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ELKHART LAKE, Wis. -- An accomplished veteran in open-wheel racing, Alex Tagliani probably could find a full-time ride in the IndyCar series if he wanted it badly enough. So whats he doing driving stock cars? Having the time of his life, apparently. "You need to throw some challenges into your life, into your career," Tagliani said. "If not, it gets boring. For me, when I drive a stock car, it doesnt come natural. It takes a lot of control. So when I get out of the car, I feel like I want more. Maybe thats what keeps the spark in you to be in love with what you do." Tagliani, a 40-year-old native of Montreal who made his name in Indy-style racing -- he won the pole position for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 -- is driving two road courses for Team Penske in the NASCAR Nationwide series this season. He dominated much of a rain-soaked race at Road America last weekend, only to run out of gas near the end; he refuelled and made a mad charge to a second-place finish in a green-white-checker overtime. Hell drive again for Penske at Mid-Ohio in August. Beyond that, Tagliani is racing in the relative obscurity of the Canadian Tire series, NASCARs humble attempt to establish a foothold for stock car racing north of the border. Hes also doing some sports car racing. He did drive in the Indianapolis 500 in May, finishing 13th, but he has very little desire to pursue a full-time IndyCar ride at this point in his career. Backing away from IndyCar has largely freed him from the money-fueled politics that frustrated him. "The Indianapolis 500 is a huge event," Tagliani said. "But running an Indy car for a full season, theres a price to pay, and I was not willing to continue to pay that price this year." When Tagliani says theres a price to pay, hes being literal; unlike other sports, where teams draft and sign the best players they can, talent is only one factor in determining who gets hired by a particular team in auto racing. All teams expect a driver to be a good spokesman they can sell to a corporate sponsor -- but some teams take it one step further, actually expecting the driver to come to the table with sponsorship deals already in hand. "Youre actually funding, or helping, a team to survive, and youre helping their business, but theyre not helping you back," Tagliani said. "Youre helping them with your energy and your money and your work, and they use that, and theres always the grass is greener somewhere else, right? Youre never able to build something for the long term. To the point where it frustrates you, and I didnt want to drive frustrated. I just wanted to enjoy driving, you know? "And thats where I am now. Every step you make in your career has some consequences, and Im still glad I did them because I ended up in a Penske car. I cant ask for more." The move to the Canadian Tire series was actually a plus to his main sponsor, the Canadian division of drug manufacturing giant Pfizer. The company wants to promote its EpiPen allergy treatment -- a natural fit for Tagliani, who has a nut allergy -- in Canada. "They wanted a Canadian presence," Tagliani said. "So at some point, you can push and push and push, but theyre going to say you either race more in Canada and you give us a Canadian program, or we cut the money out. So I kind of revamped my program, and made sure it was beneficial to me." Now Tagliani doesnt plan on slowing down anytime soon. "Ill replicate this 2014 season again for the next five," Tagliani said. "Because Im having a lot of fun, Im able to do IndyCar at the speedway, that I like. Im able to please my sponsor in Canada and also race the 22 car for Team Penske and run prototypes when Im free. What else could a driver ask for?" Henrik Sedin Jersey . First-half goals by Will Bruin and Oscar Boniek Garcia sucked the life out of the Impact as the Houston Dynamo bounced them from Major League Soccers post-season with a 3-0 victory on Thursday. Bo Horvat Jersey .com) - Even on the day his New Hampshire football team became the nations top-ranked team two weeks ago, coach Sean McDonnell conceded something about the team they replaced at No. http://www.officialcanuckspro.com/Pavel-bure-canucks-jersey/. So they rushed to re-sign the first baseman who general manager Ben Cherington described Friday as "a unique player." The World Series champions finalized a $32 million, two-year agreement Thursday with the slugging former catcher who turned into a surprisingly good defender. Tim Schaller Jersey . 17.A string of English Premier League teams, most in the lower end of the standings, has been linked to the 32-year-old forward but most have seemingly balked at the cost given his wages and transfer fee. Brock Boeser Jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the Maple Leafs have trade offers on the table for the 26-year-old, but none have been deemed acceptable by the team.Every night of the Stanley Cup playoffs, TSN hockey analyst and former NHL goaltender Jamie McLennan breaks down each goalies performance. Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks (5) –Crawford does not get enough credit for what he does for the Blackhawks. He was sharp early with saves on Richards and Gaborik in the first period and his positioning was outstanding, making it look easy. He made big saves at the right time as well; huge saves on Clifford and Gaborik with the score tied 1-1, kept the Blackhawks in the game. His great crease play on Carter in the third was also key in keeping the lead. Crawford got some help from the post on the Toffoli breakaway, but his aaggressive stick forces Toffoli to bobble it.ddddddddddddOverall, he was dialed in today and a big reason they won. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings (3) - Quick was solid today. He didnt have much of a chance on the three goals against; the first goal was a screen/ tip, second was a tip that skipped up and went top shelf, and the third was a three-on-one that Toews makes a great shot backdoor. He fought a lot of traffic all game long as Bickell set up shop in his crease and the Blackhawks drove the net hard every chance they had. He did a very good job stopping shots by Kane, Oduya and Hossa shots with traffic in front of the net. It was evident the Blackhawks game plan was to get traffic in front of him and make his life miserable. ' ' '