ELKHART LAKE, Wis. -- Up-and-coming IndyCar driver Josef Newgarden could be climbing a different kind of chart soon.Top-five drivers in the IndyCar series standings arent often the subject of a childrens book.I cant tell if hes been affected by the possibility of being on the New York Times best seller list just yet, but well see, Ed Carpenter, team owner of Newgardens No. 21 Chevy, said with a wry voice.The book, Josef, the Indy Car Driver, debuted last weekend at Road America , where Newgarden finished eighth. It tells the story of how the personable Newgarden got his start behind the wheel, and also serves as an illustrative primer to kids about racing and the IndyCar series.A book debut alone during a race weekend would have made for a busy few days for Newgarden.The 25-year-old driver had more pressing issues.Newgarden broke his right clavicle and hurt his right wrist in a scary wreck at Texas on June 12, when his car slammed on its side and slid along the frontstretch wall with the top of the cockpit exposed.Just in the moment, youre first thinking, `OK, no one else hit me, Newgarden said this week. In those kinds of moments, I get a little claustrophobic. For me personally, I dont want to be in that space anymore.Newgarden was alert through the crash, but passed out after getting out of the mangled wreck. Surgeons used a metal plate to repair his collarbone.With two weeks to prepare for Road America, just getting back to the track was a question, let alone signing autographs for a new book.As it turns out, Newgarden didnt have many doubts about his next move.I was with him in the hospital Sunday night in Texas. I knew what his motivation was, Carpenter said. I knew it was going to be hard to keep him out of the car. I just wanted to be sure that we could do enough to get him ready to get him cleared, to get the doctors to be comfortable.A week later, he was back in a simulator to test how he would feel behind the wheel. After two practice runs around Road America, two days before the race, IndyCar cleared Newgarden to race.In between the practices, the right-handed Newgarden signed autographs , etching out a modified JN with a brace protecting his right wrist.His attitude was, `If I can drive a race car, I can sign with a Sharpie, recounted Chris Workman, who wrote and illustrated the book .It was Workmans second childrens book about the sport after illustrating one about the 24-hour race at Le Mans. The Newgarden book was born out of the authors affinity for Road America, the 14-turn, four-mile long course in rural Wisconsin.Workman , who lives in North Carolina, had a mutual friend with Newgarden and made contact around the time of the Indianapolis 500 last year to get in touch with the driver. A fan-friendly personality made the young Newgarden the ideal subject, Workman said.Newgarden jumped at the opportunity. He viewed it in large part as a way to reach out to what he hopes will be a new set of IndyCar fans, or even drivers and team owners.For me, its all about the next generation, coming up and filling the footsteps of people before them, he said. Naturally, theres going to be kids who love racing and love cars, and we want to be able to reach those kids.Newgardens passion for racing started as a child, on a motorized scooter with friends. He later switched to karts, and at age 20 won the lower-level Indy Lights title in 2011.Even if kids arent into IndyCar racing all that much when they first read it, it shows that you can chase your dreams, Workman said. You get really excited about something like that, and be passionate about it.Newgarden has made steady improvement over his five years at IndyCars top level. He was fifth in the points race after Road America, where he had a respectable top-10 finish after a spin-out in qualifying forced him to start in 20th.The wrist ended up being more of an issue than the collarbone through the weekend. The next stop on the schedule is Iowa on July 10, allowing Newgarden an extra week to heal. Maybe that race will end for Newgarden will end up just like his new childrens book, where he overtook the leader on the last lap to take the checkered flag.---Online:AP Auto Racing site: http://racing.ap.org/---Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP NFL Jerseys From China .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Cheap China Jerseys . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. http://www.nflchinacheapjerseysfreeshipping.com/ . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. Cheap Jerseys From China . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. EAST LANSING, Mich. -- No. 2 Notre Dame has been on the road since losing to top-ranked UConn a couple weeks ago, picking up victories and gaining confidence. Fighting Irish coach Muffet McGraw believes this stretch of the season will pay off later this season and into the postseason.Brianna Turner had 19 points, seven rebounds and five blocks, leading Notre Dame to a businesslike 79-61 win over Michigan State on Tuesday night.The Fighting Irish (11-1) have won three straight, against then-No. 16 DePaul, Toledo and Michigan State. They will stay on the road for three more games before finally playing at home Jan. 5 against Wake Forest.Its going to prepare us for the ACC, and the NCAA Tournament, McGraw said. Its great for us.Notre Dames Marina Mabrey had 19 points and five assists, one of three players on her team with at least five assists. Kathryn Westbeld scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Reserve Arike Ogunbowale added 11 points. The Irish never trailed and led by as much as 13 in the first half and by 19 points in the second half.The Spartans (10-3) had won four straight since getting beat by No. 19 Syracuse.Michigan States Tori Jankoska had 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists, but didnt get much help from her overmatched teammates.Shes trying to put this team on her back, Spartans coach Suzy Merchant said. Shes done a pretty good job of that.The only other player to score in double figures for Michigan State was reserve Victoria Gaines, who had 12 points.BIG PICTURENotre Dame: With poise, Notre Dame made 3-pointers on ensuing possessions after giving up 3-pointers to the Spartans early in the game to prevent them from keeping the game closer and quieting their fans that filled much of the lower level at the Breslin Center. After the Spartans made consecutive shots to pull within 10 to get their crowd fired up early in the fourth, Turner responded with a basket on tthe next trip down the floor to put Notre Dame back ahead by 12 points.dddddddddddd.We hung around but couldnt get over the hump, Merchant said.Michigan State: The Spartans saw up close how good an elite team is, and confirmed how far away they are from that level. If Aerial Powers was playing for them, instead of sitting in the stands after skipping her senior season to play in the WNBA, they wouldve likely been one of the top teams in the Big Ten and perhaps in the country. The Dallas Wings drafted Powers No. 5 overall and she averaged 10.4 points as a rookie.If they had her, she would have made a huge difference, McGraw said. They would be really unstoppable.Merchant said Powers wouldve likely scored 20 much-needed points against Notre Dame.We were one scorer away, she said.INJURY REPORTNotre Dame: Guard Jackie Young returned from a two-game absence because of an ankle injury, but aggravated it again after playing just 2 minutes at Michigan State. Its still not healed, McGraw said. Guard Ali Patberg has played sparingly in two games, 1 minute against the Spartans and 3 minutes at Toledo after missing eight games with a virus and being out last season with a knee injury.Michigan State: Forward Jenna Allen, who ranks third on the team in scoring, scored two points in 14 minutes despite having the flu.SPARTAN SUPPORTMembers of Michigan States mens basketball team, including Miles Bridges , who isnt wearing a walking boot on his injured left ankle, watched the first half of the game behind the Spartans bench.UP NEXTNotre Dame: The Irish play at Chattanooga on Dec. 27, their final nonconference game before opening ACC play Dec. 29 at North Carolina State.Michigan State: The Spartans have a long break before their next game on Jan. 1 at home against Illinois. ' ' '