Galerie » the car next year if you want to have him

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Wayne Taylor had no intention of racing again when he climbed out of the cockpit following his last start in the Rolex 24 at Daytona four years ago. Then he was given a rare opportunity to race with sons Ricky and Jordan. The 58-year-old Taylor will briefly end his retirement Saturday to drive one stint in the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette in the twice-around-the-clock endurance race at Daytona International Speedway. Hes part of a four-driver lineup that includes his sons and team co-owner Max Angelelli. "Im doing this because Im able to be with my kids, and with Max, and Id probably never have this opportunity again," Taylor said. "How many people get this chance? Its amazing. For the family, it is truly an amazing thing and something later in life we will be able to talk about and it will never be able to be taken from me, irrespective of the result." The chance came about late last season when Angelelli saw Ricky Taylor struggling in his first season driving for Spirit of Daytona. Ricky and Angelelli had been teammates for three seasons before Ricky moved on, and younger brother, Jordan, filled the seat. While Jordan and Angelelli were on their way to the Grand-AM drivers championship, Ricky wasnt having much success. So Angelelli offered to step aside this year — hell drive only in the four endurance races — to give his seat to Ricky and allow the brothers a chance to race as teammates. "Max was the one who brought it up midyear last year when Ricky was having a rough year," Jordan said. "We were having such a good year, and it was hard to see Ricky having such a bad year and Max said You know, Im OK to step out of the car next year if you want to have him join Jordan. Once that kind of started it, everyone got excited about the idea." It was a selfless gesture by Angelelli, who was a co-driver with Wayne Taylor for their 2005 Rolex victory. Wayne Taylor also won the race in 1996, and his boys — who are now 24 and 22 — celebrated wildly in Victory Lane. "Max and I have been together for a long time, we won championships and races together and the 24 Hours together, and hes like a big brother to the boys," Wayne said. "When there was a possibility that Ricky could come back, and prior to that the boys never ever wanted to drive together but they do now, Max came to me and said Wayne, I know this is difficult for you, but let me make this easy for you: I am going to step aside to put Ricky in the car. "It was amazing. I dont think Id have ever gone to him and asked him. I may have, but he brought it up. It made it a lot easier." For Ricky, theres a lot of pressure in returning to the team that not only won the driver championship in Grand-AM last season — the series merged with American Le Mans this year to create the unified Tudor United SportsCar Championship — but the team also finished second in the 24 Hours last season. Angelelli and Wayne Taylor were vocal last year in that Chevrolet was at a disadvantage to BMW, and the Corvettes seem to have the speed edge this year. Its got some believing the Wayne Taylor entry could be a race favourite should they go the distance. "Weve all been answering lots of questions about what its like driving together — past that, its probably the biggest 24-hour Ive ever done," Ricky Taylor said. "Im driving with Jordan, really, for the first time but, after three test sessions, it already seems like weve been teammates for a whole year. Its a cool feeling for us to hand the car off to each other." The verdict is still out on how it feels for Wayne Taylor. Hes not used to being the slowest driver on the team, and while having both his boys in his car seems ideal, hes not certain his blood pressure can take it over the course of an entire season. "It is so stressful," he admitted. "It is so incredibly stressful when it is your kids. When it is one, you are so stressed and then they get out of the car and turn it over to another driver and you get time to relax. Now I have both of them and there will be no time to relax. But to have them both together, wanting to race as teammates, I guess its living a dream, you know?" Cheap Frank Robinson Jersey . Heck, we might just miss the BCS. Maybe? It sort of worked out this season. Top-ranked Florida State (13-0) was the only team to get through the regular season unbeaten, and the Seminoles did it in dominating fashion. Cheap Cal Ripken Jersey .com) - James Harden put the Houston Rockets on his back and willed them to an overtime victory on Thursday. http://www.cheaporiolesjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-jim-palmer-jersey . - Because they didnt go into Beast Mode, the Seattle Seahawks found themselves in Spin Mode. Cheap Roberto Alomar Jersey . The Senators will put the busy off-season and training camp behind them when they open their regular season on the road. They kick things off Friday against the Buffalo Sabres and then head to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs on Saturday. Cheap Eddie Murray Jersey . -- Howie Kendrick had a two-run single in his first game batting leadoff this season, Chris Iannetta hit a pair of RBI singles and the Los Angeles Angels beat Cleveland 6-4 Tuesday night, sending the Indians to their fifth straight defeat.PEORIA, Ariz. -- Asked how miserable he was in a 2013 season in Toronto filled with arm pain and hard-hit balls, Josh Johnson chuckled and shook his head. "Miserable might be an understatement," Johnson said Friday. "It was like two innings and all of a sudden eight runs are on the board. I had no idea what was going on. It was crazy." The right-hander was able to crack a smile in part because he has a surgically repaired elbow and a fresh start with the San Diego Padres, a combination he hopes will help him return to the form that included two All-Star selections and a National League-best 2.30 ERA with the Marlins in 2010. "Before he got hurt, to me, he was the most dominating pitcher in the National League and probably in the major leagues," said Joaquin Benoit, another of the Padres off-season pitching acquisitions. "It will be really good if hes healthy. Hes going to be a really big piece for our rotation." Thats the plan for the normally thrifty Padres, who opened spring training Friday with the first workout for pitchers and catchers sporting a new look and a higher payroll. The Padres signed Benoit away from Detroit with a two-year, $15.5 million deal to be their setup man, and inked Johnson to a one-year, $8 million deal after his terrible season with the Blue Jays in hopes he can be an anchor in their rotation. "Physically, mentally hes in a good spot," manager Bud Black said of Johnson. That was not the case last year, or the past few seasons. After going a combined 26-11 with 377 strikeouts for the Marlins in 2009-10, he had his season cut short a year later with shoulder trouble. He went just 8-14 with a 3.81 ERA in 2012 before he was traded to the Blue Jays after the season. The 6-foot-7 Johnson said he struggled with his "extension" in Toronto because of elbow problems. It led to command issues, and getting balls up in the strike zone in hitter-friendly Rogers Centre proved costly. Johnson went 2-8 with a 6.20 ERA and allowed 15 home runs in 16 starts as the Blue Jays were one of the more disappoiinting teams in baseball.dddddddddddd After undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips in his right elbow Oct. 1, the Blue Jays decided not to give him a qualifying offer. Johnson then told his agent he wanted to play for San Diego or San Francisco, so he could be closer to his Las Vegas home. Moving to a pitcher-friendly park wouldnt hurt, either. Knowing hed likely have to accept a one-year deal, he took the Padres offer, taking a pay cut from the four-year, $39 million deal he signed with the Marlins. Now he joins a franchise looking to rebound from consecutive 76-86 seasons, with free agency looming again next off-season. "I want to get to the playoffs. I want to be in that atmosphere, to be throwing in October," said Johnson, who turned 30 last month. "If you go out there and you perform, the moneys going to be there." Johnson, who has thrown off a mound five times since the surgery, threw 35 pitches in a bullpen session with catcher Yasmani Grandal on Friday morning without problems. Black said hell throw again on Sunday and that hes on the same schedule as the rest of the healthy starters. "The short time Ive been around him, I love his mindset, I love his makeup, his mentality, his aggressiveness," catcher Nick Hundley said. "I think his body of work kind of speaks for itself. Hes a multiple-time All-Star. He led the league in ERA. I dont think you luck into those types of things. "Were excited to have him. Now hopefully he stays healthy and he can be out there a lot for us." NOTES: Black said they "probably wont" carry three catchers, signalling its an important camp for Grandal, who is recovering from knee surgery. . Black indicated RHP Casey Kelly is "three weeks, four weeks behind" the rest of the staff as he recovers from elbow reconstruction surgery. . The only player missing was LHP Alex Torres, whos dealing with a visa issue in Venezuela and is expected next week. . A Padres spokesman said theyre close to selling out the opener March 30 against the Dodgers. 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