ended. The Cubs fell to 9-9 against St. Louis.They w

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Two drivers arrive at Michigan this week fresh off announcements of their Darlington paint schemes.During those events, the typical optimism reigned. There was at least the mention of one of these drivers winning the Labor Day weekend race. The Southern 500 remains one of the biggest events on the NASCAR calendar not only for prestige, but also because it sits as the next-to-last shot for drivers to win their way into the Chase for the Sprint Cup.The drivers spoke with at least some hope of winning and earning such a berth.Those drivers: Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne.Yes, that Greg Biffle. The one who drives for Roush Fenway Racing and has led just 21 laps in three races in 2016 and has one top-5 this year. He does have 19 career wins, but sits 22nd in the points. Biffle enters the Pure Michigan 400 this weekend at Michigan International Speedway winless in his last 116 starts.Yes, that Kasey Kahne. The one who drives for Hendrick Motorsports and has led no laps this year. Zip. He has two top-5s and his consistent finishes between sixth and 20th (14 in 23 races this year) has him 17th in the points. Kahne, who has 17 career Cup wins, enters Michigan winless in his last 70 starts.Neither driver has had much fun the last couple years in trying to find speed to get back to Victory Lane. They hope their fortunes will turn this weekend.You can lead a lap easily, Kahne said. You dont even have to be fast to lead a lap, and we havent led a lap. ... Its terrible to not lead a lap in this series, as good a team as we have and a company we race for.We need to figure out a lot of things.Many drivers in their careers find themselves mired in a slump. Biffle, second in the 2005 championship standings and third in 2008, feels his team has started to turn things around.His three top-10s this year came in consecutive races at Daytona, Kentucky and New Hampshire in July.Were here to win, Biffle said. Kasey Kahne is in this sport to win. Were all in this sport to win. The commitment level of all those drivers, were here to win and not just race.The last couple of years [before 2016], I felt like our cars really werent capable of winning. ... Did I think that was my ability? Absolutely not.Biffle feels that way because during his years at Roush Fenway, he had seasons where he had more wins than Matt Kenseth and seasons where he had more wins than Carl Edwards. Those drivers now consistently win at Joe Gibbs Racing.I feel like I can win races, Biffle said. I know I can win races. Thats why Im still in the uniform. And I will tell you this: I will probably retire before I say I cant win races anymore.Biffle has one more year left in his deal at Roush Fenway. Kahne is signed through 2018 and has sponsorship backing him specifically from Great Clips. Kahne doesnt view Hendricks hiring of 18-year-old William Byron as a sign Hendrick is grooming his replacement.If I havent performed by 2018, its time to do something different, said Kahne, who finished fourth in the 2012 championship standings in his first year at Hendrick. Its just the way racing and life is.Kahne said it comes down to having the speed he needs to go fast. He hasnt had, in recent years, the feel in the cars he yearns to have.Its been going on for a long time on my front, Kahne said. Its just not where I want to be in the sport. ... You can look at it and tell were just about kind of as good as we are.Something needs to happen, whether the car gets changed or the setup gets changed -- things have to happen for us to be much better. Were working hard and were just 13th to 18th. Thats just where were at.The working hard is the cause of the frustration, Biffle said.Last year was just ... bad, Biffle said. What is the frustrating part about last year is everybody was working so dang hard. That happens.When you run bad, or you dont have fast cars, you work three times as hard and three times as much as other teams.Dealing with that frustration forces a driver to focus on whats ahead. He said a driver must enter Michigan this weekend believing he can win if everything goes right.Our team is capable of running between fifth and 15th right now, we feel like, Biffle said. We want to run more consistently in the top 5. Thats what produces wins.Biffles last back-to-back races in the top 5 came in June 2013; Kahnes came in November 2013.Because of NASCARs rules, drivers dont get to test except for Goodyear tests and the occasional NASCAR test, where one driver from each organization can get behind the wheel. Teams often rely on simulation programs to determine their next move on how to make the cars go fast.When you get behind and you cant test, its hard to get that feel back that youre looking for, Kahne said. When you dont have it, you cant go fast.Its different for everybody. Every driver drives different. Im missing out on something and I need it to go fast.While the drivers know they have three final chances to make the Chase by winning a race -- Michigan and Darlington are followed by the regular- season finale at Richmond -- they also know that making the Chase doesnt cure all ills.Biffle and Kahne both made the Chase in 2014, with winless Biffle finishing 14th in the standings and Kahne -- who had won in the next-to-last regular-season race at Atlanta -- at 15th. Last year, neither made the Chase, with Kahne 18th in the final points and Biffle 20th.Kahne said the biggest role he plays remains working as hard as he can and respecting the work his team puts in on a daily basis.Im more focused on just getting better week to week, Kahne said. Making the Chase would be great, but if you cant finish in the top 15, then whats it really matter in the Chase? Youre going to be out in the first round anyway. Cheap Swell . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Cheap Swell Bottles . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. http://www.swellbottleuk.com/sale-swell-traveler-uk.html . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. Swell Bottles Uk Sale . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. Liberty Swell Bottle Uk . Listen to the game live on TSN Radio 1050 at 7pm et. The Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, in exchange for Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons, Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes. CHICAGO -- With Saturdays 10-4 rout of the Chicago Cubs, the St. Louis Cardinals have split 18 games this year against the best team in the major leagues.If the Cardinals reach the playoffs and win the wild-card game, they would return to Wrigley Field for the start of the NL Division Series.Theyre very good offensively. They can match up out of the bullpen, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. They have a lot of veterans on the team, guys who have been there, done that. Theyre very formidable, I think.Yadier Molina drove in four runs and Stephen Piscotty homered as the Cardinals got to Jason Hammel early. Randal Grichuk added three RBI and Jhonny Peralta had three hits and scored three runs for the Cardinals.The records and all that dont mean that much, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. Weve got a whole lot of fighting left to do.Hammel (15-10) allowed six runs and six hits while getting just seven outs, hurting his bid for a postseason rotation spot. A day after clinching the NLs best record, the Cubs were denied their 99th win and a record 57th at Wrigley Field.Dexter Fowler finished a home run shy of the cycle, Ben Zobrist had a two-run triple and Willson Contreras homered in the ninth for the Cubs, who are 3-6 at home against St. Louis and 53-17 against other teams.Theyre obviously the best team in the league, Molina said. We respect that. But at the same time we come here thinking about winning.Alex Reyes (4-1) needed 115 pitches to get through five innings. But the rookie settled down after a tough start and allowed three runs and six hits with six strikeouts.The right-handers solid previous outing renewed talk he could supplant John Lackey as the No. 4 playoff starter. But Hammel saw his ERA rise from 3.56 to 3.83 after Maddons early hook.Molina had a two-run double and Grichuk a two-run single in the first. An inning later, Piscotty crushed Hammels slider 450 feet onto Waveland Avenue for a solo hhomer.dddddddddddd Hammel was lifted after giving up two more hits in the third.Molina added a two-run single for his third hit in a three-run seventh against Hector Rondon. Piscottys third hit in the eighth off Rob Zastryzny scored another run.Reyes had his 11 1/3-inning scoreless streak snapped in Chicagos two-run first, and Fowlers RBI double an inning later made it 5-3. But Reyes allowed just two hits over his final three innings.When you have 71 pitches after three (innings), you typically got a lot more on you than the three runs they had, Cardinals manager Mike Mathney said. He just did a nice job of managing the innings.Maddon cleared his bench in the late innings as Chicagos four-game winning streak ended. The Cubs fell to 9-9 against St. Louis.They would be very tough, Maddon said of a potential playoff matchup. Theyre very good offensively. They can match up out of the bullpen. They do a lot of things.TRAINERS ROOMCardinals: Mathney said LF Matt Holliday (broken right thumb) was pretty sore a day after his first live batting practice session. Hell see a hand specialist Monday before being cleared to hit again. . SS Aledmys Diaz (arm fatigue) started after a day off. . Kolten Wong (shoulder) didnt start after an outfield spill Friday.Cubs: LF Jorge Soler (right side soreness) started for the first time since Sept. 16. . RHP Pedro Strop (knee, groin) reported no pain a day after his first appearance since Aug. 10.SCHEDULE CHANGEMaddon pushed his bullpen game to Thursday in Pittsburgh. Kyle Hendricks, Lackey and Jake Arrieta will start the first three games against the Pirates.UP NEXTLHP Jon Lester (18-4, 2.36 ERA) faces Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez (15-8, 3.16) in Chicagos regular-season home finale Sunday night. Lester is 8-0 with a 1.05 ERA in his last 10 starts. ' ' '