ganassi Racing is the most successful team in Daytona Prototype history and won its seventh DP team championship this season. It has used BMW engines the last four seasons, but will make the switch to Ford in time for the start of the unified TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series. "We are very excited to be switching to Ford power for our sports car program," Ganassi said. "Over the last 10 seasons we have been able to experience a great deal of success in GRAND-AM and now with the dawn of the new United SportsCar Championship, we feel that Ford power will be a key ingredient to writing the next chapter of our sports car program." The move to Ford marks a return to the blue oval for Ganassi lead driver Scott Pruett. He started with Ford in 1985 and was signed as a full-time factory driver the next season. Pruett won four IMSA and SCCA Trans-Am championships in three years before moving to IndyCar racing. Both of Pruetts IndyCar wins came with Ford and his one full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was with Ford. "Coming back to Ford is the perfect way to bookend my career," said Pruett. "To be honest, without Ford, there is no Scott Pruett. Ford gave me the chance to drive my first real race car - the front-engine Mustang GTP in 1983 - and then they were willing to take a chance on me when no one else did in 1985 and 1986." Pruett, winner of 59 major sports car events and a record five Rolex 24 At Daytona wins, will again team with Memo Rojas to pilot the Telcel/TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates entry. Pruett and Rojas have won 27 races since 2007. "Partnering with Chip and his championship-calibre organization in this new sports car series is a critical ingredient to our Ford EcoBoost program in USCC," said Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing. Ford debuted its new EcoBoost DP engine at Daytona in September, when Colin Braun drove the 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo-powered Michael Shank Racing Riley to a track record of 222.971 mph. Ford representatives had been searching for additional teams for 2014 to join Shank, but Ganassi could have also moved to Chevrolet and run Corvette DPs in 2014. He is partnered with Chevrolet in NASCAR, and will be with Chevy next season in IndyCar. Ford EcoBoost branding has appeared on various Ford race cars around the world the past two seasons as part of a strategy to raise brand awareness of the growing Ford line of production engines, which are now available in 1.0-litre, 1.5-litre, 1.6-litre, 2.0-litre and 3.5-litre versions. Soccer Jerseys Discount .I shared with him how much I appreciated all he had done for us, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said of that Thursday night farewell. Soccer Jerseys China . Ben Street scored twice for the Heat (17-5-1), who won their fourth game in a row and 13th in their last 14 outings. Brett Bulmer scored the lone goal for the Wild (6-11-0), who dropped their sixth straight contest. http://www.jerseyssoccerwholesale.com/. Rooneys latest piece of football genius lost in the furore which now stalks David Moyes, and the man who gave the Manchester United striker his start as a 16-year old at Goodison Park back in 2002. Wholesale Nike Soccer Jerseys .Y. - Urijah Faber walked out on a Madison Square Garden stage in a Wes Welker jersey, the UFCs fun nod to that other "super" show this weekend. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Online . Spezza scored a power-play goal with 5 minutes left and Stephane Da Costa had the other two goals to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. CHICAGO -- Jason Grilli is off to a rough start for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and manager Clint Hurdle thinks he knows the best way to get the key reliever back on track. Hurdle announced Friday that Mark Melancon would close games for the Pirates in place of Grilli, who has blown four save opportunities this year after converting 33 of 35 chances last season. "Theres no safety net for a closer. There never is," Hurdle said before the opener of a weekend series against the Chicago Cubs. "So he wont have to deal with that for a while, which I think will help." Grilli allowed a tying homer to Devin Mesoraco in the ninth inning of Thursdays 4-3 victory over Cincinnati. The veteran right-hander, who made the All-Star team last year for the firsst time, has yielded at least one run in three of his past four outings, and his four homers allowed this season matches his total from all of last year.dddddddddddd The 37-year-old Grilli is 0-2 with 11 saves and a 4.34 ERA in 20 games this year. He was sidelined for a month after straining his left oblique in late April. For now, Hurdle said he will use Grilli when the Pirates are trailing. "Hes all about doing whats best for the club and getting better," Hurdle said. "Well definitely need him as the season plays out." Melancon is 1-2 with 10 saves in 13 chances and a 1.89 ERA in 35 games this year. He has not allowed a run in eight games and 7 1-3 innings in June. Hurdle said he also could use Tony Watson in a save opportunity. ' ' '