Championship drag racing team owner Don Schumacher once spotted Leah Pritchett racing Nostalgia Funny Cars and brought her to Indianapolis for a test session prior to the U.S. Nationals. She proceeded to earn her NHRA Nitro Funny Car license with Don Schumacher Racing.That was eight years ago. At this years U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend, Pritchett raced her Don Schumacher Racing Top Fuel car into the NHRAs six-race Countdown to the Championship for the first time.Pritchett entered nationals tied with Terry McMillen for 10th in points. Both drivers were eliminated in the first round, but because Pritchett outqualified McMillen by six positions (she was 10th; he was 16th), she beat him by one point for the final Countdown position.Actions speak louder than words, Pritchett said. I said I was going to make the Countdown and we did. Im going to give everybody one hell of a run for their money for this championship.By Pritchett making the Countdown, which begins Friday at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, all eight DSR teams are in title contention: four in Top Fuel and four in Funny Car. It is Pritchett, however, who is the surprise of the group.?Four races into the season, Pritchetts team, owned by Bob Vandergriff Jr., abruptly shut down. After the unexpected death of the teams financial backer and C&J Energy Services founder Josh Comstock, Vandergriff announced his retirement. Pritchett hastily put together a deal for the Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX with Lagana Family Racing, but she had nothing solidified for the next event. Pritchett then turned to Schumacher.I went ahead and hired Leah, even though I didnt have a car for her to race, Schumacher said. I did put a team together a couple of races later. Shes been employed by me ever since the Atlanta race [in May].Pritchett was responsible for obtaining the teams funding -- $125,000 per race. That money pays for things such as parts, fuel, per diem for crew members and hotel rooms. In the first 18 races this season, she missed only one because of a lack of a sponsor. She currently has sponsors for four of the six Countdown events, but Schumacher has assured her shell be at all of them.Schumacher supplies the cars, which have to be built, the transporter for them and the full-time crew at the shop to build and prepare the cars.Im very impressed by her effort, hard work to get that done [acquire funding] and her willingness to do anything necessary sponsorship-wise, Schumacher said. Shes a talented driver, quick on the starting line. Shes very good with TV, very good with sponsors and a very good teammate, which is very important to my organization. She needs to fit in with everyone, and she does a very good job of that. It makes a great situation.Deb Williams is a North Carolina-based writer and former editor. She has covered auto racing for United Press International, USA Today and The Charlotte Observer. Sports Jerseys From China . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. Cheap Sports Jerseys . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. https://www.discountsportsjerseyscheap.com/ . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. Authentic Sports Jerseys . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. Fake Sports Jerseys . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise.TORONTO - Colin Miller said yes to Samuel Piette and Keven Aleman and no to Dwayne De Rosario and Patrice Bernier. Canadas mens soccer coach for the upcoming Gold Cup tournament selected his camp roster with an eye on the future, meaning a couple of national team mainstays wont make the trip. "I think now is a fantastic opportunity to build on the experience these young players have had," Miller said on a conference call Tuesday to his announce his roster. "Weve got to continue to give these guys a chance and the opportunity to play at this level of football. The more we can do that, the better our national team program is going to be." Aleman, whos 19, and Piette, 18, are two of eight players on the roster for the camp in Oxnard, Calif., who have yet to play in a senior tournament. The others are Kyle Bekker, Doneil Henry, Jonathan Osorio, Pedro Pacheco, Russell Teibert, and Simon Thomas. The next major tasks for Canadas senior mens side will be qualifying for the 2016 Olympics and 2018 World Cup, so the time is ideal to develop young players. That meant a couple of veterans became Gold Cup casualties. Miller said he spoke at length to the 35-year-old De Rosario, who was keen to attend the California camp and play in the confederations biennial championship tournament, which opens July 7. "I told him we were looking at a younger group, looking at moving the national program forward, and it was just a case of numbers with Dwayne," Miller said. "I saw that certainly in the future, Dwayne is going to be at a good age when the next World Cup qualifying comes around. He was disappointed as you would imagine, but it was something that I felt in this particular group, it was a perfect opportunity for us to get some talented young players that are desperate for an opportunity, desperate to wear the Canadian jersey. "Obviously he was disappointed but very supportive and wished us well." Miller also said no to the 33-year-old Bernier, who is playing well for the Montreal Impact. Miller called it "an age thing." "Weve got to look more at the future, longterm," Miller said. "And its an opportunity. IIm very happy with the players that we have in midfield, and Ive worked with Patrice before, Im delighted to see him doing so well with Montreal.dddddddddddd But at this moment in time when were thinking three or four years down the road here, is Patrice going to be one of our starting midfield players for the national team in World Cup qualifying? I would doubt that. "Thats really all it is, a case of numbers and his age at this moment in time." Aleman and Piette were both members of the Canadian squad at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico when the last CONCACAF Gold Cup took place in 2011, and watched the Gold Cup matches on TV from the U-17 teams camp ahead of the tournament. Several other veterans including Atiba Hutchinson and Andre Hainault are missing, but its because theyre currently without professional contracts. "Not having Atiba is a big loss to the team," Miller said. "Its not an easy time for the European-based players, especially if youre out of contract right now." "There are guys who have chosen to stay and try to solidify their future in Europe, and there are guys who may see this Gold Cup as an opportunity to put themselves in the shop window. It was really the players decision. I can sympathize with the guys who are out of contract." Julian de Guzman, tournament MVP at the 2007 Gold Cup, is the squads most experienced player with 64 caps, and Miller sees him as a player who can mentor the younger ones. Simeon Jackson is the teams leading scorer with six international goals. Miller named just 22 to the camp roster, and will announce a tournament roster of up to 23 players on Friday. He wouldnt divulge the one missing player saying he has a "couple of irons in the fire." Camp opens Wednesday in Oxnard. Canada is in Group A at the tournament with Martinique, Mexico and Panama. Theyll open on July 7 versus Martinique in Los Angeles. Theyll then travel north to Seattle to battle Mexico on July 11, then close out the group stage with a game against Panama in Denver on July 14. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals. The final is July 28 in Chicago. ' ' '