The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 20

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR MONDAY, JULY 14, 1980 BEATS JOIIXCOCK AT MID-OHIO Rutherford Road Races To First PAGE 20- Sports Md-Ohio Finish sand bank Just in front of a forest Tom rtm ori.r got out okay, but the Phoenix is in that l- 4 johnnRur(ord netherland where It will cost as much to t- Gordon Johncock tS i j-1 am aiius fix it as replace it. Dave McMillan of New Zealand led VI J.ncc.rw wire-to-wire in winning the supporting VI 100-kilometer Mini-indy race. is.14 ii. Tom srava it was the second straight victory for Vi hm' McMillan, who went into the race as the Pint leader in Robert Bosch Series 10-13 for Super Vees. IMI BWTtmooro 12 McMillan's Rait rt-5, which sat on ywv vl the pole, led all 26 laps on the narrow 2.4- jj.it TimBicnmond mile, 15-turn road course at Mid-Ohio.

He u'n sSrnnMr averaged 94.266 miles an hour, finishing i ick more than six seconds ahead of a March Moan, is i6 jonncock, u-44 mck nr, driven bv Bob Lazier of Vail, Colo. Rulhorford. YILLOW RLAOS: 44.93 Sntvt accldont turn 13, 5S- si sick i.ari.umorccki.nt turn i. Mike Chandler, son of Los Angeles fi.fim.'t.'r"""r'' Times publisher, Otis, was third. Peter Kuhn of Chatham, N.J., started Al was in trouble from the start.

Suspension problems on the front end brought him in for tire changes before he finally came in for good after 27 circuits while running fifth and a lap down. THERE WERE other early problems. Danny Ongais, who qualified fifth, didn't take the green flag after developing a vibration someplace in the drive line. Sheldon Kinser also missed the start with engine trouble. Tim Richmond couldn't complete a lap before he encountered gear problems, spun off the course and was hit by John Wood.

The start itself was a snafu. Starter Duane Sweeney didn't give the cars the green when the pace car came off the track because the back rows were strung out. But nobody was paying attention. They all went racing with Al spinning off the first turn. It took two laps to get everybody back in two-by-two order for the real start.

One prospective contender, Tom Bag-ley, was lost in the pre-qualifying prac- to contend with a bulky clutch that made gear-shifting a problem all afternoon. Separated by two cars from Rutherford on the restart following the Mears-Muther tangle, Johncock steadily and rapidly dropped backward after the green came out on the 60th of 65 laps. IT WAS A this-much-good, this-much-bad race for what apparently is the final event of the United States Auto Club championship season. With the renewed split with Championship Auto Racing Teams, this was the final USAC race of the year and perhaps ever with Rutherford walking away with the championship by a margin over Tom Sneva. There are seven champ car races left, but they'll all be CART shows.

Rutherford, of course, holds the same margin over Sneva in that series. He has to be considered a shoo-in for that crown also. The good part of Sunday's race was the duel between Mears and Rutherford for the lead, from the time Rick made his first stop on the 24th lap. Rutherford, having already pitted, hauled in right behind the Penske driver and they ran nose-to-tail lap after lap. The bad part was the attrition rate.

Only seven cars were running at the finish and the last one of them, Roger Rager in the Advanced Clean Sweep McLarenChevy, was eight laps behind the leaders after an early off-course excursion. Bobby Unser started out leading the show, beating pole-winning brother Al to the first turn and pacing the first 12 laps. But then a valve, from a system that had been suspect after Sunday morning's qualifying round, let go and Bobby parked. By DAVE OVERPECK Star Sportswriter Lexington, Ohio For years when you mentioned Johnny Rutherford and road racing in the same sentence, insiders snickered. Sure, R.

was great on the ovals. He'd run into a corner with anybody on a circle. But put him on a road course and all that shifting and braking got the best of him. The word was: Put Rutherford on a road course and he'd get more off a race car than he would out of one. He didn't even finish a road race until last year's 150-miler at Watkins Glen and he started running them 15 years ago.

WELL, PLT all that in the past as of Sunday afternoon. Before a splendidly sun-baked crowd of about 45,000 the largest gathering in 10 years at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Rutherford was leaving 'em in his dust at the end of the Red Roof Inns 250. He was 23.07 seconds ahead of second place Gordon Johncock at the conclusion of the 250-kilometer (156-mile) chase and going away at the rate of three seconds a lap. Everybody else was at least a lap down with Bill Alsup third, Roger Mears fourth and Vern Schuppan parked out of fuel) fifth. "Yeah, it really means something special to win a road race," said Rutherford, who now has completed every lap of six consecutive championship car races.

"I've been working very hard at road racing. I knew I could hack it if I got the right vehicle and Jim Hall gave me that with the Pennzoil Chaparral." It wasn't all easy. Slipping back to fifth at the start, Rutherford got to second with hard racing, luck and attri- next to McMillan on the front row but blew a tire on the first lap. He got back into action after falling a lap down and consistently turned in the fastest laps in the race as he came back to take seventh place. tice during the morning.

The brakes went bye-bye on his Kent Oil Phoenix at the end of the long straightaway, and Bagley took an exciting, high flying (at least 20 feet over average ground level) trip into tion. Then he spent more than 20 laps over the 2 4-mile, 15-turn circuit trying to overhaul Rick Mears. "I PASSED HIM once off the long straightaway, but then I went wide on a turn and he went back around me," said Rutherford. But that pass gave Rutherford confidence that he could get by Mears in the Gould Charge Penske PC-9 if it came down to that. It didn't.

After Rutherford made his second and final pit stop, Mears had a better than 20-second lead where fractions of one had been the case for more than 20 laps. That was too much for the Imperial Valley Calif, native in the warm, humid Midwestern afternoon. Sickened by the heat, he lost his concentration with a car that was inclined to be too loose and looped out on the 12th curve. That cost him a lap and his race ended shortly thereafter when, on the 54th lap, Rick Muther spun in front of him coming out of turn 1 and Mears nailed him solidly. That left Rutherford with only John-cock with whom to contend and that wasn't much of a battle.

Still bothered by the broken foot he suffered at Indianapolis two months ago, little Gordy also had CART Goes On, USAC Waits And Everybody Just Mumbles jaZZiiV Sports Over Lightly 0 1 -4 i EXINGTON, OHIO The racers have lowered their '-'voices. But what we hear now is confused mumbling. The hand that held the fuse lit the match, and an attempt at controlled disunity called Championship Racing League disappeared. CRL was a truce effort between CART and USAC. But it was a short season just five races.

And it ended here Sunday. John Cooper, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, decided he was unhappy with the new sanctioning body. And he has, in effect, put the only American automobile race that really counts the Indianapolis 500 up for bid. So, Quo Vadis, racing? USAC, which quickly disassociated itself from CART in hopes of finding renewed favor with the new king, has no choice. It will go home and wait, its existence as a big-time racing organization resting on Cooper's decision.

CART HAS A SCHEDULE for the remainder of this season. And Cooper? He's holding his cards so close to the vest, his buttons are tickling the queen of hearts. Until he nods, nothing much will really happen. The people who say auto racing doesn't need the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to remain big league either have sniffed too many engine fumes or overdosed on Mary Poppins. Thus, the absence of any real, old-fashioned shouting.

There are plenty of people who want to get angry. Trouble is, they can't figure out who at, or what about. Says Johnny Rutherford, winner of three out of five CRL races including the one here Sunday: "We have met the enemy and they are us. Everybody realizes we've been fighting the wrong battle we've been fighting each other. "The big question is what does he (Cooper) want? Where does he want us to go? What does he want us to be? If he would come out and make a statement, it would certainly help." A WEARY DICK KING shakes his head and tries to take a balanced view.

The USAC president has lived a lifetime in the past two years. First, a tragic air crash decimated his staff. Bob Collins, Sports EditorJ Then his organization split, and most of the top teams joined the rebels. He worked hard to patch it up. But he sits now with another broken egg in his hands "We're waiting for John Cooper," said Dick.

"We have some races lined up, but nobody wants to move until we find out what he's going to do. I asked him if he knew when he would make his decision. He said he didn't know for sure." King maintains people shouldn't have been so shocked by Cooper's declaration. "He's said all along that he wanted an independent sanctioning body one that wasn't controlled by any special group. I think he saw the deterioration, knew he'd have to move sooner or later and decided to do it sooner," says King.

"I also think he was concerned by USAC's flip-flopping. "HOWEVER, HE'S NOT going to gain that much by going to another sanctioning body." How about USAC? A tired smile, "I don't know where we're going to go." Can the kind of championship racing we have today continue without the million-dollar Indianapolis purse? "I don't see it happening. We'll lose more sponsors. Most sponsorship money is geared toward Indianapolis." What will Cooper do if he shuns all existing sanctioning bodies? "I don't know, maybe he'll form his own sanctioning body and run a series of races." In other words, you can be the guy who is holding four aces, but forget it when he has the rest of the deck in his pocket. i j.

-riifc ia- iuJfcji (standard! HOOSIER HURRAH Fort Wayne native Bill with a 22-under par 266, equalling the best four Kratzert gestures with his fist after winning the rounds of golf on the PGA tour this year. Greater Milwaukee Open golf tournament Sunday Kratzert, 28, won $36,000. (AP Photo) KratzerVs 266 Ties Tour Best, Wins Milwaukee Open Lube, Oil Change Filter in only 20 DOT) Mil: Milwaukee (AP) Bill Kratzert said that he knew there were going to be a lot of birdies shot in the final round "because you can shoot the Hag with every club out there." So. Kratzert went out and got his share for a 22-under-par 266 and won the Greater Milwaukee Open title Sunday. The Fort Wayne Ind.

i golfer's closing 66 over the par-wrecked Tuckaway Country Club course came with a blazing 31 on the front side based on five birdie putts, none more than six feet long He made another bird on the 11th with a 20-footer. his longest of the round, and then parred the rest of the way to win by four strokes over Howard Twitty, who was in the same threesome. Kratzert's 266 matched the lowest 72-hole tally on the PGA tour this year. "AGAIN I GOT OFF to a great start" he said. "I have felt comfortable all week making good swings with never a diversion in my thinking.

In three rounds, I only had four bogeys, and all of them came by 3-putting. I was very pleased how I hit the ball this week." Alcott's Putting Leads To 9-Stroke Victory Includes: 5 quarts of Amoco LDOs or Amoco MV all season motor oil ATLAS oil filter Chassis grease Check and Fill Differential grease Transmission fluid Brake fluid Power steering fluid Battery Free windshield washer solvent fill After the first nine, Kratzert led Twitty by three strokes, but his playing partner birdied the 12th and 13th and Kratzert only led by two strokes. "When Howard got a bogey on the 14th (where he had bunker trouble) and I got a par, I thought I could par in and win Twitty. who had a bogey on nine by 3-putting, finished with a oogey five when he missed the green and wound up with a 69 for 270 and second place. "Bill played really well.

We put a lot of pressure on him, but he made a lot of putts," said Twitty. "He was the real champion this week. You have to be realistic. I had a chance to win but I never really struck the ball with any authority. I hit some shots that my wife could hit better." THE FIRST THING that Kratzert did when he captured his first tour victory since 1977 was to phone the good news to his wife, Cheryl, at Ft.

Wayne. Sunday was her 29th birthday, and the couple is expecting a child in December. The winner's share was $36,000, pumping Kratzert's money winnings for the year to $136,267. The best closing round was turned in by Curtis Strange who fired a 30 on the front nine, including a 50-foot birdie putt on the 9th, and came home with a 64 for 271. He shared third place with Mark Lye.

who fired 68, and George Cadle, who carded a 66. Kratzert put together rounds of 67-66-67-66 to establish a Greater Milwaukee Open record set last year by Calvin Peete with a 19-under par 269. Peete closed with 66 for 274 Sunday. Dana Quigley, the sore-armed former Rhode Island Open champion who played with Kratzert and Twitty, stayed with them with a 33 then took a 37 on the back side to finish at 273 for sixth place. WITH PEETE AT 274 were Hale Irwin, who finished with a 66, and Dan Pohl, with 68 Scott Simpson, last week's Western Open champion, posted a 285.

Tom Shaw had a sensational start by birdieing the first six holes but bogied the and double bogied the ninth as his charge fizzled. At 275 were Gibby Gilbert, Joe Hager and Chi Chi Rodriguez. Grouped at 276 were Miller Barber. George Archer, Roger Maltbie. Tom Purtzer.

Pat McGo-wan. Jim Dent. Johnny Miller and Ron Streck. jfcAmoco ill teas While you wait. Please phone for appointment.

American cars only 30 minutes for foreign cars. tTrademark ATLAS Reg Pat ft TM Off Atlas Supplv Company Standard Oil Division of Amoco Oil Company Nashville, Term. iAP) Amy Alcott said putting was the key to her victory in the U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship, which she won Sunday by nine strokes over two-time Open winner Hollis Stacy. In carding a 280 on the par-71, 6.229-yard Richland Country Club course.

Alcott broke the U.S. Women's Open 72-hole record of 284 established last year by Jerilyn Britz at Fairfield, Conn That earned the 24-year-old brunette from Santa Monica. a $25,000 bonus from Golf Magazine, plus the $20,047 winner's purse. "My putting was excellent this week." she said. "I had very few three-putts and that's the secret of winning an Open." Stacy agreed "I thought I played well enough to win.

except my putting was off a bit." she said. "But Amy played exceptionally well all week She' had one three-putt, while I had eight or nine ALCOTT'S 1980 earnings to date, without the bonus, stand at $152,304. making her the year's leading money winner on Ladies Professional Golf" Association circuit The 1975 LPGA Rookie-of-the-Vear shared or held the Open lead after each round Her 54-hoie total of 203 was two strokes better than Donna Caponi-Vourg's record of 210 set in 1970 while on the way to her second US Women's Open In Suncav round. Alcott birdied the first hole, then had bogeys on Nos. 2 and 4 leadig to a 37 on the front nine.

She birdied the par-3, 181-yard No. 12 after coming inches away from scoring a hole-in-one. Her round of 72 marked the first time in the four-day tournament she failed to break par. Stacy, who earned $11,347 for her second-place finish, had a final round 73 for a 289 total two shots ahead of Kathy Mc.Mullen whose four-day total of 291 earned her $8,547. DONNA CAPONI-YOUNG and Judy Clark tied for fourth at 292.

while Barbara Moxness, who shared the first day's lead with Alcott, posted a 299. Nancy Lopez-Melton, tied for third with Beth Daniel and Sandra Post going into Sunday's final round, wilted badly in the 98-degree heat. After parring hole No. 1. she bogeyed the next six holes and fell off the leader board with a five-over-par 41 for the first nine holes.

Post also ran into serious trouble, drawing two bogeys and two double bogeys on the front nine for a sky-high 43. Lopez-Melton finished the tournament with a 294. 14 shots off the pace, while Post carded at a 300 Only two amateurs a record low number remained in the 60-player field after the 36-hole cutoff based on scores of 153 or lower The low amateur was Judith Oliver of Sewickley. Pa at 306. Lida of Bloomfield, Conn finished at 3c9 INDIANAPOLIS DEALERS dcttj tTuoiM jumcf tattler I Map iwtzh rutin turret Mlbrtkea Mil joci trutua ttmei tm urn nusin ttmn laalaifM I Net lea ROT Nil) ituiui umct bet ttkl Mar UM-t iTutjutt timet IM I Heatee! la fWj.

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