Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/136564
2B Daily News – Thursday, June 13, 2013 NASCAR 49ERS Leffler dies after accident A.J. Jenkins in New Jersey dirt car event making strides in 2nd year SWEDESBORO, N.J. (AP) — NASCAR driver Jason Leffler died after an accident Wednesday night in a heat race at a dirt car event at Bridgeport Speedway. The 37-year-old Leffler, a two-time winner on the NASCAR Nationwide Series who had the nickname ''LefTurn'' above the driver's side window on his race cars, was pronounced dead shortly after 9 p.m., New Jersey State Police said. ''NASCAR extends its thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to the family of Jason Leffler who passed away earlier this evening,'' NASCAR said in a statement. ''For more than a decade, Jason was a fierce competitor in our sport and he will be missed.'' Bridgeport Speedway immediately suspended racing for the rest of the night after Leffler's accident at the 0.625-mile, high-banked dirt oval. After losing his NASCAR ride, Leffler had been racing dirt car events most of this year, including the 410 Sprint Car race Wednesday that promised a $7,000 prize to the winner. On Sunday, Leffler finished last at Pocono in his lone NASCAR Sprint Cup start of the year. He ran just eight laps in a start-and-park ride. From Long Beach, Calif., Leffler made 423 starts in NASCAR's three national series, but won just the two Nationwide races and one Truck Series event in a career that began in 1999. He also made three IndyCar Series starts, finishing 17th in the 2000 Indianapolis 500. A statement from Indianapolis Motor Speedway called Leffler ''one of the most versatile race drivers in America, showing his talent by competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during his career.'' ''He also displayed the skills that would help him reach GIANTS (Continued from page 1B) where. ''He labored but he kept at them for us and gave us as much as he could,'' Wotus said. ''His command wasn't on and he left a lot of pitches up and you'll always get hurt when you do that against big-league hitters.'' Zito's biggest problems came against the top of the Pittsburgh lineup. Starling Marte, Jordy Mercer and Andrew McCutchen went 8 for 9 against Zito, leading a three-run rally in the third and a four-run burst in the fifth that eventually chased Zito. ''I felt pretty good but left too many fastballs up in the zone,'' Zito said. ''If you're not throwing the fastball down in the zone, you're OPEN (Continued from page 1B) scorecard — the shortest of any major championship in nine years — and has a stretch of seven holes in the middle that are short even by yesterday's standards. Compare those holes with the scorecard from when Ben Hogan won the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion, and four of those holes were actually longer by a few yards in Hogan's day. Players typically reach for the wedge to chip out of the rough around the greens at the U.S. Open. At Merion, they could be hitting wedge into the green for their second shot on at least six holes. That's what has caused all the clamor about low scores. And with the rain, it's reminiscent of how Congressional was vulnerable two years ago, when Rory McIlroy shattered U.S. Open scoring records at 16-under 268. ''I've been reading about how many scoring records are going to be broken,'' Nick Watney said. ''I've been around here once. And I think that's insane. It's funny to me. People look at the yardage and think it's going to be easy. Even if RAIDERS (Continued from page 1B) Going into training camp, I want to feel more comfortable with it.'' Janikowski has been one of the league's best kickers in recent years, missing just one kick inside of 50 yards the past the top levels of the sport by winning four USAC national series titles while winning on tracks throughout the Midwest,'' the statement said. Leffler's last full NASCAR season was 2011, when he ran the entire Nationwide schedule for Turner Motorsports. He finished sixth in the standings that season and hadn't had a steady NASCAR ride since. Although he never made it at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level, Leffler ran almost the entire 2001 season for Chip Ganassi Racing and ran 19 races in 2005 for Joe Gibbs Racing in the car now driven by Denny Hamlin. Leffler is survived by 5-year-old son Charlie Dean. ''Really sad for Jason Leffler and his family,'' NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski said on Twitter. ''Thinking about his little boy.'' Leffler won three consecutive USAC Midget championships from 1997-99 before following mentor Tony Stewart's path into NASCAR. Stewart-Haas Racing, owned by Stewart, tweeted: ''Thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Jason Leffler. A good man; a good racer. Godspeed friend.'' Leffler originally signed with Joe Gibbs Racing, the same team Stewart drove for at the time, and ran the 2000 Nationwide season for JGR. He grabbed four top 10s as a rookie, and moved to Cup the next year with Ganassi in a deal that lasted only one season. IndyCar driver Justin Wilson tweeted: ''Another reminder of how this sport we love can be so cruel. Thoughts with his family.'' Wilson included the hashtag ''LEFturn.'' NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer also included the hashtag ''LEFturn'' in a tweet, saying: ''So sad to hear about Jason Leffler. Was a wheel man and a fun fun person to be around.'' going to struggle.'' Marte finished with a career-high four hits, scored four times and stole two bases. Neil Walker and Alex Presley homered for Pittsburgh while Mercer, McCutchen and Gaby Sanchez had three hits each. Francisco Liriano (5-2) survived six erratic innings to pick up the win. A night after Pittsburgh lit up San Francisco in an 82 win in support of rookie pitcher Gerrit Cole, the Pirates kept it going. McCutchen hit a two-run double in the third as the Pirates took a 4-1 lead. The Giants responded briefly to tie the game on a two-run double by Arias in the top of the fifth. It didn't stay knotted long. Marte and Mercer led off the bottom of the inning with consecutive singles. McCutchen struck out and Sanchez walked to load the bases. Russell Martin then hit a liner to first baseman Brandon Belt that first base umpire Tim McClellan ruled a ground ball. Belt hesitated for a moment, wiping out the chance for a double play and allowing Marte to race home. ''It's just one of those crazy plays that unfortunately went against us,'' Belt said. Pedro Alvarez chased Zito for good with a double off the wall in right. Walker greeted reliever Jose Mijares with a two-run single and the Pirates were in control. Pittsburgh's lead grew to 10-4 after Presley's pinchhit homer and an RBI double by Sanchez. San Francisco pulled it's soft, the greens are sloped. The rough is thick. OK, we'll have wedges into some of the greens, but that doesn't mean you make birdie on all those holes. There's enough tough holes to counteract that.'' Even so, the winning score has gone down in each of the four previous U.S. Opens at Merion, from Olin Dutra at 13over par in 1934 to David Graham winning at 7under in 1981, the last time this major championship was here. ''Where did David Graham shoot 7-under? From there?'' Nick Watney asked as he pointed the end of his driver to a spot some 30 yards from where he was standing. ''Because he didn't do it from here.'' Watney was standing in the middle of the putting green. He took three steps to his right and was standing on the 14th tee. As an example of longer holes being made more difficult, a new tee on the 464-yard hole is where members practice putting. The biggest fear with rain on the horizon is what will happen the rest of the week. The forecast is reasonable after Thursday, but in soft conditions, balls start to pick up clumps of mud as the sun starts to dry the course. And while players often are allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairway in muddy conditions on the PGA Tour, they don't do that at the U.S. Open. Remember, the USGA famously referred to the local rule as ''lift, clean and cheat.'' ''We wouldn't be adopting that rule this week,'' O'Toole said. It all begins with Cliff Kresge hitting the opening shot of the 113th U.S. Open at 6:45 a.m. Thursday — weather permitting, of course. Woods, McIlroy and Masters champion Adam Scott play Thursday afternoon in the power grouping of Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the world. Sergio Garcia plays on the opposite side of the draw, teeing off Thursday morning. So does Phil Mickelson, who left Philadelphia on Monday when the weather was bad to practice in San Diego. He planned on being home, anyway, so he could watch his oldest daughter graduate from the eighthgrade. Mickelson was scheduled to arrive about 4:15 a.m. Thursday, just three hours before his tee time. Stricker called Merion ''You've got more birdie opportunities than ever,'' Ernie Els said. ''I'm playing my 21st U.S. Open, so I've seen a lot of trouble out there. But this is one where you can get on a run. You can make some 3s. That's not a number that's really familiar in the U.S. Open. But as I say, you start missing shots, the rough is as bad as I've ever seen it.'' two seasons. He is tied with John Kasay for the second most field goals of at least 50 yards in NFL history with 42 and is just 10 off the career record held by recently retired Jason Hanson. With Janikowski averaging more than five made field goals from at least 50 yards over the past six seasons, that record appears to be in reach as the 35year-old believes he can kick for seven or eight more years. ''I know I got the leg and I got the talent,'' he said. ''I've been fortunate, been healthy enough, hopefully I got many more years to come.'' Janikowski is more interested in another record, looking to become the first player ever to kick a field goal longer than 63 yards. He is one of four players to connect from 63 yards, doing it in the thin air in Denver in 2011 and he has also connected from 61 yards in the snow in Cleveland in 2009. ''I hope every year it's going to fall. But, hey, we'll see. We'll see what happens.'' within 11-8 after Buster Posey's two-run single off Tony Watson in the eighth but Sanchez doubled in McCutchen in the bottom of the inning. Closer Jason Grilli worked a perfect ninth in a rare non-save situation. Wotus saw positive signs in San Francisco's late push. ''I was really pleased with the offense and the way we kept coming back and got the winning run to the plate a couple of times,'' Wotus said. ''They prevailed but we at least kept battling and we had a nice little breakout on offense.'' Liriano lacked the firepower of his past two starts, when he combined for 19 strikeouts. The left-hander struck out just two and walked three while tying his season high with four runs allowed. the ''longest short course I've ever played.'' Graeme McDowell is another guy who isn't buying into the fear over low scoring. ''Everyone is saying that it's going to be 62s and 63s on this golf course, which I kind of disagree with at the minute,'' McDowell said. ''I think 10 or 11 of these golf holes are as tough as any U.S. Open I've seen.'' The lowest score in major championship history is 63, and it has happened only four times in the U.S. Open — Johnny Miller at Oakmont in 1973 on a soggy course, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf on the same day at Baltusrol in 1980 during a wet week, and Vijay Singh on a rainsoftened course at Olympia Fields in 2003. SANTA CLARA (AP) — If A.J. Jenkins had yet to call his dad on a given day last season, he would receive a text asking him to do so. Those daily chats are a big reason Jenkins stayed sane during a challenging, unproductive, heavily scrutinized rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers. Their top draft pick last year, he didn't make a single catch while spending most of his time watching from the sidelines. He was on the active roster in only three games for the two-time defending division champion and Super Bowl runner-up. The 49ers are now counting on Jenkins after top 2012 wideout Michael Crabtree tore his right Achilles tendon during a May 21 practice and underwent surgery. Jenkins spent about two months this offseason living and training with quarterback Colin Kaepernick in Atlanta. All of those pep talks from his dad sure seem to be paying off, too. ''He's my father. He just told me, 'Be patient, be humble about it,' because my time is going to be there,'' Jenkins recalled. ''Him being my dad, he's going to call me every single day. That's kind of how it was. Every day he'd call because he'd read some blog that had him thinking all negative.'' Jenkins, the 49ers' 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2012 draft out of Illinois, seemed to face criticism by the week — for his fundamentals, footwork, knowledge of the playbook, inconsistencies making the jump from college to the pros, you name it. Last week, he had his best series of practices yet since joining the Niners. Coach Jim Harbaugh said it, offensive coordinator Greg Roman spoke of it during the team's minicamp, and Jenkins agreed with them both. ''The last two days of last week, he had the two best days he's had since I've been here,'' Roman said. ''Just made some clutch catches for us when we were moving the ball. Just made plays, did all the right things, made plays when he had the opportunity and he just needs to continue doing that.'' Jenkins has added strength to his 6-foot frame, playing nearly 10 pounds heavier at 200 pounds. Aside from his training alongside Kaepernick and fellow wide receiver Ricardo Lockette, Jenkins committed himself to studying so he wouldn't fall behind like he did before. That also includes observing new teammate Anquan Boldin, acquired in a trade from the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. ''I just pretty much had my head in the playbook last week a lot, and I knew what I had to do and I played fast,'' he said. ''It took me a while because I wasn't used to so many plays. They install every single day. It's the constant install. If you don't know what's going on the previous day, the next install is the very next day, so you're behind because you don't know what's going on. Your mind kind of wanders off a little bit. It's kind of like school all over again. You've got to constantly study the playbook.'' Getting to know Kaepernick as more than just a teammate is something Jenkins cherished — and something he hopes carries over into their chemistry on the field. ''I had never really hung out with him outside of football, so I was just going down there with him, chilling with him, staying with him, getting to know who he is and who I am as a person,'' Jenkins said. Even during organized team activities last month, Jenkins acknowledged a change in his mindset, confidence and work ethic. ''I'm a lot better than I was last year around this time,'' he said. Jenkins had 90 catches for 1,276 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior season for the Fighting Illini and led the Big Ten Conference with an average of 6.92 receptions per game. He caught 19 TD passes during his four-year college career. Now, Jenkins wants to make the jump to the NFL at last and show he belongs at the highest level. ''I think there's a natural process that goes on, a comfort level and that's something that's growing all the time and needs to continue to grow,'' Roman said. Jenkins had established a new approach well before Crabtree was injured last month. ''My mindset going into this offseason was just trying to play more, regardless of whether Crabtree was hurt or not,'' he said. ''It's unfortunate that he got an injury, but my mindset didn't waver at all because he got hurt.'' And if Jenkins turns things around as he hopes this season, he will still be talking to his dad all the time — but certainly having more positive conversations. They find a way to chat even considering the three-hour time difference with Al Jenkins living in Jacksonville, Fla. ''My dad stays up all night, regardless of what time it is,'' Jenkins said. ''He was going to be up so I could talk to him.'' Notes: CB Carlos Rogers is recovering from an undisclosed injury, but Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio expect him to be fully healthy for training camp. ... DE Justin Smith also plans to be full strength for the start of camp late next month. He is working back from a partially torn left triceps muscle that required surgery shortly after the team's 34-31 Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He played late in the season while wearing a bulky brace. If Smith had to play in a game now, he said it would be no problem. But give him six more weeks and he insists he will be back to his old menacing self. ''The strength and everything came back pretty good,'' Smith said. ''I want to be back at 100 percent. I'm about a month off from that. I'm close.''