INDIANAPOLIS -- As Simon Pagenaud collected a $1 million champions check Tuesday night, he was already contemplating what the 2017 IndyCar season might actually look like.Hes already been involved in meetings about improving of the No. 22 car. He plans to test next week at Elkhart Lake. He wants to win the series marquee race, the Indianapolis 500. And soon, Pagenaud could be welcoming a new teammate to Team Penskes stable in North Carolina.Things couldnt get much better for the 32-year-old French driver, who won a series-high five races and seven poles this season to attain his lifelong dream by winning the series title.Im so proud of what happened, so happy because it really has been my dream and it hasnt been easy to get here, he said. I really mean it, this has been my dream since I was a little kid.Pagenauds victory added another chapter to Roger Penskes incredible resume as a team owner, this time in his milestone 50th season as a team owner.Penske didnt make it this far by sitting still, savoring victories or getting complacent. So why start now -- after Pagenaud, 2014 series champ Will Power and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves swept the top three points places in 2016?Instead, Penske always keeps chasing more, which is why he wants to add the best young American driver in the series, Josef Newgarden, to his four-car garage. Had Newgarden been on the team last season, Penske would have swept the top four spots.And now it looks like the worst kept secret in IndyCars is on the verge of being confirmed.Were here tonight to celebrate 2016, Penske said, brushing aside questions about the expected announcement. I think well decide what the future will be soon, I hope.Ed Carpenter Racing announced last week that Newgarden had decided not to return to that team next season.And Newgarden tried to keep his future plans under wraps Tuesday night, explaining he didnt even consider moving on until he flew to Hawaii following the Sept. 18 race at Sonoma. In the two-plus weeks since the season finale, what started as a rumor has quickly become the conventional wisdom.Newgarden didnt help his case when he arrived on the red carpet after Castroneves, after Power, after Penske and even after Pagenaud. A slightly embarrassed Newgarden downplayed the order of appearance, acknowledging that never was the plan, but it still raised more questions about whats next for the rising star.Yes, Im currently unemployed, hopefully not for long, the 25-year-old Tennessee native said. When I had that conversation with Ed, it was very difficult. I think we could have continued for as long as we wanted, but a lot goes into a decision and sometimes when youre young, you just want to try something different.Penske and his drivers didnt drop any hints of what may be coming.I know Josef pretty well, Pagenaud said. I actually dont know whats going on, Ive just been reading what youve been writing about Josef and Juan (Pablo Montoya). I thought it worked pretty well last year, and thats not to say if Josef comes on board that it wouldnt work. It probably would.But before Pagenaud welcomes a new teammate and begins the daunting task of defending a title, he has a few more stops on his agenda.Hed like to take a vacation, switch off his cellphone and spend some time reflecting the biggest achievement of his life.I just want to take some time to enjoy all this, he said. I havent really had time to do that yet.Game notesThe late Bryan Clauson was selected as the series most popular driver by fans. The 27-year-old Clauson died in August from injuries sustained in a crash during a midget-car crash. ... Pagenaud also earned the P1 Award for scoring the most points among pole winners. ... Billy Vincent, who worked with Pagenaud, was named the series chief mechanic of the year, and Jon Bouslog, of Team Penske, was named team manager of the year. ... Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi was named the series rookie of the year, Conor Daly earned the Dont Crack Under Pressure Award, and Charlie Kimball earned the Drive to the Finish Award for completing the most laps.Nike Vapormax Salg . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Nike Daybreak Norge . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. http://www.vapormaxnorge.com/vapormax-herre-norge/vapormax-svart.html . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. Nike Sko Vapormax . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Vapormax Herre Norge . 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.CINCINNATI --?Chicago Cubs?All-Star left-hander Jon Lester laid down the gauntlet for his team come later this month after pitching in his regular-season finale Saturday:Some 100-plus wins are nice, but theyll mean little if October doesnt go the Cubs way.This season isnt anything unless we do what we showed up at spring training to do -- win a World Series, Lester said after failing to win his 20th game in a 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. I dont want to sound like an a--h--- or anything, but we really havent done anything yet.Its been over a century since the Cubs (102-58) have won this many regular-season games, but its been even longer since theyve won a World Series. Lester wants to make sure the team has its eyes on the prize.This is the real season now, he said. You play 162 to get to now.After Sundays finale, the Cubs will have four days off before their playoff run begins at Wrigley Field on Friday. It will mark three weeks to the day they celebrated clinching the National League Central, meaning they havent played any intense baseball in quite a while.Those four days off are manager Joe Maddons biggest concern.For me, mission accomplished these last 10 days or whatever its been, Maddon said in regards to his players staying sharp. Its not about this [now] -- its about the four days off.Lester thinks the same attitude the Cubs have displayed all seasonn will come in handy at the most important time of the year.ddddddddddddThe big thing with this team is were consistent, he said. We show up every day to play. Thats huge, especially with the young group that we have. Thats hard to do. Thats a hard thing to learn at a young age. These guys do it.Lester likely will be the division series Game 1 starter Friday, so hell have a big say in what transpires in the coming weeks, though Saturdays game could have conceivably cost him the Cy Young Award. He missed out on win No. 20 while seeing his ERA rise to 2.44.For whatever reason, just fighting myself today, Lester said after giving up five runs in five innings. Ill look at it, and if there are adjustments to be made, Ill work on it next week.It was one of the few bad starts in the second half for Lester (19-5), who held opposing hitters to an .085 batting average with runners in scoring position.This one was pretty special on a personal level, he said. It will probably go down as one of the better years of my career.But it wont be complete without a championship -- Lester made that abundantly clear.Can the Cubs break the drought? The left-hander is banking on it.Its go time, Lester said. Now we have to live up to the expectations and hype. ' ' '