CONCORD, N.C. -- Kurt Busch was back in his element Thursday Busch was in North Carolina for Sprint Cup qualifying -- a welcome return to what he knows best. "I was on the plane ride back and Im like, You know, Im going to be back in my Cup car and be back in the comfort zone," he said. The former Sprint Cup champion has had a split focus all month as he prepares for Sundays Double attempt, hoping to become just the second driver to complete the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. He looked at home Thursday, posting the eighth-fastest speed of 191.042 mph in practice. That didnt hold up in qualifying as Busch ended 28th and failed to advance to the second round of the knockout session. Buschs fastest lap was 189.553 mph, meaning he and his No. 41 team have some work to do before Sunday night much as they have the past few weeks. While they won at Martinsville Speedway in March to seemingly lock up a spot in the 16-driver championship Chase, Busch stands 28th in Sprint Cup points. Busch hasnt finished better than 23rd in the five points races since his win at Martinsville. He didnt practice for last weeks All-Star race, showing up and running "cold turkey." Busch ended up 11th. Some might wonder if Buschs time at Indy is costing him in NASCAR. He says no. "Ive been right there along with the Cup guys," Busch said Busch surprised his shop last week when he returned after rain wiped out a practice day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He said team members were startled but "at the same time they were relieved because they know that we have some work to do," he said. "I just wanted to show them my commitment." Despite running laps at Indy the past few weeks, Busch has a difficult time explaining the difference between the disciplines. "Ive had to keep them very separate," said Busch, who wrecked during Mondays practice at Indianapolis and will be in a backup car for the Indy 500. Clint Bowyer said many in the garage area are rooting for Busch at his try for history. "I do believe Kurt has an opportunity to pull that off," Bowyer said. "That would be something to make all of us in this sport pretty proud." Busch is soaking up the experience, and he believes his try can give motorsports a "shot in the arm." When its over, though, he knows hell be ready to try to bring his Stewart-Haas team to the top of Sprint Cup. "Ill be back next week and it will be back to normal," he said. jerseys from china . Thorpe, who spent six seasons with the Alouettes between 2002 and 2007 before returning as the teams defensive coordinator last season, has also been appointed the teams assistant head coach. Dinwiddie, who broke into the CFL as a quarterback with the Alouettes in 2005, began his coaching career in 2013 with the Alouettes. cheap nfl jerseys . Duquette signed a three-year contract on Sunday. He will be introduced to the media in a news conference Tuesday morning. The 53-year-old Duquette will attempt to bring the Orioles out of their run of 14 successive losing seasons. http://www.nflcheapjerseysbest.com/[/ur... . As their best player continued to orchestrate his dramatic exit from the club, the Whitecaps added size and creativity at Thursdays Major League Soccer SuperDraft. [url=http://www.nflcheapjerseysbest.com/]cheap jerseys from china . -- The Portland Trail Blazers have fired coach Nate McMillan. cheap jerseys . Aaron Rodgers found out. And so did Brady, running on empty all game long. The Bengals ended Bradys streak of 52 consecutive games with a touchdown pass on Sunday, sacking him on his first pass attempt and keeping the pressure going.BASEL, Switzerland -- Stanislas Wawrinkas prospects of playing in his first ATP World Tour Finals were damaged Tuesday by a 6-4, 6-3 first-round loss to Edouard Roger-Vasselin at the Swiss Indoors. Second-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic also lost, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) against big-serving Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, to open up Roger Federers half of the draw. Karlovic sent down 23 aces and did not need to break Berdychs serve to clinch victory. Wawrinka, ranked No. 8, struggled with his service, landing barely one-third of his first serves, to continue his struggles in home tournaments in Switzerland. For 29-year-old Roger-Vasselin, it was a first victory against a top-10 player this season and just the second of his career. Wawrinka, a U.S. Open semifinalist last month, is eighth in the points race to secure a place in the eight-man finals lineup in London next month. The ninth-placed player after next weeks Paris Masters will advance, because Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has ended his season following back surgery. While Berdych is sixtth and likely to qualify, Wawrinka is under pressure from Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet, who begins in Basel on Wednesday against countryman Michael Llodra.dddddddddddd Wawrinka, seeded No. 4, has now lost his opening match at Basel to a lower-ranked opponent in three of his past five visits. Berdych lost his first-round match at Basel for the fourth straight time, all against opponents ranked below him. Seventh-seeded Andreas Seppi of Italy also lost Tuesday, 7-6 (3), 6-3, against Daniel Brands of Germany, who beat Federer at the Swiss Open in Gstaad in July. Federer, third-seeded this week, will play his second round match Wednesday against Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, who beat Horacio Zeballos of Argentina 7-5, 7-6 (3). Kei Nishikori, the No. 6 seed from Japan, eased past Swiss wild card entry Marco Chiudinelli 6-2, 6-4. Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus beat German qualifier Benjamin Becker, 7-6 (8), 6-1, and Ivan Dodig of Croatia advanced after winning just two games when Carlos Berlocq of Argentina retired injured. ' ' '