The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 25

Obituaries 7 Classified 8-16 Weather 17 Section The Indianapolis Star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1989 Sports U. Nationals see record times Cc Robin J-' Miller 1 jx; CTAQ DuATAAEDM ATlflMQ of 5.19 seconds Sunday afternoon in his funny car. "It took us this long, so it's quite a feat." After LaHale had the first four-second run, Gwynn said he couldn't wait to fire up his engine "to get rid of the chills up his back." ii -Til in Lahale seconded that thought, saying, "As far as we're concerned, what happened today is history. The big day Is tomorrow." Sunday also was a day In which the leading Funny Car driver in the U.S. Nationals graphically illustrated he knew what he was talking about.

Don Prudhomme, driver of the Skoal Bandit Trans Am Pon-tlac Funny Car. said Friday following his record 5.263 seconds elapsed time qualifying run, "I feel I can go faster." Sunday he did. The Granada Hills. racer swept the money-bearing Big Bud Shootout, broke his own track record during qualifying by turning IRP's quarter-mile strip In 5.172 seconds elapsed time, and calmly dealt with an in-car fire during a second qualifying run. Prudhomme met John Force In the Castrol GTXJolly Rancher Olds Cutlass Funny Car for See NHRA Page 3 STAR STAFF PHOTOPATRICK SCHNEIDER inning.

Farmer, who was 12-9 at Double A Jacksonville, pitched the Tribe's Eastern Division clincher a week ago at Richmond. He pitched seven Innings of three-hit ball In that game and didn't allow an earned run. The Royals will send righthander Kevin Appier (8-8) to the mound. He did not pitch against Indianapolis this season. OMAHA LOST two players, catcher Rey Palaclos and outfielder Jeff Schulz.

to the Kansas City Royals. Plus, outfielder Ken Spratke left the club due to personal problems. Outfielder Chito Martinez joined the club from Kansas City's Double A team in Memphis. Pitcher Bill Laskey and Castenada who had been hurt also were activated. By GEORGE MOORE STAR STAFF WRITER The fourth and last day of qualifying for the 35th annual NHRA U.S.

Nationals concluded at Indianapolis Raceway Park Sunday a day which witnessed two drivers posting the first four-second runs in the history of the U.S. Nationals. Dick Lahale in the Miller High Life Fueler led off the charge during the final late afternoon qualifying session by turning an elapsed time of 4.985 seconds. Minutes later. Darrell Gwynn In the Coors Fueler went quicker, turning the strip in 4.981 seconds to become the quickest driver in IRP's history and the top qualifier in Top Fuel.

"Making It Into the four-second club was the main thing I accomplished here today (Sunday)." Gwynn said. "I've been the No. 1 qualifier before, but that doesn't mean you're going to win the race." Gwynn. from Miami, Omaha hammers Indians By DAVE GARLICK STAR STAFF WRITER Advantage Omaha. Even though the best-of-five American Association championship series is now tied at a game apiece after the Omaha Royals thumped the Indianapolis Indians.

11-2, Sunday night In Bush Stadium, the Royals hold the upper hand since the final three games are scheduled for Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb. Still, It Is not an impossible task since the Indians won four of six games in Omaha this year (the Tribe handled Omaha. 10-2 overall). "Well. It will still come down to the team that executes." said Omaha manager Sal Rende, who saw his club pile up 14 hits against five Indianapolis pitchers.

"We definitely needed this one. you can't get down 2-0 against a quality club like Indianapolis." But Tribe manager Tom Run-nells Isn't worried about the next three games. Just tonight's. "You can't worry about the second game there before the first." Runnells said. "We can win two games on the road, we can sweep on the road.

"But we have to go out and play well tomorrow night. Those guys on the other side (Omaha) can play. We'll see what we're made of tomorrow." The Western Division champs who finished with a 74-72 record wrapped up the contest In the third Inning when the Royals sent 12 hitters to the plate and scored six runs on six hits. Omaha already had a 1-0 lead on Terry Shumpert's sacrifice fly in the second off Indianapolis starter Urbano Lugo. With one out In the third.

Chuck Jackson hit a grounder to the right of shortstop Dellno De-Shields, who double clutched then threw too late to first. Luis de Ios Santos then doubled off the wall In left to leave runners on second and third. Lugo who was 1-1 against Omaha In the regular season and 12-4 overall got ahead of Tommy Dunbar. 0-2. at which time manager Tom Runnells decided to bring the Infield in.

It turned out to be a bad decision, because Dunbar hit a i'A if ill (sMm Colts in the Super Bowl? Get serious NDIANAPOLIS Is currently whipping itself into a pro football frenzy. The Colts finished the exhibition season as the only unbeaten team in the NFL. the offense put up 123 points in those four victories and people are talking about super savers to the Super Bowl In January. There has not been this much excitement around here since Frank Kush called for a pass on first down back In 1984. For sure, the 1 989 version of Colts promises to be the most entertaining since Mayflower packed up Robert lrsay's franchise and bolted Baltimore six years ago.

And with the best running back in the NFL (Eric Dicker-son), rookie rocket Andre Rl-son. cool Chris Chandler, elusive Clarence Verdln and the rest of the offense, there Is certainly good reason for all the enthusiasm. There was a different kind of excitement In 84 because, after years of minor league football. Indianapolis had finally made "the bigs." And. even though lrsay's midnight ride was looked upon as something less than honorable by most of the country, we didn't care.

We had a bona fide NFL member, the Hoosler Dome had some major revenue and once-deserted downtown Indianapolis suddenly had lots of traffic on Sunday afternoons. It didn't really matter that the Colts were a feeble 4-12 that first season and a 5-11 record In 1985 didn't diminish the overall enthusiasm either. But after 13 consecutive defeats In 1986. the welcome wagon had been parked and the locals were growing uglier by the game. At that point.

It looked like the concern about Irsay Just being here for the money was true. The Dolts were low In self-esteem, salaries, skill and the standings, but Irsay was still high in profit margin. With an 0-13 record. Irsay hired Ron Meyer to guard the corpse and the rest, as they so often say. Is history.

Meyer Instilled Instant pride, persuaded Irsay to open his wallet and the Colts won the AFC East In '87. A year ago. despite a 1-5 start. Indy roared back to finish 9-7 and Just missed making the playoffs. So.

what's the point of this brief history lesson? Well, for a man once called the devil by his own mother, Irsay has more or less been an angel In Indianapolis. Other than his reported role In the great quarterback controversy at the start of '88. he's let Meyer and his general managerson. Jim. run the show.

Irsay has behaved like an owner should he's spent money to sign talent and stayed in the stands. And Indianapolis has become a solid, fun-to-watch football team. But let's get realistic for a minute. First off. the Colts are In one of the NFL's toughest divisions.

Secondly, their 1989 schedule is loaded with bullies the Rams. Browns. Bengals and Saints (all on the road and San Francisco here. The Colts' defense Isn't bad, but it's still very susceptible to the forward pass and Jim Everett. Joe Montana.

Boomer Esia-son. Bernle Kosar. John Elway. Jim Kelly and Jim McMahon will undoubtedly point this out during '89. Sure, if the Colts can continue to average 30 points a game, they could pull off an 11-5 or 10-6 mark and maybe the AFC East title.

But another 9-7 record and a wildcard playoff spot seems much more attainable given the facts. Of course there's nothing wrong with' being optimistic. Just don't let an exhibition sweep blurr your vision. I can see a fun season for the Colts. But the Super Bowl? Get some glasses and get serious.

Don Prudhomme finishes a run said that everybody was already welcoming him to the four-second club when he ran a 5.09 seconds elapsed time during a test run two years ago. "But here I am one of the last." he said. Indians manager Tom Runnels soft line drive off his fists up the middle. Had the Infield been back. DeShields said he would have made the play.

Instead. It was 3-0 Omaha In front of 5.495 fans at Bush Stadium. "One hit didn't make the difference tonight." said Runnells. "That wasn't the key." Which Is true, since Lugo, who hadn't started since Aug. 22 (he pitched two short stints In Montreal since and was sent down Thursday), then walked Nick Castaneda before Jose Castro singled to left to give Omaha a four-run lead.

That ended Lugo's night, but on Mike Campbell's second pitch. Kelly Paris put perfect bunt down the third base line for a single that loaded the bases. Campbell hit Shumpert to force in the fifth run. then Kevin CART STANDINGS 1. Emerson Fittipaldi 155 2.

Rick Mears 133 3. Teo Fabi Michael Andretti 5. Al Unser Jr. .125 125 .110 6. Mario Andretti 83 76 74 72 59 59 7.

Scott Pruett 8. Bobby Rahal 9. Danny Sullivan 10. Arie Luyendyk Raul Boesei erson Fittipaldi In first with 155 points. Rick Mears with 133.

Fabl and Andretti with 125 and Unser with 110 with three races left. Fittipaldi finished fourth Sunday and Mears was sixth behind Penske teammate Danny Sullivan. But it was Fabl's manner of winning which caught everyone by surprise, particularly Unser. Holding a healthy lead with nine I 4 HJ- With Gwynn running the top speed of 282.48 miles per hour, and Lahale a 285.44. Gwynn said.

"This Is important, but now it's the race. I want to be around when the sun goes down tomorrow (today)." homered off Scott Anderson In the fifth to make It 11-0 before the Indians finally got a run in the sixth on Junior Noboa's sacrifice fly. Meanwhile, the Tribe could do nothing with Omaha starter Steve Fireovld. The right-hander tied for the league lead with a 13-8 record this year, but he was I -2 with a 10.38 earned run average against Indianapolis. However Sunday he allowed Just eight hits and the two runs.

Fireovld struck out four and didn't help the Tribe with walks, as he issued Just one base on balls. In tonight's crucial third game (WBCI 100.9-FM. WXLW 950-AM. 7 p.m.) rookie Howard Farmer will make Just his second start of the year for the Indians. Roof 200 laps before Unser.

who had remained close throughout the race, dashed by him on Lap 48 to lead the next 1 1 laps. But Fabl blazed past Unser on the backstretch, following the latter's second pit stop, and had a 10-second cushion Just six laps later. By the time Fabi pitted for the third and final time, the gap was up to 21 seconds. More Importantly. It duped Unser Into believing he couldn't catch Fabl, so he decided to preserve the second-place finish, his highest since the Indianapolis 500.

"After the second stop, he (Fabi) just went away." said Unser. "It's obvious why he did now since he had fresh tires and a half tank. That was good See CART Page 2 (left) argues with home plate umpire Charlie Reliford in the third Bun-ell lashed a single to left to give Omaha a 7-0 lead and prove that the visitors had no hangover from Saturday night's tough 5-4. 14-inning loss to the Indians. "This club's makeup Is too good to let a loss like last night's effect them." said Rende.

"Tonight, we Just got the big hits at the right time and played defense." Omaha upped the advantage to 10-0 in the fourth on Dunbar's hit. a walk to Castro and Shumpert's long three-run homer to left. Shumpert had driven In Just two runs since mid-July (he did have a stint on the disabled list) but his five RBI Sunday more than doubled that output. Chito Martinez who was activated from Double A Sunday laps remaining, he dashed Into the pits for an 8.18-second fuel-only stop. Because of the margin, he was able to hold off Unser and won it going away.

Afterward, it was learned he had received a half-tank of fuel on his previous stop. "On the second stop, we got very little fuel." explained Fabi. who earned $53,160. "That allowed me to pull away from Al Jr. "They told me what they had done during the stop.

So I was pushing hard to make the lead big enough to be able to afford another stop. Luckily. Al didn't realize that." Fabi. who led the lirst 28 laps before pitting, regained the lead from Sullivan, who pitted two laps later. He led the next 17 Fabi outduels Unser in Red SCORES AMERICAN LEAGUE Seattle 3 Boston 2 New York 5 California 2 Minnesota 9 Toronto 4 Detroit 12 Cleveland 3 Chicago 4 Baltimore 2 Oakland 5 Milwaukee 0 Kansas City 13 Texas 2 NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh 3 Cincinnati 1 Atlanta 8 Chicago 5 St.

Louis 4 Houston 3 Montreal 4 Los Angeles 0 San Diego 9 Philadelphia 5 San Francisco 4 New York 0 AAA ALLIANCE Omaha 11 Indians 2 By RICK SHAFFER STAR STAFF WRITER Lexington. Ohio Teo Fabl said that it takes luck to win. but some heads-up thinking certainly didn't hurt him in Sunday's Red Roof Inns 200 at the Mid-Ohio circuit. Fabl, the polesitter here and Indy 500 rookie of the year In 1983. ended a personal six-year dry spell and gave the Quaker State MarchPorsche its first-ever Indy-car win before a crowd estimated at 60.000.

The Italian driver averaged 104.820 miles per hour and crossed the finish line 6.98 seconds ahead of Al Unser Jr. in the Valvoline LolaChevy. Michael Andretti was third In the martHavolIne LolaChevy. Fabl's win tightened the CARTPPG points race with Em-.