DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- After more than 2,400 miles and 23 1/2 hours of racing, the most prestigious North American sports car race came down to eight minutes and a final five-lap sprint. The first race of the unified United SportsCar Championship -- the NASCAR-owned and IMSA-sanctioned series born from the merger between American Le Mans and Grand-AM -- ended with a NASCAR flair. A late, full-course caution swallowed Joao Barbosas 13-seccond lead and gave Max Angelelli a last-ditch chance to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Barbosa never gave him a chance, pulling away on the restart with 8:23 to race Sunday to give Action Express Racing its second victory in four years. It gave Barbosa his second overall win and third in class. Co-driver Sebastien Bourdais won the Rolex for the first time, while Christian Fittipaldi won for the second time. Action Express second entry finished third -- and Chevrolets new Corvette swept the podium -- in an outstanding day for the Bob Johnson-owned organization. Action won its first Rolex in 2010, and Barbosa was part of that team. "This one wasnt unexpected," Johnson said. "This one we expected to win." It wasnt easy. Barbosa was black-flagged for avoidable contact while running second Sunday morning, a penalty he called "really harsh" at the time. But the team worked its way back into contention. The caution nearly unraveled the comeback. While Angelelli thought there was enough debris to warrant the caution, Barbosa disagreed. "Max, he said he saw a lot of debris that I really didnt see," Barbosa said. "I was really surprised by that caution, but its racing, and we just had to deal with it. But were here, we won the race." Wayne Taylor Racing finished second for the second consecutive year. Co-owner Wayne Taylor came out of retirement to drive for the first time since 2010, seeking a chance to share the seat with Angelelli and sons Ricky and Jordan. The 58-year-old Taylor drove one stint Saturday and then retreated to the pit stand to strategize for what he hoped would be a third -- and most memorable -- victory. "It was a great result, and to have my family and my kids drive with me and Max, its been an emotional roller-coaster," Wayne Taylor said. Action Express second car, with drivers Brian Frisselle, Burt Frisselle, John Martin and Fabien Giroix, was third. Ford was shut out in its debut of its new EcoBoost engine. The No. 01 car of Chip Ganassi Racing team wasnt able to defend its race win because of a series of problems that plagued the car starting very early in the race. Ganassis No. 02 entry was taken out of contention when it developed a flat rear tire while Scott Dixon was running second with roughly five hours remaining. The car went to the garage with 48 minutes remaining when the floor of the Ford Riley began to unravel and Dixon could see the pavement under his feet. Michael Shank Racings entry, the 2012 race winning team, was halted by a broken gearbox. CORE autosport finished a lap ahead of 8Star Motorsport to win the Prototype Challenge class. "Ive loved motorsports all my life," CORE owner and co-driver Jon Bennett said. "Its so great for it to love me back today." Porsche North America claimed the GT Le Mans class with its No. 911 RSR entry. The crowded GT Daytona class had the most thrilling -- and controversial -- finish of the race. The victory went to Flying Lizard Motorsports when IMSA officials penalized Level 5 Motorsports for avoidable contact on the last lap. Alessandro Pier Guidi in the Level 5 Ferrari traded the lead in the final laps with FLMs Markus Winkelhock, who was driving an Audi. With the Audi mounting a challenge heading into the kink portion of the course, the two cars battled side-by-side through the tight corner. The Audi ran off course, and although replays showed no contact between the two cars, the Ferrari was penalized for avoidable contact and Flying Lizard got the victory. Level 5s drivers and team personnel charged toward Victory Lane to argue their case. "If you look on the monitors, there was no contact," driver Townsend Bell said. "Im gutted for (Pier Guidi) and the team. I think the fans want an answer for how a call comes in like that. I feel like we deserve this one." But Flying Lizard driver Spencer Pumpelly was adamant teammate Winkelhock was in the right and IMSA made the correct call. "We dont drive people off the road. We dont win races by driving people off the road," Pumpelly said. "They tried to do that, and it didnt work, and its a great result for us." Justin Williams Jersey . Karlovic of Croatia used his big serve to beat Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7). Kohlschreiber had lost all of his three previous matches against Istomin but the German broke serve for a decisive 3-2 lead in the third set and held on to reach his first final of the year. Carolina Hurricanes Gear . Phoenix originally signed Barbosa to a 10-day contract on Jan. 8 after Eric Bledsoe injured his knee and then signed him to another 10-day deal. -- Desperate to stop Tom Bradys latest comeback bid, the Miami Dolphins sought help from a reserve safety making his NFL debut after being signed Tuesday off the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. Brett Pesce Jersey . In a matchup of teams battling head-to-head for the final playoff spot in Major League Soccers Western Conference, the Whitecaps run to the post-season took a hard hit when FC Dallas blew open a tie game with two goals in the final minutes for a 3-1 victory Saturday night. Petr Mrazek Jersey . PETERSBURG, Florida – Its been almost seven years since the Blue Jays last won a series at Tropicana Field.MEMPHIS - Rookie Dwight Buycks sat in the corner of the visitors locker room, headphones on one ear. D.J. Augustin occupied the locker to his right, Julyan Stone directly to his left as the three point guards shared a laugh 60 minutes prior to tip-off in Memphis. Off the court theyre good friends. On it theyve been competing for the same job since the start of training camp. Its been the Raptors most problematic position early in the season but, at least for now, they have filled the vacancy behind starter Kyle Lowry at the point. Buycks, seemingly an unlikely choice, has emerged from that trio of under-performing guards to earn a spot in Dwane Caseys rotation. Now, its his job to lose. "Hes gained some ground," Casey told TSN.ca before his teams surprising victory over the Grizzlies Wednesday. "I thought he played with a lot of confidence against Houston the other night, he played with a lot of confidence against Utah. Hes kind of stepped forward in that situation and [emerged]." For the third straight game, Buycks was the first Raptors point guard off the bench in Memphis. He missed his only field goal attempt but converted all four of his free throws in just under 12 minutes of action. Augustin checked in with a minute left and the victory all but sealed while Stone was a healthy scratch for Caseys club. "Theres definitely [an] opportunity, for sure," Buycks recognized. "[Casey has] been saying that for a while now. Weve been competing and making it tough for him." "Youve just got to stay ready and make the most of it. Most of all just go out there and have fun but at the same time its a job, its a business so youve got to take it serious." He hasnt been spectacular - far from it, averaging just 3.4 points and 0.4 assists on 36 per cent shooting in five games - but hes been solid, precisely what Casey has been looking for from the leader of his second unit. When hes come into the game hes been aggressive and has made good decisions more often than not. Moost importantly there hasnt been a noticeable drop off when Lowry goes to the bench, an ongoing concern when the incumbent Augustin would check in.dddddddddddd Five games into his NBA career, Buycks has earned Caseys trust. An undrafted rookie, Buycks was once considered the dark horse of this trio. Stone - who was kept on after a strong showing in camp - endeared himself to Casey with his versatility and defensive wherewithal while Augustin was given first crack at the job on account of his experience as a starter in the league. Their skill sets differ and the sample size with Buycks is small, which suggests the rookie may be tied to short leash. As long as Caseys options at the position remain modest, at best, the competition will be ongoing even if Buycks continues to front the platoon. "Its tough but at the end of the day were teammates," said the 24-year-old. "Were all going to give it our all; were pros, so youve definitely got to bring it. Thats what makes it tough but thats what makes us love our job more." Buycks is an unconventional NBA rookie, having spent last season playing professionally in France where he was awarded league MVP. Still, hes a first-year player and his teammates wont let him forget it. "Its a rookie duty, a little gift from [Lowry]," Buycks said of the small bumblebee backpack thats been accompanying him on road trips this season. "Its not too bad. At the end of the day its all fun and games." "It wasnt a problem for me. I was laughing and smiling right with them when I found out I had it. So [Im] just going along with the flow." It could be worse, he pointed out. The teams three sophomores - Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross and Quincy Acy - all had to carry around pink bags along with a doll, Dora the Explorer or Bart Simpson. The bumblebee is slightly less conspicuous. The advice he received from those three; "Just dont forget youre book bag. Bring it everywhere you go, dont forget it and youll be alright." cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '