The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 18

PAGE 18- T1IE INDIANAPOLIS STAR MONDAY, JULY 19, 1982 1 at Michigan Andretti johncock. pain from his Saturday crash and had he been able to make a final wing adjustment, the windup might have easily resembled the 1982 Indianapolis 500 when Johncock nipped Mears by .16 of a second. As it was. Gordy gradually pulled away to the final margin by turning laps of 197 plus, while his plucky team mate struggled to the finish. "I WASN'T OPERATING very good the first half of the race, but I couldn't have asked for any more out of my car the last 60 laps," exclaimed Johncock, who covered the 250 laps at an average speed of 153.925 mph.

"I had a bad push that we finally solved and I could have run even faster if I'd had to at the end." The fact Andretti hung in for his third runnerup role of 1982 was a tribute to his ability and moxie. After capturing the pole position by nearly two mph last Thursday, he crashed heavily during Saturday's fi nal practice session. He had to get in his backup Wildcat VIII and move to the last row. It didn't take Mario long to get in the hunt. He was seventh at 30 laps, third at 37 trips and in the lead after only 43 go arounds.

Even stalling his car on a pit stop and losing a lap didn't detour his charge because he made up that deficit and was trailing Johncock by only five seconds head ing into the final pit stops. BUT FOLLOWING THE scheduled pauses for fuel, with the caution still out, Andretti charged back in to have his crew adjust his front wings for the By ROBIN MILLER Star Sportswriter Brooklyn, Mich. Sunday's Norton 500 wound up being a Pat Patrick benefit. Gordon Johncock, wheeling one of Patrick's STP Wildcats, literally out muscled teammate Mario Andretti to the checkered flag in winning the Championship Auto Racing Teams richest race. It was a popular victory with the 65,000 spectators at Michigan International Speedway as Johncock.

from nearby Coldwater, finished 15 seconds ahead of Andretti in the Gordon Kim-ball-designed cars owned by Patrick, who resides in nearby Jackson. The second 500 miler at Roger Penske's high banked 2 mile oval was much like the inaugural show in 1981. There were lots of yellow flags, lots of attrition and lots of lead changes. But after three hours, 13 minutes and 44 seconds, there was little doubt who the strongest survivor was. JOHNCOCK, STARTING second in the 34 car grid, had his experienced hands full in the early going against Rick Mears.

Kevin Cogan. Pancho Carter, A.J. Foyt and. of course, Andretti. as they traded the top spot 27 times.

However, as those folks fell by the wayside, the hard nosed, 44year-old Johncock pressed on the throttle. After a fierce, 195 mile-an hour duel with Mario for nearly 30 laps, Gordy took the lead for good on the 194th circuit. Had Andretti not been racked with ffCI? In til HI final sprint. But he overshot his pits and had to roar back onto the track because the green was about to fall. Whether that "fine tune" would have helped him correct his loose condition remains to be seen.

One thing was certain, however. Because of the impact of Saturday's crash, his jaw, neck and back were all sore prior to the race and he was definitely hurting after the grind. He laid on the pit wall with cold compresses on his neck and had to be driven to his motor home. His only comment was, "I've had it." Other than Patrick's 12 punch, nobody else was even close as third place Bobby Rahal wound up five laps behind, as did Al Unser, in fourth. Only 12 cars were running at the finish as there were 11 yellow situa tions.

THE MOST SERIOUS involved Foyt, whose season ended here a year ago when his right arm was nearly severed in a nasty shunt in turn two. Holding third coming down for a restart on the 147th lap. Super Tex was speared by rookie Hector Rcba que as the pack stormed through the fourth corner. A.J.'s Valvoline March slammed into the wall and slid into the infield demolished while Rebaque's Carta Blanca March spun into the grass and he jumped out. The four-time Indy winner suffered a puncture of the left leg, a bruised tailbone and a sore right ankle, but was released from the infield hospital.

"I saw somebody spin and figured if he kept it locked up I'd be OK, but I didn't have anywhere to go," said Foyt. "I feel pretty good, but I think I got the same hole in my leg I had last year." The other accidents involving contact with the wall eliminated Herm Johnson's Menard Cashway Lumber Eagle and Mears' Gould Charge. Johnson lost power, was rammed from behind by Roger Mears and sent into the fourth-turn cement on the seventh circuit. 'MEARS, WHO STARTED on the pole and led 80 laps, was challenging Johncock for command when he apparently ran over some debris, cut a tire and spun into the second turn wall. The defending CART champ es caped unharmed and Penske's PC 10 wasn't damaged too badly.

Tom Bigelow spun the HBK Racing Eagle on the 97th tour, but recovered nicely and came back to take fifth, just ahead of Gary Bettenhau-sen's Genesee Beer Wagon PC 7Chevy. Johncock, who only lasted four laps in the 1981 Norton 500, wound up leading 117 laps and earned $89,371 for his team. He also assumed the PPG Industries point lead from Mears. Going into the next stop at Milwau kee, Gordy has 157 points, Andretti 123 and Mears 119. Car driven by A.J.

Foyt slides after crash at Michigan International Speedway Csonka, Kiiek mentioned in probe Ex-Dolphins tied to smugglers 1 rWUBWHI muswwivv Kiick Csonka harbors to dock their marijuana laden ships and work crews to unload the illegal weed. The newspaper said investigators do not believe Csonka and Kiick were involved in the ring, but sought independently to set up their own smuggling operation. An undercover agent was quoted as saying he was contacted by Csonka and Kiick in November 1980 about "putting together a marijuana deal." "We met them and they wanted to use our off loading services," the agent said. "But the deal fell through. We told them to come back when they had it all set up.

I can't tell you any more about it." The newspaper said the telephone call and meeting were taped. The newspaper said their alleged involvement was first revealed on April 8, 1981 three weeks after the Grouper indictments by a New Orleans television station. The copyright story quoted Assist ant U.S. Attorney Patrick Fanning, chief of the narcotics section in New Orleans, as saying the year-old investi gation of Csonka and Kiick involves people who were indicted in the "Operation Grouper" case. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

(UPI) Former Miami Dolphins running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick have been linked to members of a $300-million drug organization, it was reported Sunday. In a copyright story in the Sunday edition of the Fort Lauderdale News-Sun-Sentinel, the newspaper said federal agents at New Orleans were investigating Csonka and Kiick after their names surfaced in the "Operation Grouper" marijuana bust. The investigation allegedly has linked the two men to admitted smugglers Joe Harry Pegg, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, and Edward Paul Hinde-lang, 42, of Tampa. Pegg and Hinde-lang pleaded guilty in the "Operation Grouper" case and currently are serving federal prison terms. Neither Csonka nor Kiick has been charged with any wrongdoing and the newspaper said federal authorities had no immediate plans to bring charges against them.

Reached at his Ohio farm, Csonka told the newspaper he was not aware of the investigation. "I wasn't aware there ever was a case." Csonka said. "I talked to the U.S. attorney in New Orleans, they W-if- S3 -i Jr Art sent me a subpoena to appear before the grand jury and I made that ap pearance. That's all the contact I've had with them.

What else would you want me to say? It would be silly for me to comment on such a one-sided story." "Operation Grouper" was the code name of a massive federal investiga tion that led to 165 indictments last year. Police said the ring operated in Louisiana, Georgia and Florida and grossed some $300 million a year. The probe began in the fall of 1978 and involved both federal and state agents posing as experts in getting marijuana ashore. The undercover agents offered drug smugglers secure (UPI Photo) A.J. Foyt helped from wrecked car The Surgeon General Has Deter That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your I Health.

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