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Honda Canada VP Jerry Chenkin Addresses Media About IndyCar Series

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SM Staff
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As part of the IZOD IndyCar Series Media Lunchon in Toronto, Honda Canada Vice President Jerry Chenkin was on hand to discuss Honda’s involvement and his thoughts on Randy Bernard so far during Bernard’s 16 months of being the CEO of the IZOD IndyCar Series. Here is the full statement from Chenkin at the luncheon:

In just a little more than one year behind the IndyCar wheel, Randy Bernard has already initiated some fantastic things for the series making more interesting, I think you will all agree, and more fan friendly, with a new focus on a younger age bracket.

At Honda Canada, we know and share similar challenges that Randy has tackled. First, our organizations are both proud leaders in increasingly competitive markets that are undergoing dramatic changes, which require a more proactive approach with more brand recognition than ever before. Second, we both faced with battling two complete different groups with unique needs – those that are loyal to our brands through consistency and familiar value and those within the younger demographic, seeking things that are new and unique to them.

Three years ago, Honda Canada met with Kevin Savoree and his partners at that time – Michael Andretti was involved – and saw an opportunity to address both of these challenges by aligning ourselves with the premiere event in Canada, the Honda Indy. Now as sure as you all know, Honda’s racing and engine heritage speaks for itself so when the opportunity came to support IndyCar racing and remind our customers that Honda is not just any car company, we felt it was too good to ignore. After all, its fierce competition continues to drive our organization not only to create not only the best engines in the world, but the best cars, trucks, motorcycles, marine and power equipment as well.

Today, we are exceptionally proud to see our name on the event that has the world’s best engines, fastest cars and the greatest drivers to drive.

We’re also excited to see what Randy has in store for the IZOD IndyCar Series. In his previous role, Randy managed to take the brand of professional bull riders business from just $2000 to more than $20 million in just 10 years. In February of last year, Randy was named the CEO of the IZOD IndyCar Series.

We presented him with a new set of challenges in a new arena, so to speak. He was drawn to the opportunity after recognizing the sport’s raw potential, a potential driven to its great competition and entertainment value that it provides for its fan. Since climbing behind the wheel for IndyCar, Randy has taken steps to set IndyCar apart from its competitors and reunite it with its heritage, with its IndyCar name and statistics dating back to its first Indy 500 in 1911.

Steve Addington Named The WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Sonoma

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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Carl Edwards: Edwards, who skipped Saturday’s Nationwide race in Wisconsin, finished third in the Toyota/Save Mart 350, posting his best ever finish at Sonoma. Edwards increased his lead in the point standings, and now leads Kevin Harvick by 25.

“I knew it would be wise to stay and concentrate on Sonoma,” Edwards said. “And Jack Roush was in agreement. In fact, he’s been begging me to ‘stay’ for weeks now. I’m in my final year of my contract with Roush Fenway Racing. If I don’t get the money I deserve, then Roush Fenway will hear me say what you’d expect the guy who’s led the points standings nearly all year say: ‘Watch me go.’”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started 26th at Sonoma and recovered from a mid-race accident before fighting his way to a finish of ninth, taking his ninth top-10 finish of the year. He remained second in the point standings, and trails Carl Edwards by 25.

“First of all,” Harvick said, “I’d like to thank our sponsor, Rheem Tankless Water Heaters. We surely don’t want them called ‘Rheem Thankless Water Heaters.

“But the No. 29 Richard Childress Chevrolet wasn’t the only thing ‘reamed’ at Sonoma. There was lot of ‘bad blood’ out there, and I’m not talking about the bonds of kinship that link those blasted Busch brothers. Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers smacked each other around, leaving the rear of Stewart’s No. 14 elevated on a tire barrier. Vickers may hear from NASCAR about that. If so, it will be the first time a driver will be fined for another car’s rear end being too high.”

3. Kyle Busch: Busch finished a solid 11th in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 as big brother Kurt drove to a decisive victory. Kyle fell one spot to fifth in the point standings, 37 behind Carl Edwards.

“For once this year,” Busch said, “Kurt drove like a maniac instead of acting like one. The No. 22 Penske Dodge was unstoppable out front. I’m sure Kurt appreciated the clean air on the track as much as his team appreciated the ‘clean air’ on their radio frequency. Understandably, the ‘curse’ of Kurt Busch can only be lifted by a win.

“As for my finish, I’m satisfied. Or, to put it in terms that are rarely spoken by either of the Busch brothers, ‘I can’t complain.’”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson joined Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon in the top 10 at Sonoma, finishing seventh to Gordon’s runner-up result. Johnson, who won last year at Sonoma, jumped two places in the Sprint Cup point standings to third, and trails Carl Edwards by 33.

“I enjoy racing in ‘Wine Country,’” Johnson said. “Someday, like Jeff Gordon, I hope to offer my own brand of fine wines, produced at my winery that will be called ‘Wynasty.’

5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt was one of seven cars collected in a lap 37 pile-up started when Tony Stewart spun Brian Vickers in Turn 11. The damage left a hole in the radiator of the No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet was serious, and Earnhardt limped home with his first DNF of the year, finishing 41st.

“What caused our downfall?” Earnhardt asked. “Was it a hole, or a-holes? Hopefully, that’s the end of my involvement in the Tony Stewart-Brian Vickers feud. I though Red Bull was leaving NASCAR. Apparently, not without a fight.”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch led 76 of 110 laps in the Toyota/Save Mart 350, scoring his first career road course victory with a dominating performance at Sonoma. Busch beat Jeff Gordon by four seconds, and improved three spots in the Sprint Cup point standings to fourth, and now trails Carl Edwards by 34.

“That was a major butt-whupping,” Busch said, “and I agree with everyone who’s been saying that’s exactly what I’ve needed this year. Hopefully, this will be a harbinger of more good things to come. We’ve been wildly inconsistent this year. It’s been either tirade or parade.

“I’d like to thank my team for their hard work and perseverance. I believe they wanted this even more than I did. Not a win, mind you, but something that would finally shut me up.”

7. Jeff Gordon: Gordon stayed on the track during a caution with 20 laps to go, going from 20th to 8th before a dash to the checkers that gave him the runner-up finish at Sonoma. It was Gordon’s third top-5 finish in the last five races, and boosted him three spots in the point standings to ninth.

“I’m pleased with our finish here,” Gordon said. “But I have to admit, I had a lot more fun racing Kurt Busch last year as opposed to Sunday. I got a big kick, as well as a big punt, from being behind Kurt last year.”

8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth was running 13th, up from his qualifying position of 26th, on lap 65 when he was tagged from behind by Joey Logano in the No. 20 Home Depot car. The spin dropped Kenseth back to 35th, and he gamely battled back to finish 14th. He remained sixth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 52 out of first.

“Not only was Logano’s move childish,” Kenseth said, “it was also child-ish. As such, and given my non-confrontational style, I shall handle the situation with ‘kid gloves.’”

9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was rear-ended by A.J. Allmendinger’s No. 43 Ford on lap 43, the contact from which was later determined to have damaged the track bar on Hamlin’s No. 11 Fed Ex Freight Toyota. Hamlin resigned to the garage for repairs and finished 37th, completing only 99 of 110 laps.

“We had the car to challenge Kurt Busch,” Hamlin said. “That is, until the bottom fell out, so to speak. Allmendinger may drive for Richard Petty, but his actions on Sunday surely weren’t fit for a king. In fact, A.J. is ‘STuPid.’ There was a lot of talk about road course ringers, but no one warned me about road course ‘Dingers.’ So Allmendinger gets the road course finger.”

10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished fourth at Sonoma, posting his third top-5 finish this year. It was Bowyer’s best result this year, and he improved two places in the Sprint Cup point standings to eight.

“As you know,” Bowyer said, “my RCR teammate Jeff Burton will be taking NFL star Chad Ochocinco for some laps around Atlanta Motor Speedway on Thursday. Hopefully, this ride will last more than the 1.5 second bull ride Ochocinco took earlier this year. I think Jeff is really looking forward to this, and I expect he’ll get a lot from the experience, but not a word in edgewise.”

J.J. Yeley Talks Daytona; Two-Car Tandem And What’s Pay It Forward?

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SM Archive
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FEDEX RACING EXPRESS FACTS — DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

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SM Archive
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Notes From The NASCAR Nation: Crunching the Coke Zero 400 Numbers

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SM Staff
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After last weekend’s road course adventure featuring left and right turns and some road rage in between, the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams moves on another daunting challenge, superspeedway restrictor plate racing at the Daytona International Speedway. Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 already has the making of a potential barn burner in a racing environment that could turn up some genuine surprises by the time the checkers fly through the air.

[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Because this is a restrictor plate race, fans can expect to see a return of the two car draft sequence recently established at both the Daytona and Talladega super speedways. It will literally be a case of two cars bumper to bumper trying to push each other past other racing tandems and into the lead. While it’s only natural to assume that Sprint Cup team mates will want to work with each other, it may not necessarily be the case. You will see plenty examples of unexpected dance partners based on how the two cars perform together. The partnerships could feature a Chevrolet pushing a Ford or a Dodge pushing a Toyota.

The in car radio transmissions will also be quite interesting Saturday night. Drivers have already made a list of who they want to communicate and work with and the radio frequencies of these potential dance partners have already been placed on a special in car dial up switch for quick access. Once contact and a partnership has been made, then the role of the spotters will increase. The driver doing the pushing are going to have difficulty seeing the track and the traffic front of him. It will be up to the spotter from the front car to guide both drivers while they’re hooked together. Then there’s the matter of race strategy. Will a duo try to maintain a position at the front of the field, or will they choose to stay at the back of the pack most of the evening and make their charge to the front at the end of the race?

Let’s not forget about “the big one.” The slightest miscalculated move could easily, and quickly, trigger a multi-car crash that could easily change the outcome of the race. “The big one” is always going to be a major factor in restrictor plate racing.

The Coke Zero 400 is going to have a lot of dramatic elements to it and will be well worth your Saturday night viewing time.

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The Las Vegas Breakdown

To take an accurate look at some of the Coke Zero 400 pre race favorites, we again turn to the experts from the Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE).

The WSE has placed two huge potential winners right at the top of their list this week and has backed drivers Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr with 8 to 1 odds. First off, Harvick is the defending race champion from last year. He understands what it takes to win at Daytona and has backed that up with some impressive stats that includes two wins, five top five finishes, eight top tens and an average finish ratio, (AFR), of 15.8. He’s currently second in the championship standings, only 25 points behind leader Carl Edwards, and will be looking to improve those numbers as well Saturday night. This is a rock solid wager consideration.

So is Dale Earnhardt Jr. The excitement of this driver’s fan club, aka “The Junior Nation”, has hit a fever pitch over the past several weeks. The fact that the WSE has rated this driver at 8 to 1 indicates that they also believe that the combination of Earnhardt and crew chief Steve Letarte are going to be 2011 Chase contenders. However, Earnhardt will have to do some make up work to counteract last weekend’s disappointing 41st place finish at Infineon. He was a victim of someone else’s road course road rage that created a free fall from third to seventh in the championship rankings. The good news is the fact that Earnhardt is extremely good at this form of racing based on lessons well learned from his famous father. There could be some good news for the Junior Nation this Saturday night.

In the 12 to 1 group is a trio of drivers who could also become huge players in the outcome of this race. Tony Stewart is well versed in restrictor plate racing and has three Daytona wins and six overall super speedway wins. However his big concern Saturday night will be making the top ten in points to insure a berth in the 2011 Chase. Roller coaster performance levels this year has left Stewart 12th in the standings. Last Sunday’s road rage adventure with Brian Vickers didn’t exactly help that cause either. Stewart, after the Infineon race, defiantly proclaimed that anyone who intentionally blocked him was going to get dumped and he would keep doing that until NASCAR came up with a new rule to make him stop. One has to assume that those statements were made out of anger and frustration and a driver/team owner is not going to be interested in wadding up another race car this weekend. Making the Chase is by far too important.

Also at 12 to 1 is Jimmie Johnson, a previous Daytona winner and a six time super speedway winner. Johnson goes into Saturday night third in the points, 33 from the lead, and appears to be poised to launch a major offensive towards that sixth, consecutive, Sprint Cup championship.

Completing the 12 to 1 trio is the red hot Kurt Busch and his Penske Racing Dodge. A week ago it was pointed out that the elder Busch brother had never won a road course race. He took care of that deficiency last weekend with a dominant win at Infineon. Now we’re being reminded that Busch has never won a super speedway restrictor plate race. With the performance levels this team is displaying that issue could be resolved this Saturday night.

At 13 to 1 odds you will find the trio of Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Jeff Gordon. Busch is a former Daytona winner and a two time super speedway winner. Whatever you may think of this driver, his NASCAR numbers do not lie. He’s a genuine threat to win a race every time he straps himself in the driver’s seat.

Carl Edwards will be the first to tell you that restrictor plate racing is not exactly his strong suit. In fact he’s still searching for his first ever super speedway win. That stat aside, Edwards is having a wonderful racing season. He’s currently the points leader and this Roush Fenway Racing team is more and more looking like Sprint Cup champions.

Jeff Gordon is the driver with all of the positive Daytona stats. He holds the series record, among active drivers, with wins at six, the most top fives at 12 and he shares the record with Mark Martin for most top tens at 18. His second place finish at Infineon last Sunday moved him to ninth in the points. Daytona is an excellent place for Gordon to improve on that ranking.

The above WSE ranking are considered to be rock solid wager considerations. Now let’s take a look at some potential long shots. All by himself, at 14 to 1 odds, is Jamie McMurray. Granted, this team is not exactly having the season everyone thought they would. They are mired down in 27th in the points and their 2011 season has become a matter of trying to collect wins and aiming for 2012. The long shot consideration lies in the fact that McMurray is very good at this form of racing. He has two Daytona wins and four overall super speedway wins.

At 15 to 1 you will find Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer, two drivers who will be seeking their first Daytona wins this Saturday night. Hamlin, a pre season championship favorite, has endured a roller coaster season such as last week’s mechanical failure at Infineon that dropped him to 11th in the standings. Despite the occasional bouts with bad racing luck, this team could pull off a surprise win Saturday night.

The same goes for Bowyer who is actually very good at restrictor plate racing. He’s still trying to find Daytona’s victory lane, but he understands the process of this form of racing and proved it with a win at Talladega. His overall consistent levels this season has him ranked eighth in the points standings.

In the lower tier, of this week’s WSE rankings, you will find Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya and David Ragan at 25 to 1. Burton is a former Daytona winner and knows how to get the job done. Unfortunately, the inconsistent performance levels of the team, combined with some horrible racing luck, has left him 24th in the standings.

You may want to avoid putting some cash on Montoya this weekend. Plate racing is clearly not his thing. There may also be the element of some payback from last Sunday’s race at Infineon.

David Ragan is the most interesting of this group. Although he has a contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing in his hip pocket, he has some serious sponsorship issues to consider. Long time primary sponsor United Parcel Service is in the final year of their contract with the team. Considered to be one of the most lucrative sponsorship packages in NASCAR, the delivery company is reported to be examining other options. Ragan has showed some strength this year and even created a few moments for the television highlight reels. But this is a driver who seriously needs a win. If the team is going to resign UPS then they need to hand them a great reason for staying.

In the WSE’s 30 to 1 ranking you will find a quintet of drivers featuring Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth. Newman is a Daytona winner currently tenth in the points and could be worthy of a long shot consideration.

Kahne has endured a season’s worth of up and down performance levels with Red Bull Racing. He’s of course finishing out the year with the team while waiting to join his new ride at Hendrick Motorsports. However, Kahne has made it clear that he would like to help Red Bull get a win especially in light of recent news that the energy drink company is pulling out of team ownership this year and investors are being sought to keep the operation going.

Biffle’s 2011 season is just plan frustrating to watch. A team expected to make the 2011 Chase roster is just mired down. However he’s a former Daytona winner and Saturday night could be the time for him to get that bad luck monkey off of his back.

Believe it or not, Daytona is one of the few tracks on the Sprint Cup schedule that has never hosted Mark Martin in its victory lane despite the fact he has four super speedway wins at Talladega. Despite Daytona luck that often has him finding “the big one”, Martin has a very healthy 14.1 finish ratio there in 52 starts.

Kenseth is also a former Daytona winner and a three time super speedway winner as well. For those of you who don’t mind long shot wagers, Kenseth could be your man Saturday night. But bear in mind that the team just got handed a major distraction in recent days with the announcement that Crown Royal will not be returning as their sponsor next year.

Concluding this week’s WSE rankings, at 35 to 1, are David Reutimann, Brad Keselowski, Trevor Bayne, Joey Logano and Brian Vickers. The one interesting stand out here is Bayne who of course pulled off that huge win last February in the Daytona 500. Could this youngster pull off another another miracle win, especially after being out of the car several weeks due to illness? I think Frank Sinatra probably put it best when he sang “fairy tales can come true, they can happen to you, if you’re young at heart.”

Remember this is plate racing at Daytona. Anything could happen and often has over the years.

Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants to remind you that these odds numbers are for informational and entertainment purposes only. They neither encourage nor condone the placing of wagers on their races. But if you’re going to do it anyway, and many of you will, then you at least have the professional advice from the professionals at the World Sports Exchange. Remember: “fairy tales can come true, they can happen to you”….etc.

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The Race Breakdown

The Coke Zero 400 is 160 laps/400 miles around the Daytona International Speedway’s mammoth 2.5 mile oval.

The race has 46 entries vying for the 43 starting berths. 11 of those entries are on the go or go home list. These teams are not guaranteed a starting berth because they are currently outside of the top 35 in NASCAR owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speed to make the race.

The top 35 in owner’s points is going to be an interesting focal point during this race. Robby Gordon currently holds down the 35th position but he’s only three points ahead of Trevor Bayne with Andy Lally in 37th just 17 points away.

Pre race track position is extremely important at Daytona and that will place a special emphasis on the Friday qualifying session. Out of 128 races at Daytona, 25 of them, 19.53%, have been won from the pole position, 69 races, 53.91%, were won from a top five starting berth and 100 race winners, 78.13%, started within the top ten.

Never forget that Daytona has a habit of last minute hard chargers making their way to the front during the final laps to steal a win while we all yell “where did he come from?” A prime example of this is Jamie McMurray who only needed to lead two laps to win last year’s Daytona 500.

The big concern here may be the weather forecast for the Daytona Beach area. There are two common denominators here. The first is partly sunny skies and 91 degrees during the day. The second factor is the possibility of evening rain, along with isolated thunder storms, all weekend long. The 40% chance of rain on Friday alone could cancel qualifying and that same forecast also applies to Saturday race day. Even if the race has to be postponed to Sunday, there’s still a 20% chance of rain.

The Coke Zero 400 will be broadcast live by the TNT Network beginning at 630 pm eastern time. The race re air will be on Wednesday, July 6th, at 12 pm eastern on SPEED.

Florida State Seminoles Head Football Coach Jimbo Fisher Named Grand Marshal For The Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola

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SM Archive
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Roush Fenway Advance – Daytona

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SM Archive
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Toyota NASCAR Notes & Quotes Daytona

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SM Archive
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Bayne, Woods Return to the Scene of Their Greatest Triumph

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SM Archive
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For Eddie Wood and the rest of the Wood Brothers team, this week’s trip through the old Turn Four tunnel at Daytona International Speedway will be more special than usual.

As he drives down into the tunnel and then launches up into the track’s infield, Wood will see the speedway for the first time since February, when Trevor Bayne delivered the Wood Brothers their fifth Daytona 500 triumph.

It was a popular victory for the team that hadn’t won a Cup race since 2001 but now has plenty to celebrate, especially with the recent selection of team founder Glen Wood as a member of the third class of NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.

“It’s always nice to go back to the place where you had your biggest moment,” Eddie Wood said. But as Wood and the team pop out of the tunnel and make the right-hand turn toward the Sprint Cup garage, the Daytona 500 victory will quickly be put away in the memory bank, and the focus will shift to the task at hand – preparing the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion for Saturday’s Coke Zero 400.

The team’s Daytona 500-winning car is on display at Daytona, and the other restrictor-plate racer was wrecked at Talladega Superspeedway, so the crew will unload a brand-new Ford Fusion. Wood said he’s got a good feeling about the new car, especially after seeing the results of testing in the wind tunnel and on the chassis dynamometer.

“The car should be fast,” he said. “We’ve got a really good engine from Roush-Yates, and we’re ready to go.”

One big difference for Bayne and the Woods as they return to Daytona is that they’re no longer guaranteed a starting spot. Because they’re running a limited schedule they’ve dropped out of the top 35 in car owner points and therefore have to qualify on speed.

But Wood said the team won’t focus solely on qualifying.

“We have to make the race on speed, but we’re going to use most of the practice sessions to get ready to race. “We’re not going to sacrifice our race set-up for qualifying.”

Another big difference from the Daytona 500 is the way Bayne likely will be treated by his competitors. Heading into Speedweeks, Bayne had problems finding drafting partners willing to take a chance on a rookie with just one Cup start under his belt.

But his performances in the two restrictor-plate races since – at Daytona and Talladega – have changed that dramatically.

“It’s a known fact that Trevor is a good pusher,” Wood said. “And he’s earned a good bit of respect from the other drivers.”

The radio in the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion will be adapted to allow Bayne to talk directly to his fellow Ford drivers, and possibly a few others as well. And the team’s spotter, Chip Ross, is ready for a repeat of his Daytona 500 performance.

“He did a really good job in February,” Wood said. “Everything is still in place.”

Qualifying for the Coke Zero 400 is set to begin on Friday at 4:10 p.m., and the race is set to get the green flag on Saturday night at 7:30 with TV coverage on TNT.

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