Motor Racing Roundup : Waltrip Avoids Trip to Wall, Wins

Darrell Waltrip held off a nine-lap threat from Rusty Wallace Sunday to become the first four-time winner of the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

There were a record-tying 13 caution flags, with several cars hitting the wall.

“I saw guys run good and I saw them in the fence,” said Waltrip, who scored his first victory this season by claiming the lead in NASCAR’s longest race on lap 369, passing Brett Bodine.

Then on lap 387 of the 400-lap race, Geoff Bodine’s Chevrolet rolled to a stop on the apron in the fourth turn, bringing out the 13th caution flag.

When the green flag came down on lap 391, Waltrip beat Wallace to the finish line, with Alan Kulwicki and Brett Bodine giving chase.

Waltrip opened up a wide lead over Wallace for seven of the last nine laps. Wallace closed the gap near the finish and tried to drive inside the leader at the end, only to finish two car lengths behind at the checkered flag. That brought an end to a five-hour race under a clear sky in central North Carolina.

Kulwicki was third, Brett Bodine fourth and pole-sitter Davey Allison was fifth.

Waltrip, 41, averaged 124.460 m.p.h. There were 43 lead changes among 18 drivers. Waltrip, who won $104,250, led five times for 73 laps, including the final 31.

For the second straight day, Dale Earnhardt nudged Geoff Bodine and sent his car into a spin. NASCAR officials penalized Earnhardt five laps, and he was never in contention.

In Saturday’s 300-mile race, Earnhardt nudged Bodine, sending him into a spin and putting him out of contention.

France’s Alain Prost, leading throughout the race, won the Formula One Grand Prix of Mexico City in 1 hour 30 minutes 15.737 seconds.

Ayrton Senna of Brazil, was second, 7.104 seconds behind Prost. Both Prost and Senna drove McLaren-Hondas. Third place went to West Germany’s Gerhard Berger, driving a Ferrari, 57.314 seconds behind the winner.

Prost averaged 118.19 m.p.h.

The start of the race was delayed five minutes and the number of laps reduced from 68 to 67 around the 2.747-mile track because of accidents.

Willy T. Ribbs of San Jose, driving a Camaro, led from the start despite a spirited challenge from Irv Hoerr of Peoria, Ill., to win the third round of the Trans-Ams series at Sears Point International Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

“We ran really, really hard,” Ribbs said of his battle with Hoerr in the 40-lap, 100-mile race. “He gave me the hardest race I think I’ve ever had.”

Finishing third was defending series champion Scott Pruett of Roseville, Calif., with Les Lindley of Anaheim fourth.

Tommy Archer of Duluth, Minn., won the Corvette Challenge, a series for virtually stock Corvettes. Bobby Carradine of Los Angeles finished third.

In the Formula Russell race, which features Mazda-powered open-wheel cars, Kevin Bollinger of Granada Hills won and Norm Breedlove of Tustin finished third.

At Nuerburgring, West Germany, American motorcycle racer Kevin Schwantz scored his second 500cc victory of the season, riding his Suzuki flawlessly on a wet Nuerburgring course in the West German Grand Prix.

Schwantz, winner of the Japanese Grand Prix, covered the 30-lap, 84.48-mile course in 1 hour 1 minute 52.27 seconds. He averaged 81.92 m.p.h.

Another American, Wayne Rainey, finished second on a Yamaha, 25.03 seconds behind, while Christian Sarron of France, on a Yamaha, was third, 51.55 seconds behind.

Eddie Lawson of Upland, who placed fourth on a Yamaha, retained the lead in the world championship standings with 105 points after 6 of 16 races.

At Baton Rouge, La., top fuel driver Darrell Gwynn swept to his second straight Winston drag racing series victory in the 13th National Hot Rod Assn. Champion Cajun Nationals.

Bruce Larson captured top-eliminator honors in the funny-car category, and Bruce Allen earned the pro-stock title.

Gwynn, 26, of Miami, drove his dragster to a final-round 5.169-second elapsed time, 273.58 m.p.h. top speed to defeat Joe Amato of Old Forge, Pa., who smoked his tires and was well back.

Larson, 49, of Dauphin, Pa., upset three-time Winston champion Kenny Bernstein of Dallas in the funny-car finals.

Larson drove his Oldsmobile Cutlass to a 5.590-second, 264.55-m.p.h. quarter mile, and Bernstein trailed at 5.523, 261.24 in his Buick Reatta.

In pro stocks, Allen, 37, of Arlington, Tex., drove his Chevrolet Beretta to a 7.444, 187.14-m.p.h. victory over Morris Johnson, Jr. of Richmond, Va.