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LOUDON, N.H. -- Tony Stewart left New Hampshire Motor Speedway and couldnt be happier with his crew Sunday afternoon.One of the other Stewart-Haas Racing drivers, though, left far from happy.Stewart often talks about chemistry with his team, especially new crew chief Mike Bugarewicz. That chemistry helped lead him to a second-place finish in the New Hampshire 301.Kevin Harvick finished fourth, and he might have finished as high -- or higher -- than Stewart if he hadnt lost several positions on two pit stops during the race.Harvick fell back to 11th twice in a race that didnt have many early cautions, and he never could consistently get back among the top three cars.One of the stops was slow because of a mechanical failure of an air gun, while the other stop was more a lack of execution.Im disgusted, to tell you the truth, Harvick said. Its the same thing every week. We just make mistake after mistake, and until we clean that up we dont have a chance to win races, putting ourselves in a hole every time we make a mistake.It sucks because the cars are plenty fast, but we are just not executing.Harvick said a decision on how to deal with the lack of performance by the pit crew would have to come from management.?Pit crews usually dont come under the authority of the crew chief -- theyre typically assigned to a team by the organizations competition department.There is no way we can win a championship like this unless they straighten some of this stuff out, Harvick said.While Harvick was frustrated, his boss was pumped after another solid run. Stewart has four top-seven finishes in the past five Sprint Cup races, with a win at Sonoma and a second at New Hampshire being the highlights.At New Hampshire, Stewart was 18th just 75 laps into the race. While Harvick had trouble making his way through the field, Stewart was able to gradually get to the front over the final half of the event.He was 10th with 60 laps remaining, and thanks to restarting on the outside on most occasions and taking advantage of others mistakes, he ended up second.In recent years, Stewart would rarely improve if he struggled early. Now it seems to be a weekly occurrence that he gets better throughout a race.Im working with a different crew chief this year, and it seems like we are really getting on some things that are working for us, Stewart said. Its just chemistry. Thats what its always been in this sport, and when you get a combination thats working, youve got to keep building off of that.Every crew chief Ive had has been a good crew chief, but for some reason we havent been able with the last two to get that magic weve been looking for. Maybe we finally hit on the equation this time.While there was a time when it appeared Stewart might not even make it into the top 30 in points after missing the first eight races because of a broken back, Stewart now has a 67-point cushion on 30th and solidly has secured his Chase spot thanks to the Sonoma win.Everything that you want is there, all the ingredients are there, and weve just got to finish putting it all together, Stewart said. Im really, really proud where this [No. 14] team is right now.Xfinity Series: More heats coming upThe final heat race of the season for the Xfinity drivers comes this week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.The heats will be 20 laps and the main event 60 laps around the 2.5-mile track.The heat races have not been the most exciting parts of Xfinity events, but they have allowed teams to work on their cars before the main events and help make those more competitive. The heat races at Indy could be mundane 20-car affairs, but the potential is there to have another race in which the main event has urgency and parity among the drivers and the cars.Well be able to learn something, for sure, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones said about the heats. Thats a long enough run at Indy to really feel out your car some and make some adjustments.Well go into it with the same mentality that we did the last three and work on our stuff and get it better and get it the best we can.Jones enters Indy coming off a second-place finish at New Hampshire in a race won by his teammate Kyle Busch.Camping World Truck Series: Kyle Larson at EldoraThere will be only one Sprint Cup driver taking to the dirt in the Camping World Truck Series race Wednesday at Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio.Kyle Larson, who nearly won the race two years ago, has a ride with GMS Racing.Plenty of drivers with dirt late-model experience will be in the race, including Bobby Pierce, who finished second in the event last year.And there is one other driver with a passion for dirt racing who should definitely excite fans -- Ken Schrader is in a Truck owned by Carlos Contreras.One thing different this year is the feature event will have segments that get longer throughout the race. Instead of a race of segments with 60 laps, 50 laps and then 40 laps, the Eldora race will have segments of 40 laps, 50 laps and then 60 laps. Stitched Blues Jerseys . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Blues Jerseys China .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. https://www.cheapblues.com/ . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. Blues Jerseys 2021 . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. St.Louis Blues Gear .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. TORONTO -- Masai Ujiri left one of the NBAs biggest success stories this season to salvage a team that has never tasted triumph. And when the new Toronto Raptors general manager was introduced to the media on Tuesday, he summed up his decision with two simple words: "Im home." "It was a tough decision to leave Denver. It was an easy decision to come here," Ujiri told a jam-packed news conference at Air Canada Centre. "Im home. I love Toronto. I love this place." The NBA executive of the year with the Denver Nuggets replaces Bryan Colangelo, the man who was once Ujiris mentor in Toronto. The 42-year-old Ujiri was an assistant GM with Toronto for three seasons before leaving for Denver in 2010. Colangelo remains the Raptors team president in a non-basketball role, while Ujiri is president and GM of basketball operations. The Nigerian-born Ujiri has been tasked with turning around a franchise that hasnt made the playoffs in five years, and has only advanced past the first round once in 18 seasons. But he said he sees a "sleeping giant" in Toronto. "Why cant I change it? Its not all bad, theres plenty good about it," he said. "Its our job to make it better. Its our job to create a winning environment and thats why Im here." Besides, his sense of responsibility to Africa is so strong, he has "no other choice but to be successful." "Thats the only place in my life where I actually feel pressure, for a continent that big and that great, and to have this opportunity here...," said Ujiri, the first African-born GM in North Americas four major sports. "For me, its an obligation, I have to (succeed), I have to do well for my continent." One of Ujiris first decisions concerns the fate of coach Dwane Casey, who has a year left on his contract. Ujiri said he wont rush his decision. "Ive talked to Dwane Casey a couple times and were going to sit down and I want to understand what his philosophies are and Ill tell him what my philosophies are or what I think needs to be changed," said Ujiri, who added he didnt see "any reason" why Casey wouldnt coach the team next season. The new GM said he owes a lot to Colangelo, who gave him an opportunity to be an NBA executive, but when asked if hell seek basketball input from his former boss or from Raptors senior adviser Wayne Embry, Ujiri made it clear whos in charge. "Im on the hot seat now," Ujiri said. "Ill take Bryans input when I feel its necessary, Wayne has always been a great mentor to me, but at the end of the day, Im going to put my staff together and were going to figure this all out collectively," he said. "But basketball decisions are going to be my decisions, so it doesnt matter who tells me what or how its done, at the end of the day, Im sitting right here on the hot seat." Ujiri emphatically denied suggestions the relationship between the current and former GM could be awkward. "Theres no issue with Bryan Colangelo," he said. "No issue. None whatsoever. Zero zero issue. None." Ujiri will have some tough decisions to make right off the bat with a Toronto team that has no pick in either the first or second round of the NBA draft, and is currently over the leagues luxury tax threshold. He will also have to decide which of the Raptors burdensome salaries to elimiinate -- if he will indeed eliminate any -- using the amnesty clause.dddddddddddd Ujiri says hell evaluate the talent at his disposal in the coming weeks but believes "there are good pieces on this roster," he said. "There are phenomenal players on this roster (but) we have some things we need to correct." One pressing concern is the future of much-maligned Italian forward Andrea Bargnani. Hes a player whose welcome in Toronto has long been worn out, but one who Ujiri believes possesses a valuable skill. "Shooting big is what every coach wants, and how you use it and how you do it is left to be said. But he has that skill," Ujiri said. "My thought on Andrea is hes one of the better shooting bigs in the NBA." Ujiri has had some success with tricky manoeuvring in the past, earning respect for his handling of the Carmelo Anthony trade to New York. Ujiri cobbled together a Nuggets team that won a franchise-best 57 games this season despite having no all-stars. Denver went an NBA-best 38-3 at home to finish third in the powerful Western Conference, helping Ujiri garner the leagues top executive honour to go with George Karls coach of the year award. He remains a huge supporter of African basketball, and said his new job in Toronto -- where he reportedly signed a five-year contract worth as much as $15 million -- will give him the financial flexibility to do even more in his homeland. "I can go and help more people, we can build more courts, we can do more camps, we can help more kids come to school in the States, and I can continue to help with the NBA and the platform theyve created with Basketball Without Borders (the NBAs global outreach program)," he said. Ujiri represents the first major hiring for Tim Leiweke, the recently-appointed president and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Ltd. Leiweke says Ujiri was his top pick for the job from Day 1 -- despite the belief around the league that Ujiri would never leave Denver for Toronto. "Some of the comments from other people in the league, especially league office, was Do you think you could set your sights any higher?" Leiweke said. The MLSE president talked about creating a new culture in the Raptors, and praised his new young GM for his "juice" and "energy." When asked why fans should believe the latest positive spin on the struggling franchise, Leiweke said: "I inherit, I didnt create." "So this is today, and we move forward from here," he added. "I know the team (Ujiri) is putting together, I know the staff hes putting together ... youll see. I think its time for this organization once and for all to stop spinning and just go do our job." Ujiri wouldnt elaborate on what his new management team will look like, except to say he prefers small staffs. The Raptors front office has already felt his presence with the firing of Ed Stefanski, executive vice-president of basketball operations, on Sunday, among others. Leiweke said the team is also considering rebranding -- meaning potentially a new look or even a new name -- but emphasized a major change isnt a given, but that it will be part of the conversation. "We have to honour the tradition and history of what the Raptors are," he said. "But we also need to hear the fans and what they want to see." ' ' '