Jamie Whincups closest Supercars rivals are taking vastly different approaches to reeling in the series leader at this weekends Sandown 500.Red Bull team-mate Shane Van Gisbergen is a picture of intensity and action together with French co-driver Alex Premat.But in the garage next door, theres a decidedly laid-back feel that two veterans hope will bear fruit.Steven Richards, 44, and Craig Lowndes, 42, have paired up in car No.888 and are taking a different path towards bridging the 198-point gap to Whincup.Richards, a four-time Bathurst 1000 winner including last year with Lowndes, said the mood was more mellow in the Team VortexWe debrief with all the Red Bull guys and weve got our own shed and talk more, he said.Its a little bit nicer than in the past (at Red Bull). Craig and I are pretty easy-going guys.Jamie and Shane are quite intense characters but (Craig and I) well go and have a cup of tea and cruise along.And its so far, so good for the New Zealander.Richards was quickest and second-quickest in two practice sessions for co-drivers on Friday.The car feels great, really good, he said.Nice and consistent, easy to drive and thats what we need.We need to be able to tick the box lap after lap after lap and not make too many errors.In the No.97 Commodore, van Gisbergen is more focussed on the high stakes.After emerging through the seasons opening races as Whincups closest rival, the 27-year-old knows how important the endurance series is.If you break the year into three parts, the first part of the season was pretty good and this part really makes or breaks the championship, he said.Weve got three big weekends up for grabs. Well push for three good results and well be happy.Premat, who has competed both full-time and as a co-driver for Volvo in the Supercars tour before, said the vital signs were good at Triple Eight.Its pretty amazing what they do, he said.Everything is going right in the three weeks Ive been here.DJR Team Penske driver Fabian Coulthard was quickest in Fridays only practice session for full-time drivers ahead of Chaz Mostert and van Gisbergen.Tony DAlberto, in a DJR Team Penske Falcon of Scott Pye, topped the timing sheets in Fridays late session for co-drivers. Randy White Cowboys Jersey . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Tony Pollard Cowboys Jersey . 8 Iowa State on Saturday, sending the Cyclones to their third consecutive loss. The Longhorns (14-4, 3-2) got their biggest win of the season with their third in the row in the Big 12. http://www.cowboysfootballgearshop.com/deion-sanders-jersey/ . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. Demarcus Lawrence Cowboys Jersey . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. Robert Newhouse Jersey . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. As you probably know by now, Sydney Leroux and Dom Dwyer welcomed their first child over the weekend. His name is Cassius Cruz, and he is adorable as you would expect. Hes also likely a future soccer star.And just because Leroux is a new mom doesnt mean shes going to spend any less time on social media -- or any less time with her beloved dogs. So, with that in mind, please feast your eyes on the CUTEST PICTURE EVER BELOW. And note the text on the shirt baby Cassius is wearing.I mean... #bestiesA photo posted by Sydney Leroux Dwyer (@sydneyleroux) onSep 14, 2016 at 11:07am PDTIf you need any further prroof about how he is getting along with his canine siblings, it seems like they are doing pretty well thus far.dddddddddddd think hes going to fit in just fine.A photo posted by Sydney Leroux Dwyer (@sydneyleroux) onSep 12, 2016 at 11:40am PDTFive days old, and this kid already has more adorable photos than most of us. Keep living your best life, Cassius.See something entertaining on social media that you think deserves to be shared? Let me know on Twitter, @darcymaine_espn. ' ' '