INDIANAPOLIS -- Scott Dixon insists that Ganassi Racing wasnt trying to bamboozle anybody. Cheap Air Jordan 3 Ireland . After struggling last week and failing to put a car in the fast nine for qualifying, the team led by defending Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan staged a rally on Carb Day. Kanaan was left atop the leaderboard Friday with a lap of 227.838 mph, while Dixon was next-fastest at 227.773 mph. "We definitely didnt do it on purpose," said Dixon, who will start in the middle of the fourth row Sunday. "We would like to roll out straightaway and be quick. I think we are normally." Kanaan will start on the inside of the sixth row as he attempts to become the first back-to-back winner since Helio Castroneves in 2003. Teammate Charlie Kimball will start in the ninth row. "We feel good about it," Kanaan said. "We worked pretty hard together to make up for our Saturday qualifying. We have great people back in the engineering office at Target Chip Ganassi Racing, and it really showed a little bit after qualifying and today." The turnaround by the Ganassi stable brought back memories of 2012, when the team struggled throughout the month of May. But by the time Carb Day rolled around, Dario Franchitti had posted the fastest lap of the day, and Dixon was close behind in second. That was how they would finish on Sunday. Franchitti went on to win his third Indy 500, and Takuma Satos last-lap spin into the Turn 1 wall allowed Dixon to finish second. Townsend Bell, three-time winner Helio Castroneves and rookie Mikhail Aleshin joined Kanaan and Dixon among the five fastest laps Friday. Andretti Autosport teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti were next on the speed chart, while Juan Pablo Montoya was ninth-quickest. Kurt Busch stepped into Andrettis backup car and climbed to 15th on the chart. Busch wrecked his primary car in practice on Monday, forcing his team to convert a car that Andretti had planned to use at Detroit from a road-course setup to an oval setup. "Just had to get back on my horse," said Busch, who will attempt to run the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on Sunday. "As the NASCAR guys always say, Got to thank my crew, but honestly, this is a thank-the-crew moment from Andretti Autosport." On a busy Carb Day at Indianapolis, here are five more things that happened: ANOTHER DOUBLE: As Busch becomes the fourth driver to attempt double duty, theres been speculation more NASCAR drivers may someday try the grueling feat. Buschs younger brother, Kyle, has said hell make an attempt if he ever wins a Sprint Cup championship. "I dont know why more NASCAR guys dont do it," former IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay said. "You only live once. Its two of the biggest races in the world, so why not do it?" BLOCKING RULES: An unofficial poll of drivers indicated very few want to be the leader in the closing laps of Sundays race. But Dixon and Kanaan believe murky rules mean the leader could potentially block attempts at a pass for the win without risking a penalty from race control. "We havent gotten clarification on that. You can defend now," Dixon said. If blocking occurs, Kanaan hopes it is fair. "I dont think its fair enough sometimes to be the leader that hell be exposed and hes going to lose the race because he was in the lead. It does not make any sense," Kanaan said. "There is a certain amount of defending that should be allowed." INDY IN (SLOPE)STYLE: Olympic snowboarder Nick Goepper, who took home the bronze medal at the Sochi Games, stopped by the speedway to check out the festivities. Goepper grew up near Cincinnati in Lawrenceburg, just on the Indiana side of the state line, and plans to watch Sundays race from the infield pagoda. "I remember the movie Rush that came out, the whole racing atmosphere. These guys are incredible drivers," Goepper said. "They have so much composure. Its amazing." GETTING COMFORTABLE: Paul Tracy still wants to be in a race car, but his time appears to have passed. Now, the popular Tracy has landed a part-time gig with NBC Sports Network. The original deal called for Tracy to work in the booth for six races, but it was expanded to include NBCs limited coverage of preparations for the Indianapolis 500, as well as two additional events later this season. Tracy said he struggled initially, and but "Ill get it figured out." Cheap Air Jordan 3 Wholesale . Behind the talents of rookie Johnny Gaudreau, the Flames will look to keep pace Thursday night when they face the Minnesota Wild in the second of a six-game homestand. Air Jordan 3 Ireland Online . Mika Zibanejad and Jason Spezza scored in the shootout to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 victory over Nashville on Saturday night. http://www.cheapairjordan3ireland.com/ . "Its embarrassing what were doing here," leading scorer Phil Kessel said Wednesday. The most recent failed season came with even more pain than the six that preceded it. There was no hint of an impending implosion when the Leafs came roaring out of the all-star break with back-to-back games against Pittsburgh -- a 5-4 shootout loss followed by a 1-0 win the next night.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs last off-season, quarterback Alex Smith professed his admiration for coach Andy Reid and his excitement at playing for the storied franchise. Now, he could have that opportunity for at least four more years. Smith signed a $68 million extension Sunday to remain with the Chiefs through the 2018 season, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team did not disclose the terms of the contract. Smith, who is due $7.5 million this season, will receive $45 million in new guarantees. "It was a priority of ours to get this deal done and keep Alex in a Chiefs uniform long term," Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said in a statement. "Alex is a proven leader on and off the field. He is a special individual with a lot of ability and we are fortunate to have him here." Smith and his agent, Tom Condon, had been discussing an extension for several months, and both sides were hopeful that a deal would be reached by the regular season. But with the Chiefs opening against Tennessee next weekend, time was quickly running out. "John and his staff along with Tom and his group have worked hard to get this deal done. Theyve done a nice job," Reid said in a statement. "Alex is a smart, talented football player that has adapted well to our offensive scheme. He also, obviously, has had a tremendous amount of success as a quarterback in this league. We as a team are very happy to have Alex as our quarterback." The Kansas City Star first reported that Smith had reached an agreement. The former No. 1 overall draft pick joins a wave of quarterbacks who have recently signed long-term extensions, including the Bengals Andy Dalton and the 49ers Colin Kaepernick. Smith has not played well in the preseason, throwing two interceptions in the red zone in his final outing against Minnesota. But hes been hampered by an offensive line in turmoil, an injury to running back Jamaal Charles that keppt him out two weeks of training camp, and a suspect group of wide receivers that will start the season without suspended star Dwayne Bowe. Cheap Jordans Ireland. "I feel good. I mean, I feel great," Smith said last week. "We got some good work, some things to learn from to get better, but I do -- I do feel confident in what were doing." Smiths deal is important for the Chiefs on other fronts, too. Now that hes under contract, they can turn their attention toward a long-term deal with Pro Bowl pass rusher Justin Houston. And if they fail to reach an agreement with him, the Chiefs could put the franchise tag on Houston without worrying about losing Smith to free agency. After arriving in Kansas City for a pair of second-round draft picks, Smith had possibly the best season of his career. He threw for a career-high 3,313 yards and 23 touchdowns against only seven interceptions, even while skipping a meaningless regular-season finale. More importantly, he took a downtrodden team that had won two games before his arrival to an 11-5 record and the playoffs. Smith threw for 378 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-44 loss to the Colts, setting playoff franchise record with 30 completions and 46 attempts. Smiths won-loss record the past three seasons is 30-9-1, trailing only the Patriots Tom Brady, Packers Aaron Rodgers and Saints Drew Brees in wins among QBs with at least 30 starts. Now with a year in Reids system, Smith thinks he can be even better this season. "Its always a progression. Its not like weve arrived anywhere," he said recently. "I mean, last year is a great example of where we started the season and where we ended it. Every season is like that. "There are ups and downs along the way throughout the season, but youve got to continue to progress. You want to be playing your best football as the season goes on and into late in the year. So, youre never just at a place. Youre always striving to be moving forward." Now, Smith knows that hell be moving forward with Kansas City. ' ' '