BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Lewis Hamilton posted the fastest time in the first and second practices for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday, with Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg second. Teemu Selanne Jersey . Hamiltons best lap of 1 minute, 24.482 seconds was 0.238 seconds faster than Rosbergs in the second session. The Mercedes drivers, who have won nine of the 10 races this season, were the only ones finishing below 1:25 and were over a second faster than in the first practice. Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel was third. Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso was fourth in the second practice, nearly a second off Hamiltons pace, followed by Kevin Magnussen of McLaren, Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari, Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull and surging Valtteri Bottas of Williams. Gaining pole position for Sundays race is considered a huge plus on the twisting Hungaroring circuit, where passing opportunities are very limited. Hamilton is looking to win his third race in a row and his fifth overall on this track. Despite far outpacing the rest of the field, Hamilton said neither the soft nor medium Pirelli tire compounds had been satisfactory during the first two practice sessions on the famously dusty circuit. "Neither tire was good, to be honest," said Hamilton, the 2008 F1 champion who completed 38 laps in the second practice, among the most of all drivers. "They both have very poor grip." Hamilton said Mercedes was being careful about avoiding excessive tire wear during the practices. "It feels like you have to slow down too much now, to the point that its a bit boring," Hamilton said, adding that he expected a "tough day" during the last practice and the qualifying session on Saturday. The British driver, who crashed during qualifying a week ago for the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim due to brake failure, could be heard complaining about the brakes again during practice over the team radio. Later, however, he did not seem too concerned. "I just had some brake settings that werent great," Hamilton said after the second practice session. "This is a continuing issue we need to work on." Hamilton won four of the first five races of the season, later adding a fifth in at the British Grand Prix. He has 176 points, 14 behind Rosberg and 70 ahead of Ricciardo, the only other winner in 2014. Philipp Grubauer Jersey .com) - Quarterback Cardale Jones will return to Ohio State next season. Rob Ramage Avalanche Jersey . Vonn flew back to Vail, Colo., last week after hurting her surgically repaired right knee at a downhill race in France. "Her knee was swollen again after Val dIsere," U.S. womens head coach Alex Hoedlmoser told The Associated Press. http://www.hockeyavalanche.com/authentic-rob-ramage-avalanche-jersey/ . The triple gold medallist from the 2010 Paralympics tweeted on Tuesday: "Woke up with a virus yesterday. Timing couldnt be much worse. Not the ideal prep for the .After 26 races, seven months and one unprecedented penalty, NASCARs regular season has come to an end. The Chase for the Sprint Cup begins in Chicago this weekend as 12 drivers have moved one step closer to the circuit crown. In handicapping the Chase, its important to remember that the playing field is once again level. All 12 qualified drivers now have an equal shot at the Cup, regardless of how many races they have won or lost up to this point. So, who do you like? Jimmie Johnson was the first to clinch his chase spot, doing so over a month ago at Aug. 11s Watkins Glen International. Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth have had their berths clinched for a couple weeks and have likewise been able to cruise through the final races prior to the Chase. Kyle Busch qualified by winning Atlanta two weeks ago and was joined that same night by Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne, leaving five spots up for grabs in Richmond. The field was filled out on the final weekend before the Chase with: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and - at the time - Martin Truex Jr. Truex may have been the sentimental favourite as he fought valiantly down the stretch, driving with a broken right wrist, but he was removed from the Chase by NASCAR officials after initially securing a spot when his Waltrip Racing teammates Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers apparently manipulated the outcome of Saturday nights Richmond race under orders from the team. The penalty vaulted Ryan Newman into the Chase by virtue of wild card qualification. When looking for who has the inside track, history can tell us a few things. The first, as always, is dont overlook Johnson. Number 48 has five Sprint Cups under his belt and was far and away the best driver for much of the 2013 campaign. After two years on the outside looking in, he could be hungry to add a sixth Cup to his trophy case. Bowyer - last years runner-up - may be eager to conclude some unfinished business. Bowyer, like Johnson, narrowly missed the Cup last season by virtue of two disastrous sub-20 finishes during the Chase that marred an otherwise excellent run. Kenseths five checkered flags this season are tops heading into the Chase but last years season ended on an inconsistent note. Mark Barberio Jersey. While Kenseth won two of the 10 Chase races, he was unable to crack the top 10 in all but one of the others, leading to a disappointing seventh-place finish. Kyle Busch is something of a wild card. He locked up his spot by winning Atlanta and has taken two of the last five checkered flags. However, the last time he was in the Chase in 2011, he finished last amongst the top 12, reaching only one podium. His brother Kurt has been good entertainment all year, even if he hasnt won many friends. He got into a shoving match with Tony Stewart and caused a seven-car pile-up. In the meantime, hes been a Jekyll and Hyde performer. Heading into Richmond, Busch had finished top-10 in 11 of his last 18. That said, hed also finished lower than 30th three times over that same span. Kurt is one of just four drivers to have successfully navigated the Chase, so he could be out to surprise. Fans will also be eager to see if Dale Earnhardt Jr. can finally return his family name to the Championship conversation after three straight unsuccessful Chases. Junior remains one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR, but many still await his big breakthrough. Logano has earned his slot through consistency. While he only has one checkered flag this season, he has essentially lived in the top 10 since Indianapolis including a pole-checker double at Michigan.Biffle, too, is a driver who shouldnt be overlooked, as hed have long ago locked up his spot had it not been for a disastrous spring that saw him finish in the 30s three times between Richmond and Charlotte, dropping from fourth to 13th in the standings in the process. Newman, for his part, is back in the Chase for the third time in five years and may be eager to make good on the chance hes been given to compete thanks to the Truex penalty.Last year Brad Keselowski took the Chase by surprise, entering it in seventh but then winning Chicago and holding tight the rest of the way with the aid of two duds from Johnson in the final weeks. Will this year have another dramatic finish? Who do you like? As always, its Your! Call. ' ' '