The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 19

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR MONDAY, APRIL 14, 1997 CS 4 WiMi ZAHARDl Continued from Page 1 bang-lip joe OB uOS i 1 771 1 I a jh Ill Villeneuve wins Argentine Grand Prix Associated Press Jacques Villeneuve, weakened by a stomach ailment and doubting his stamina, won the Argentine Grand Prix on Sunday for his second consecutive triumph. The Canadian began the Buenos Aires race on the pole and beat Eddie Irvine by less than a second. Villeneuve was timed in 1 hour. 52 minutes, 1.715 seconds and managed to hold off Irvine, who tried to pass him with four laps remaining. The victory gave the Williams-Renault driver a 10-point lead In the drivers' standings.

The tight and bumpy 2.646-mile Oscar Galvez circuit proved hazardous for several drivers and only nine of the 22 starters fin-ished the race. AUTO RACING The 72-lap race was only seconds old when two-time world champion Michael Schumacher's Ferrari and the Stewart-Ford of: Brazil's Rubens Barrichello; crashed in the first corner. Bernstein in victory lane Defending Top Fuel champion Kenny Bernstein won for the first time this year, and Randy Ander-J son prevailed for the first time as a pro Sunday at the NHRA's Fram Nationals in Commerce, Ga. Bernstein covered the quarter-. mile distance in 4.796 seconds at; 290.97 mph.

defeating Gary Scelzl at 4.901 at 281.51. Anderson pedaled his way to 5.385 at 271.90. beating the mas-! ter, six-time Winston champion; John Force. Jim Yates won in Pro with a 6.988 at 196.76 in his Pontiac. John Myers the Pro Stock Mo-', torcycle with a 7.392 at 177.79 on the Close Call Suzuki.

Winston Cup fans witnessed aggressive, hard-hitting driving at the Food City 500. By Joe Macenka ASSOCIATED PRESS BRISTOL, Tenn. The Food City 500 will go into the record books as one of the most aggressive races in Winston Cup history, so it was only appropriate that Jeff Gordon won It with a show of force. Gordon, from Pittsboro, banged his way past Rusty Wallace 600 feet from the finish line Sunday and won the event at Bristol Motor Speedway for the third consecutive year. "It's Just typical, wide-open Bristol racing," Gordon said.

"It's exciting. I've never been in a shoot-out like that down to the finish." Gordon's 22nd career victory came on an afternoon when Bristol's high-banked oval produced piles of twisted sheet metal and plenty of bruised egos. No one was injured, but the 20 yellow flags tied NASCAR's modern-era record. The 132 laps run under caution represented the third-highest total in the modern era which began in 1972. Wallace, the pole-sitter, led four times for 240 of the event's 500 laps, but Instead of getting his seventh career victory at Bristol, he had to settle for second.

Afterward, he refused to complain about Gordon's winning move. "Just normal racing stuff," Wallace said. "I wasn't surprised he touched me because I would have probably done the same thing if I got that close." Wallace took the lead for the last time on lap 415 and built a comfortable edge before Gordon, 4 Associated Press STRETCH OUT: Jeff Gordon eases out of his Chevrolet after winning the Food City 500 ahead of pole-sitter Rusty Wallace. grave, who got bounced by lapped cars coming out of the fourth turn on lap 287 and careened into the concrete retaining wall at the entrance of the front stretch. The impact sent Musgrave's Ford airborne briefly, and the car coasted more than 500 feet before coming to a halt.

Food City 500 TOP FINISHERS At Bristol, Tenn. 1. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 2. Rusty Wallace Ford 3. Terry Labonte Chevrolet 4.

Dale Jarrett Ford 5. Mark Martin Ford 6. Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet 7. Bill Elliott Ford 8. Chad Little Pontiac 9.

Jeremy Mayfield Ford 10. Brett Bodine Ford SEASON POINTS LEADERS: Jarrett T.Labonte Gordon 990; Bobby Labonte 919; Jeff Burton 874. with teammate Terry Labonte on his rear bumper, closed within inches of Wallace's Ford with 20 laps remaining. Gordon was unable to get a good run at the leader until ducking down low as they went down the back stretch on the final lap. Wallace surged ahead as they went into the third turn, but as they entered the fourth, Gordon gunned his Chevrolet into Wallace's rear bumper.

Wallace bobbled up high as he fought to control his car, and Gordon slipped past. While Gordon went on to a two car-length victory, Wallace held off Labonte for second place. The contact between Gordon and Wallace was minor compared to the escapades of Jimmy Spencer and Geoff Bodine. They had three confrontations, starting' with a tangle while battling for position on lap 422. "Spencer just ran into me," Bodine said.

"That was stupid. He's a jerk." During the ensuing caution, Bodine drove up alongside Spencer and banged into him. As it turned out, they still weren't finished. 0' to havea go of it," recalled Gurney. "We faced a lot of obstacles with the coastal commission, crazy stuff like seagulls having nervous breakdowns from the noise, but it became a reality because of a lot of hard work from a lot of people.

"Now this event has a unique element to it." While nothing matches Indy's mystique, the Speedway could take a lesson from Pook's people when it comes to entertainment. The paying customer here really gets his or her money's worth with Indy Lights, Formula Atlantic, Pro Touring Cars and the popular Toyota celebrity sedan race. 3rd Year In 100 GARAGES Additional Bedroom Recreation Room Extra Storage BULLOCK GARAGES 1 0 S. Madison, Indianapolis 783-3254 or TdFre. 1-800-894-5972 1 Vz STORY America's 1 Garage Builder i yU, mmm 31 It was a strange race in that the strongest combinations weren't always out in front.

Raul Boesel purposely got out of pit-stop sequence and led 27 laps, while a flat tire left Jimmy Vasser out of sync and up front for 11 circuits. But, clearly, this street fight was between pole-sitter de Ferran and front-row mate Zanardi. They had everybody covered. In a tight layout where track position is so critical, the defining moment came on the first pit stop on Lap 26. De Ferran came in ahead of Zanardi and went out behind him after the Target crew's 12-second special.

That was so important because from then on, de Ferran was pushing to keep up. Zanardi was still in his sights when the second round of pit stops approached, but he lost another 4 seconds in the Lap 69-70 exchange. Then, in the closing stages with the order Boesel-Vasser-Zanardi-de Ferran, de Ferran pushed too hard, clipped the wall on Lap 93 and suffered another hard-to-swallow DNF (did not finish) at the LBGP. "It was completely my fault. I got too close to Mauricio under braking, lost the front downforce, locked up the brakes and couldn't stop the car," said de Ferran, who ran out of fuel four laps from a sure win in 1996.

When Boesel (Lap 83) and Vasser (Lap 94) surrendered the top spot for their final fuel stops, Zanardi assumed command with only Gugelmin in his mirrors. "I pushed as hard as 1 could, but Alex was Just a little quicker today," said Gugelmin, who scored his best ever CART finish after starting third in his Hollywood '97 ReynardMercedesFirestone. "I couldn't do anything with him in the end." Zanardi, who led 41 laps and averaged 93.999 mph in covering the 105 laps in 1 hour and 46 minutes, dominated the '96 season statistically and was on form all weekend in earning his fourth CART win. "I thought we had a fast car at Homestead and the best car at Surfer's (Australia) last weekend, so this was long overdue," said Zanardi, who won six poles and led 610 laps last season. "Gil was faster than me initially, but we worked with the car to make it better and my pit stops were unbelievable." Scott Pruett followed up his Australian triumph with a third place in the Brahma '97 Reynard FordFirestone and assumed the PPG point lead heading to Nazareth, in two weeks.

But the best race of the day came for fourth, where Al Unser Jr. held off Parker Johnstone, in the Kool '97 ReynardHondaFirestone. "We finally got some points and we struggled all weekend to have a race car, so 1 have to give so much credit to my crew," said Unser, who started 15th in the Marlboro '97 PenskeMercedes Goodyear. Notes After suffering three blown Goodyear tires, Michael Andrerti called it a day after 70 laps in the KmartTexaco1 '97 SwiftFordGoo- dyear Bobby Rahal had a sure top-five finish vanish when the master cylinder failed on his Miller '97 ReynardFordGoo-dyear, ruined his second pit stop and dropped him to 10th. It was Honda's first victory after back-to-back Ford wins, and Mercedes still hasn't won in two years.

Hello Castro-Neves started and finished first in the PPGFirestone Indy Lights show, beating Cristiano Da Matta and Mark Hotchkls by Just over 1 second. "No big story. Just dependable delivery day after day, year after year. The best, most dependable newspaper carrier we have ever had." William C. Reynolds FOR DEPENDABLE HOME DELIVERY CALL 633-9211 Iimiiwwui is TT1 2 www.foxsports.com f'liQtnm lilrkvtttncto mmmm Custom Says Yes To: The Credit Card Blues WINNING FORM: Alex Zanardi takes a victory lap after winning Beach, Calif.

It was his fourth Indy-car triumph. Indianapolis Area Call 920-5400 Male Sexual Health There rmatkj arm wimple, mnflm xWu-ttons far common mmxual cancmmm" Impotence Low Desire Premature acuatlon no Scalpel Vasectomy Complete Urology Services For A Confidential Appointment THE GREY CLINIC for Sexual Meofcihe Fourteen laps after the race went back to green, Spencer tried to pass Bodine on the outside as they entered the front stretch. Bodine appeared to drift up into Spencer, setting off a multi-car wreck. The hardest hit of the day, however, was taken by Ted Mus- mm 1 1 Knight-Ridder Tribune the Toyota Grand Prix in Long Announcer Bruce Flanders can be a bit much, but he keeps the crowd informed, laughing and jazzed most of the time. As this race grows, so does Long Beach.

It's physical and fiscal presence has been enhanced by an auto race. A sleepy, dirty shipping port now sports a nice skyline, international attention and one furious weekend. "Taking over a city for a few days says something," said Gurney. "This race has come so far since 1975. We've got an old and new generation of fans and it keeps growing.

Is It Indianapolis? No, but it's pretty damn good for only 22 years." Indianapo! is Members May 18 Bear Slide West Chase Pebble Brook N. Otter Creek Prestwick Rock Hollow Legends Hanging Tree Championship W12 States June 1 June 15 June 29 July 13 July 27 Aug. 10 Aug. 24 Sept. 67 or Mike Schaefer 255-6580 46220 or schaefiquest.net '1.

Li ami i i Ybur Time Get Connected I'Jith Qudget. Is jJJiJlO OMI I JXL I MNOI 4J 51 6J HP 41 II loan Mtoaa No Sales People! Absolutely Freel no paperwork! Totally No Pressure! Automated! I 1 MflTEUH PLOVERS flraKe.hnroyr, MILLER Continued from Page 1 an honest head count and it continues to grow every April. Much like Indy, it's a blend of gearheads, gawkers, partiers, corporate folks, pretty ladies, kids and the curious. A third of them could recite Michael Andretti's history; a third came to catch a glimpse of Paul Newman or Jerry Seinfeld; and another third wouldn't know a Lola from a lawnmower but want to be part of this beach party. "We never wanted Just race fans; we wanted to make it a happening, an event.

Just like Indianapolis," said Jim Michaelian, executive vice-president of the LBGP and one of only two original employees who went to work for Pook more than two decades ago. "That was our philosophy and I think we've exceeded our wildest dreams." That dream began when Pook telephoned California racing legend Dan Gurney in 1973 and wondered If a Monaco-type race in California was a possibility. "I told him there was probably no way it could ever happen, but as racers we owed it to ourselves BV 7 $60 Membership, $65568 entry incl. green fee, carl "I equate a close resemblance between the APT and the Florida mini-tours on its organization, prizes, course quality opportunity to meet top players at your skill level. "-Chip Olson Franklin, IN "The experience I gained was invaluable." -Chuck Wennmg 95 96 Regional Champion 'Call From Home Or Office! 24 Hours A Day i a Ldd ween; in Ilf) nT All OV Bob Graham 253-4765 P.O.

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