The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 17

i The Indianapolis Star MONDAY, JULY 23, 1SS4 PORT; Kinanco 23, 21 PAGE 17 ari wins MicM melee ga By ROBIN MILLER, Assistant Sports Editor Brooklyn, Mich. The yellow light was on for 105 of the 250 laps run Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. There were five nasty accidents and one pit fire, which sent three men to the hospital. Five cars were totally destroyed and three others badly damaged. 4 i 1 5 im 4 UnIM Prtu tattmatlenal 4 Gary Bettenhausen's car is flipped sideways in collision with Howdy Holmes British There were also 26 lead changes among 10 drivers.

And finally, after three hours, 44 minutes and 45 seconds of either mayhem or magnificent racing there was a spectacular, albeit controversial, finish. Mario Andretti. despite losing one lap and one of his eight cylinders in the early going, roared back to clip Tom Sneva by a car length and apparently win a most memorable Michigan 500. But the happiness in the Carl HaasPaul Newman stable was clouded by the fact Chip Ganassi was critically injured in one of two violent flips. Ganassi suffered a closed head injury and was in the Intensive Care Unit at Ann Arbor's University of Michigan Hospital.

ON A WILD afternoon that saw a dozen yellow flags, driver Phil Krueger and crewman Butch Meyer were also hospitalized. Krueger wound up in Jackson's Foote Hospital with a concussion, broken right thumb and possible internal injuries after smacking the cement wall. Meyer, ironically the fuel man for Ganassi, suffered second degree burns on the face and arm during an early pit stop. Both were listed "serious." Pancho Carter survived a wild end-over-end ride trying for third place on the final lap with just a bump on the leg, while Al Unser Jr. came out of the Ganassi accident with only bruises.

And Bobby Rahal, AI Holbert, Howdy Holmes and Gary Betten-hausen emerged unscathed from a wreck that could have been real bad. DESPITE ALL the destruction, the windup of the second leg of CART's Triple Crown had the estimated 70.000 paying customers on their feet during the final 10 laps. While Andretti took the checkered flag by a mere fourteenhun-dredths of a second over Sneva for the closet finish in Indy-car history, not everyone was convinced the right car was rolled into victory lane. "I passed him (Andretti) at least twice during the race, I don't see how they figure he could have won," said Sneva, whose Mayer Motor Racing team was going over the scoring sheets with CART officials as the sun was setting. However, just 30 minutes after the race, Pat Patrick's team officially protested that fourth place Gordon Johncock was passed under a late yellow by some cars that finished ahead of him.

Obviously, only Andretti, Sneva and Rick Mears fit that description. REGARDLESS OF what is or isn't decided when the official finish is posted this morning, the nationally-televised marathon came down to a sprint race between two of the best competitors this profession has ever had to offer. And, depending on whom you listen to, those last few trips around the 2 mile high banks featured either defensive driving or suicide at 200 miles per hour. "He (Andretti) tried to kill us both the last four laps," charged Sneva, who led 84 of 250 laps. "He tried to run me in the infield once and then, after I gave him a head fake and went high, he almost stuffed me in the wall.

He couldn't have missed hitting me by inches. "It was bush league The Gas Man was referring to the two or three times he pulled his Texaco Star March 84C alongside Mario's Budweiser Lola the last going into one on the white flag lap. "WE DIDNT come that close," declared Andretti, now with three victories on his 1984 ledger. "I knew where he was and I didn't do anything to put him in jeopardy. "I know I made my race car pretty wide by using up all the track.

But I didn't do anything dangerous. Blocking is legal that close to the end. I did a few things to defend myself and I thought I did it quite nicely." When informed of Sneva's comments, the 44 year-old veteran replied, "He would have done exactly the same thing I did if he's the racer I know he is. He'll get over it 'by Wednesday." It was more than fitting the dogfight was between the two men who were only separated by six-thousands of a second during last Thursday's qualifying. But the fact Andretti, the polesit-ter at 211.088 mph, was even in the hunt was a miracle considering his" start.

AFTER PACING the initial five circuits, the No. 2 man on Indy's winning list (with 39 victories) began dropping back rapidly. By Lap 10, he was all the way back to 10th. "I dropped a cylinder and lost 1,000 revs," he explained. Usually, this condition is terminal but Andretti got a couple of breaks in this case.

First, his crew solved the problem by replacing just one spark plug and second, they did it under a yellow. "I didn't know how much time I'd lost but it turned out to be only a lap," continued Andretti. "When accelerated out of the pits, I knew everything was okay again." While Sneva, Rahal, Mears, both Unsers, Kevin Cogan, Josele Garza and A.J. Foyt took turns swapping the top spot, Mario was making his. way to the front.

After being out of the lead for 200 laps, Andretti reclaimed it on Lap 205 during a pit exchange. He was comfortably out in front with 20 laps left, but Sneva had whittled the" advantage to a few car lengths with 10 laps to go. "I KNEW once he (Sneva) got in my draft he would really close in," admitted Andretti, who moved into second spot in the PPG Industries standings 21 points behind Sneva. "But I also knew he'd have trouble in dirty air like I did so I started using up all of the track. "With two laps to go I saw his nose alongside, but I tried to ignore it" As usual at MIS, lots of guys ran strong.

Besides Mears, who was plagued by a bad valve, Carter, Johncock, Roberto Guerrero, Josele Garza, Kevin Cogan, A. J. Foyt and both Unsers had their moments. Guerrero overcame a spin (just like at Indianapolis) to take fifth in the Master Mechanics March 84C, while Carter was awarded sixth even though the Simoniz March 84C wound 'up in two pieces on the backstretch grass. Pancho, who drove a superb race in his debut with Rick Galles' See MARIO, Page 18 SI Andrews, Scotland (AP) -Seve Ballesteros gave a clenched fist salute of triumph and a full-throated roar of victory when he dropped a difficult birdie putt on the 18th hole of the Old Course at St.

Andrews. 1 But, both he and Tom Watson agreed, Ballesteros' victory Sunday in the M3th British Open Golf Championship turned on the infamous Road Hole the dreaded 17th. Ballesteros, on the comeback from a slump, made the par he needed on the 17th. And Watson, eagerly, anxiously seeking a place in history of golf at the place that is recognized as he home of the game, the bogey he could not afford. The birdie on 18 gave Ballesteros his second British Open title and his first victory of the year by a two-stroke margin with a course record-.

breaking total. THEY WERE TIED as they had been most of the afternoon 1 when first Ballesteros, then Watson, immediately behind him, came to the 461-yard par-4 that is considered the hardest hole in golf. Ballesteros bogeyed it the first three times he played it "On 17, Mold my caddy, 'We've got this hole this time. Let's just make two putts. A par on 17 is like a birdie." Arid he did just that He drove far to the left, then put his second shot safely on the putting surface, made his two putts and left with a 4.

Then, as Ballesteros played the 18th, Watson went to the tee on the 17th. He boldly drove to the right, over the reconstructed sheds, then saw his hopes, fade, and die as his second shot got away from him, drifted right, bounced off the green, onto the paved road, against the stone wall beyond the road. His swing restricted, Watson punched back to the green, some 30 feet beyond the flag. His freckled face a mask of strained despair, Watson crouched over the par putt as Ballesteros and the gallery of about 35,000 howled in delight at Seve's birdie on 18. "THE GALLERY let me' know what I had to do.

They let me know in spades," Watson said. "I had to make the putt." But he didn't. It wasn't really close. And the miss left Watson two behind with only the 18th to play. It also wrote an end to Watson's 2-year reign as the British Open title-holder, destroyed his dreams of a career sweep of the Scottish courses and at least delayed his hopes of a sixth British Open title to tie Harry Vardon's 70-year-old record.

"So be it," Watson said. Ballesteros, who won the British Open in 1979 and owns two Masters titles, gained his fourth major championship with a closing 69 and a 276 totar, 12 shots under par. That broke by two shots the 72-hole Open record for St. Andrews, set-in 1960 by Australian Kel Nagle. Bernhard Langer of West Germany, who refused to fold despite a putter that simply refused to cooperate', finally dropped one for birdie on the 18th and, with a 71, tied Watson for second at 278.

WATSON, TIED for the lead and two in front of Ballesteros when the day's play started, was deserted by the putter that often is the most deadly weapon in his arsenal and eventually finished with a 73. It was another three strokes back to Lanny Wadkins and Fred Couples who tied for fourth at 281. Couples birdied the 18th to complete a 68 in mild, partly sunny weather and breezes that were relatively light Wadkins, at times on the verge of getting into contention, shot a 69. Greg Norman, the Australian who had been on such a rampage through the American Tour, came on with a 67 that left him tied for sixth with Nick Faldo of England at 282. Faldo had a 69.

Mark McCumber was next at 70 -283. Ian Baker-Finch, the 23 year-old Australian who shared the third-round lead with Watson, could do nothing right. He was two over par after four holes, made double bogey on the sixth after driving into one of the pot bunkers that pit and crater the course, reached the turn in 41 and wasn't a factor again. He even- tually limped home with a 79 and a 284 total. MASTERS CHAMPION Ben Crenshaw scored a hole-in-one on the 178 yard eighth hole on his way to a 69 and a 286 total.

U.S. Open title-holder Fuzzy Zoeller was 71 285. Jack Nicklaus, the 44 year-old Golden Bear who won this tournament the last two times it was held at St never recovered from an opening 76. He matched par 72 over the final 18 holes and was par for the tournament at 288. "Obviously, I'm in my performance," Nicklaus said.

"That first round killed me." Seve Ballesteros coaxes Spaniard captured his second AtMcltttd Prtu in a birdie putt on 18 British Open Championship Youngster steals show as Games draw to close By KURT FREUDENTHAL A blond, green-eyed seventh grader, described as'a self-starter, stole the show from the older folks as the second White River Park State Games wound down Sunday. Dan Clarke, 12, "of Kokomo, a gymnast for only three years, performed well enough in Market Square Arena late Saturday night to earn all seven gold medals in his age group competition. it marked the first time that anyone captured that Results, Page 22 vH it- iff i mitrf 1 Nationals and then for the Olympics," he said. In Sunday's gymnastics competition, Mark Bray and Brent Reed of Anderson dominated their competition. Bray finished with six golds and one silver in the 13-15 division, Reed with five golds and two silvers in the 1618s.

David Stevenson of Columbus captured four golds, two'silver and one bronze in the 19-over division. The. Lafayette Hustlers, led by James Collins' 26 points, retained their Men's Open basketball title at Indiana Central with a 74 71 win over Hulman Stars of Terre Haute. Purdue's Ricky Hall tossed in 20 for the Ron Jones was the losers' top scorer with 20 points. The Happy Hoopers 'of Indianapolis beat the Lafayette Hoopalas, 56 50, for the Women's Open crown behind Elza Purvlicis' 15 points.

MEANWHILE, THREE days of swimming ended in the Natatorium at 1UPUI with five contestants sweeping to a maximum five golds. Angie Todt, 13, of Elkhart, did it Saturday and was joined Sunday by Joy Coon, Sharon Bill Condon and Steve Ware; 1 Coon, 20, of Logansport, and a sophomore at Illinois State University, won her age group 100-meter freestyle in 1 minute, 2.64 seconds for her fifth victory. Wise, 37, of Indianapolis, won of three golds last year. This year, she took the 50 butterfly in 34.40 and many firsts in this event designed for participants of all ages. Clarke, who trains out of CrandelKs Physical Art Center at Pendleton, was first in the all-around, floor, horse, vault, rings, high bar and parallel bars competition.

"This was probably my best meet," he-said, adding he was "a bit surprised" that he swept his age group. "MY MOM signed me up in a private (gymnastics) club when we lived in Iowa," he said. "That got me started." 1 "We were surprised but very pleased," said his mother, Mary Clarke. "We are very proud of him. He has a lot of drive.

He kind of puts it into gear on his Dan, the oldest of the Clarke's four children, has gymnastics career in mind. "I'm going to shoot for the AiMCitt4 Prtu Mario Andretti gives out a champagne shower Michigan 500 Winner overcame early advcrrity to triumph See GAMES, Page 21 r..