The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 21

WNBAD3 BaseballD4-6 Auto RacingD7 GolfD8 ScoreboardD9 Sports The Indianapolis Star www.lndyStar.com Monday, July 29, 2002 Section InfoLlne: 624-INFO (4636) Fever lose to Sparks. D3 Golf's 'Battle of Bighorn' set for tonight. D8 rHx AUG. 4, 2002 DOftft SI WIN NASCAR veteran uses information gathered in Brickyard 400 practice to win Pocono race. By Steve Ballard steve.ballardindystar.com LONG POND, Pa.

With the sun setting on a long Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway, i 1 fZZ self among the favorites for this week's Brickyard 400 by winning a race that ended three hours late and 625 miles short "This is great It can't be no better," Elliott said after taking the lead to stay with a daring outside pass of Winston Cup points leader Sterling Marlin with 18 laps remaining. "This place has been good to me through the years." Elliott's fifth career win at Pocono was a long time coming 13 years, further delayed by two red-flag stoppages of the race that resulted in it being shortened by 25 laps with darkness intruding. the Pennsylvania 500 finally ended looking just as it had 62 hours earlier with Bill Elliott in front. Elliott, 46, capped a dominating weekend for Chris Gardner Associated Press Slippery when wet: Covered race cars are lined up as officials talk during a rain delay in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. Bill Elliott Evernham Motorsports two poles and two wins and established him- 5) COLTS CAMP 2002 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute 1 1 mm A 11 Wiji ing, Marlin took control and led 106 of the 175 laps around the 25-mile triangular layout.

But the day's fifth and final caution, brought out when Jerry Nadeau hit the wall, bunched the field and gave Elliott the chance he needed to get around Marlin and claim his 42nd career victory. "I knew I had my work cut out for me. He was awful good," Elliott said of his fellow Dodge driver. "I just gave it everything I had and finally got him on the high side." Marlin, who subsequently was passed by Kurt Busch to wind up third, took the loss in stride. "I just got beat, more or less," he said.

"I hated to see that last See Elliott, Page D7 Finally, Scheckter delivers a victory Talented rookie who has too often crashed dominates at Michigan to take his 1st IRL win. By Curt Cavin curt.cavindindystar.com BROOKLYN, Mich. Tomas Scheckter planned to talk by telephone with his father Sunday after scoring his first victory in the Indy Racing League. The 21-year-old driver figured he knew exactly what Jody Scheckter, a former Formula One champion, would say. "(It's) about time," Tomas said.

Scheckter, a remarkably confident, talented and snake-bitten IRL rookie, emerged from a difficult week to dominate the Michigan Indy 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Feeling be- JkV trayed and an an- IT" gry over the Scheckter team reshuffling by boss Eddie Cheever the crash-prone Scheckter was more determined than ever to win a race. He said he woke up in the middle of the night last week to do pushups, and he smarted off to Cheever in the media. He decided not to cut anyone in Sunday's field an ounce of slack. He led the first 36 laps as the pole sitter before pitting for fueL When Felipe Giaffone became the only driver to pass him for the lead, Scheckter responded by passing him back just seconds later.

Scheckter was on a mission to lead every inch of every lap. He almost did. He led 122 of the 200 laps, yielding only for pit stops. When he stalled his car on the final stop and fell to 12th place 20th in the restart line he roared back to the lead in just 21 laps. He led the final seven laps and won by 1.7 seconds, the third-largest victory of the IRL season.

"I was pretty irritated this week and I went out there with vengeance and pushed every lap," See Scheckter, Page 07 TOUR DE FRANCE Five-time winners Miguel Indurain, Spain: 1991, 1992,1993,1994,1995. Bernard Hinault, France: 1977, 1978,1979, 1981, 1982. Eddie Merckx, Belgium: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974. Jacques Anquetil, France: 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964. Four-time winner Lance Armstrong, United States: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002.

Friday Admission: $10, ages 5 and under free 9 a.m.: Public gates open a.m.: IROC practice 2-4 p.m.: Brickyard 400 practice p.m.: IROC final practice Saturday Admission: $25, 5 and under free 7 a.m.: Public gates open 10:05 a.m.: Brickyard 400 qualifying 1 p.m.: IROC race p.m.: Brickyard 400 practice Sunday Admission: Reserved seating sold out; no general admission 7 a.m.: Public gates open 1:30 p.m.: Brickyard 400 begins Bob Kravitz James eases tension with unusual arrival TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -At 131 p.m. Sunday, all was forgiven. That's when Edgerrin James, the magical mystery running back who disappeared from our midst early last year, made his triumphant return to Colt-dom in yes, you saw it a Yellow Cab. Not just a Yellow Cab, but a somewhat dingy Yellow Cab, a Yellow Cab with two yellow deodorant trees wedged into the creases atop the back seats.

If you're scoring at home, it was cab No. 42, driven on this date by a gentleman named Yahcy "Here's My 15 Minutes Of Fame" Jackson, who had the good fortune to not only drive The Edge and Reggie Wayne from Indy to Terre Haute, but was offered a backup driver's job in the process. (The fare was about $150. No word on the tip.) "This is what happens when they take your license," Edge said, jumping out of the back seat with a smile that stretched clear back to Immokalee, Fla. Now I ask you: How does anybody stay mad for very long with a guy who makes fun of his dismal driving record and suspended license by showing up in a Yellow Cab? How do you stay miffed at a guy who shows up in a parking lot filled with Cadillac Escalades (the official car of the young, rich athlete) and jumps out of a rig that is likely being held together by rust? OK, so it was choreographed like a performance of "Swan Lake." Peyton Manning had counseled Edge earlier in the day to forego the limo and take a cab to camp.

Still, it was funny, a perfect touch although my money was on his arrival in a police cruiser. See Kravitz, Page 06 to Cruising: Lance Armstrong weaves the Tour de France. His winning I 71 V); If rl r. Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Park.

Shortly after the restart, rain began to fall, forcing a delay of 2 hours, 2 minutes. Once the race finally got go Matt Kryger staff photos cab from Indy to Terre Haute. last season is ready for action. camp Weight training: Running back Jim Finn hauls a bed into his training camp dorm room. Tour title The 30-year-old cyclist who overcame cancer has turned the grueling three-week event into his personal showcase.

As he cycled in the main pack in Sunday's 20th stage, he held a glass of champagne enjoying a little sip early on and he took a congratulatory call from President Bush after the victory ceremony. He covered the course in 82 hours, 5 minutes, 12 seconds. The winning margin over runner-up Joseba Beloki of Spain was 7:17, Armstrong's second-biggest victory. He beat Alex Zuelle by 7:37 in 1999. 'A How's my driving? Colts running back Edgerrin James, who has temporarily lost his driver's license in Florida for being clocked at The first delay of 1 hour, 5 minutes was for repairs to a guard rail after a harrowing first-lap crash involving Dale Earnhardt Inc.

teammates Dale 111 mph in a 60 mph zone, takes a He says the knee that was injured ing camp with the Colts, but the fact reporting day came and went with nary a hitch represented an encouraging first step. James, a no-show in Indianapolis the past five months as the team laid the foundation for the 2002 NFL regular season, popped out of a Yellow Cab at L31 p.m. He flashed his gold-toothed smile, shook his dreadlocks and proclaimed his surgically-repaired left knee ready for action. His arrival was preceded by defensive end Dwight Freeney, the 11th overall selection in the April draft who signed his rookie contract Saturday, and the Colts' other seven draft picks. For at least one sun-splashed, heat-saturated afternoon, speed bumps were nonexistent.

"It's a relief to have everyone here," Dungy said. "We don't See Colts, Page D6 Future bright: U.S. cyclists can't match hype but show promise. D6 cult to reach the maximum level," he said. "I love the race, my job, cycling." Armstrong was right where he seems to belong Sunday, cruising toward the tree-lined Champs-Elysees with a bright yellow jersey on his back.

He never relinquished the overall leader's shirt after putting it on 10 days ago when he took control with his trademark surges through the mountains. James, Colts roll into New coach is happy no players have held put, allowing team to concentrate on improving. Colts key dates Aug. 10: Colts at Seattle, exhibition opener Aug. 17: Colts exhibition home opener, vs.

Cincinnati Sept 8: Colts regular-season opener at Jacksonville Sept 15: Colts regular-season home opener vs. Miami Inside: Four players are injured as camp opens; close up on Jermaine Wiggins. D10 get here with no problems," James said. "I told him he wouldn't have to worry about me. Not that Dungy was concerned as he prepared for his first train By Mike Chappell mike.chappellindystar.com TERRE HAUTE, Ind.

The pieces are not totally in place for the Indianapolis Colts to put last year's season-to-forget behind them and regain their status as playoff contender. But they're present. One of the last pieces to arrive here Sunday afternoon was Edgerrin James, and the Colts' unconventional running back was in midseason form. Minus his driver's license which he recently forfeited for a month because of an accumulation of traffic violations in Florida James took a taxi from his home in Indianapolis to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. "I told coach (Tony) Dungy I'd Laurent Retain Associated Press through fans on the final leg of margin was 7 minutes, 17 seconds, Armstrong coasts to 4th Associated Press PARIS Voila! Just like that, Lance Armstrong is Tour de France champion for a fourth consecutive time.

The Texan with the iron legs to match his will already is thinking about winning again. And again. Looking ahead to 2004 and the possibility of becoming the only six-time winner of the Tour, Armstrong said his U.S. Postal Service team is "one of the strongest in the history of cycling. I hope to ride with them for two more years." "It's always complicated, diffi-.