Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page 17

1 CHARLES IN CHARGE Bob Charles birdies three playoff holes to defeat Harold Henning for the Suncoast Classic Seniors golf championship, 4C. 'ill! HEAT ON A ROLL W-vy-pf -h-jiHHrm! iWffi.wfflwsrf Rookie Grant Long scores 30 points as Miami holds off Atlanta 1 24-1 1 5 for its second consecutive NBA victory, 4C. 4 'I 'neff'im'W'ip-Wimii i i rvf rv i I i Jm" i'DT; "BOWK "WW MONDAY, Feb. 20, 1989 No. 17 a charm fo Darrell gambles for 1st Daytona 500 victory Hendrick hits 500 jackpot DAYTONA BEACH Rick Hendrick's haul on stock car racing's Super Sunday the Daytona 500 was $446,050.

"Not bad," he said. "It ought to just about take care of the hotel bill." Hendrick spent a for Runner-up 13 tune to win Sunday's 500 at Daytona International Speedway. While watching Darrell Wal-trip roll into victory lane, the Charlotte, N.C, businessman knew it was worth every cent. He has become the envy of Winston Cup racing. His fleet of cars is impressive: Waltrip, Daytona 500 runner-up Ken Schrader and fourth-place finisher Geoff Bodine.

i COBLE SPORTS "fi. Senear at If I i Craig Rubadoux, FLORIDA TODAY KEN SCHRADER: Finishes 500 in second. By Don Coble FLORIDA TODAY DAYTONA BEACH On his 17th try, in a car numbered 17, and with his 17-month-old daughter waiting along pit row, Darrell Waltrip finally won No. 1 the Daytona 500. There are no more ghosts that haunt the toast of Franklin, Tenn.

Now, he can truly say he's won everything stock car racing has to offer, ending his winless Winston Cup streak at the 2.5-mile raceway by capturing its biggest event. He's been faster and stronger in other tries, but it was luck lucky 17 that finally brought him to victory lane Sunday at Daytona International Speedway with 150,000 fans watching. Waltrip gambled that his Chevrolet Monte Carlo could run 132.5 miles on one tank of gas, while others could only last 120 miles. Maybe, after all these years of bad luck, he was powered more by hope and prayer. "The fuel pressure went to zero twice with two laps to go and it came back up," Darrell said while hugging his daughter, Jessica, who was born on the 17th.

"I can't belive I won the Daytona 500. Don't lie to me. I'm not dreaming, am Sharing Waltrip's shock was Kenny Schrader and Dale Earnhardt, who finished second and third. They each stopped nine laps short of the finish line because their Chevys were running on empty. Said Earnhardt: "I'd like to see his (Waltrip's) tank." And Schrader, Waltrip's teammate, seemed stunned that the 500 he dominated got away in the last 25 miles.

"I was surprised he could go 53 laps," Schrader said. "I know drafting can't help that much." NASCAR limits gas tanks on Winston Cup stock cars to 22 gallons. A check aboard Waltrip's car found no irregularities. See DAYTONA, Next Page Top 5 Hendrick also is a partner on Kyle Petty's stock car team and owns a Chevrolet Corvette GTP on the IMSA road racing circuit, a Pro Stock Camaro on the NHRA drag racing circuit, arid a piece of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets. And don't forget his 30 car dealerships.

Owner revels in victory Sunday might have been his proudest moment. Schrader was the fastest, winning the pole and leading 114 laps, while Waltrip went the farthest, stretching one tank of gas for 53 laps and a nail-biting victory. JL Hendrick stood in the press box and watched Waltrip field questions on winning his first Daytona 500 in 17 years. Hendrick held four caps, representing sponsors who paid to slap their logo on the winning car. "It still comes down to 'you t0 wm Hendrick said.

Hendrick has found the magic to make it all work. He gives his race teams room and lets them fend for themselves. He asks that they 1. Darrell Waltrip 2. Ken Schrader 3.

Dale Earnhardt 4. Geoff Bodine 5. Phil Parsons Results, 10C. share information on good set-ups and re search, but insists there are no favorites. 1 "When I started, we had two cars and four More 500, IOC.

Davey Allison offers to light that "little weasel" Geoff Bodine after being bumped twice. Bill Elliott's replacement, Jody Ridley, has a rocky ride. Defending champ Bobby Allison, released from the hospital Friday, watches the 500 at home. Dale Earnhardt baffled by Waltrip's victory. Shawn Spence, FLORIDA TODAY VICTORY SHUFFLE: Darrell Waltrip dances in winning the Daytona 500.

In his excitement, victory lane Sunday with his wife, Stevie, after Waltrip spiked his helmet and broke it. employees," Hendrick said. "Now we have 42 cars, 200 employees and a shop." Hendrick said he'll likely spend $9 million running his three primary Winston Cup teams. "I'm proud of them because they shared a lot of information during testing that really helped," Hendrick said. "I want them to share the good things they learn.

They're all free to do what they want, but it's a good idea to share the best stuff." All his cars are lead cars Most multi-car teams feature a lead car and a secondary car used for research and development. Hendrick insists all his cars are lead cars. "My biggest nightmare is all three will be fighting for the lead on the last lap and someone will knock another into the wall," Hendrick said. "Then I might have some friction between the teams. It's not likely all Talbott, Heinrich set pace in Space Coast Marathon Indiana nips Michigan at the buzzer, 76-75 By Barbara Caywood FLORIDA TODAY VI 1 three will be up there, but I guess it's going to happen sooner or later." He was a man who couldn't lose Sunday Waltrip was running the last 10 laps on fumes, hoping his 7 second lead would hold up.

26-mile, 385-yard TAC-approved course in 2:36.29. Dede Heinrich, a member of the sponsoring Space Coast Runners Club, was the top female finisher with a time of 3:13.36. She finished 23rd overall. In the 5-mile race, run in conjunction with the marathon, Miami resident John Whitt, a graduate of Eau Gallie High School, was the overall male winner, and Kim McAliley, also a member of the Space Coast Runners Club, was the female winner. Sunday's marathon, run in perfect weather conditions, drew a record entry list of more than 200.

More coverage, 3C. Top 25 results, 3C. By Dave Koerner Gannett News Service BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Jay Edwards, emerging as Indiana University's "Mr. Clutch," sank a 3-point shot at the buzzer Sunday as the the No.

7 Hoosiers edged No. 13 Michigan 76-75 in Big Ten Conference basketball action. The 6-foot-4 sophomore, launched the high-arcing shot over 6-9 sophomore Sean Higgins, just a week after he made a 16-footer in the final seconds to defeat Purdue. Michigan coach Bill Frieder and his Wolverines protested Edwards' shot as they filed out of Assembly Hall. The scoreboard read 0:00 when Edwards went up for the shot, but the horn didn't sound until the ball was in the air.

An ABC-TV worker said the ball was away from Edwards fingertips about one-tenth of a second; before the horn blared. Official Phil Bova started to wave off Edwards' miracle. But Gary Muncy, the trailing official on the play, had the call and counted the shot. In other action Sunday: No. 11 West Virginia rolled past Rhode Island 90-66, extend '-ing the nation's longest winning streak to 21 games.

Steve Bucknall scored 14 points in the second half to help No. 4 North Carolina hold off-Maryland 86-75. Complete report, 4C. I USA TODAYCNN poll, 5C. Schrader, whose fast car needed a quick stop Twelve runners, including Paralympic world recordholder Carlos Talbott of North Miami and Doug Butler of Cocoa, broke the 3-hour barrier over the newly designed course Sunday in the Space Coast Marathon in Melbourne.

Talbott, who is legally blind, was the overall winner with a time of 2 hours, 28 minutes and 40 seconds, less than six minutes off the world mark he set in his gold-medal performance at the Par-alympics in Seoul, South Korea, last summer. Butler, a 25-year-old electronic technician at McDonnell Douglas, bettered his previous best by 14 minutes when he covered the 1 at the gas pumps with 10 laps left, was charging t-'J i ftp in second place. 1 "I knew if Darrell didn't run out of gas, he'd A win," Hendrick said. "And if he ran out, Kenny would win. Of course, it's better to have them finish one-two and have Geoff in fourth.

You can't ask for much more than that." Well, you can. A one-two-three charge is the pinnacle of success, but it also triggers those Theresa DeCapua, FLORIDA TODAY CARLOS TALBOTT: Captures Space Coast Marathon title. nightmares. Some car owners have it tough. ffffK mil gmmemfflmsP Lamar Catchings I CI 1 1 Fin I Ik in SUN BELT CONFERENCE MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE Men's college basketball Men't college basketball Overall Conf.

Tom Finney and Mike Neal combine on a seven-hitter as F.l.T. tops Florida Atlantic 8-3 in college baseball, 3C. Astronaut travels to play Satellite in prep boys basketball at 7:30 p.m. Merritt Island hosts Eau Gallie and Melbourne in prep boys and girls track at 3:30 p.m. Team S.

Alabama 8 3 Conf. Pet. Overall Pet. 7 4 7 .741 9 .640 Chicago dominates the prep girls Super 25 rankings, See Sports section, USA TODAY. For up-to-date sports scores and highlights, 24 hours a day, call the USA TODAY hotline at 1-900-850-1414.

There is a charge for this service. UNC-Char. VCU Old Domin. .857 20 .714 16 .643 15 .500 12 On the roster: 6- foot-3 guard for Eau Gallie High boys basketball team. Averages: 13.8 points a game.

Likes about hoops: "It keeps me busy and it's very enjoyable." Embarrassing moment: "Two Pet. .652 .583 .478 .583 .609 .500 .480 .304 7 4 7 5 6 5 Pet I .727 15 8 .636 1410 .636 1112 .583 1410 .545 14 9 455 1212 .250 12 13 .182 716 Team S.C. State Fla. Coppin St. Morgan St.

N.C.A&T Dela. St. Howard U. 7 7 .500 10 .462 9 Jacksonville W.Kentucky 3 9 SFkMMa 2 9 10 .600 13 .460 14 .417 14 .391 15 .400 16 .360 23 .042 6 5 5 '-WW .357 .357 .077 Today'i game 1 12 Md.E.Shore Today's games E. Tennessee St.

at Virginia Tech Tuesday'! games South Florida at Old Dominion at S. Alabama Va. Commonwealth at UNC-Charlotte at W. Kentucky 9 Sunday's scores, 5C. Shore at Bethune-Cookman Delaware State ar Florida South Carolina State at Howard North Carolina AST at Morgan State Latest line, 5C.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. Villanova at Pittsburgh (ESPN) 8 p.m. Memphis State at Louisville (WAYKCh. 56) 9:30 p.m. Purdue at Illinois (ESPN) Complete TV log, 5C.

Nighttime fishermen may have good luck when drifting lakes for speckled perch with small jigs or minnows. More outdoors, 2C. weeks ago, I missed an open dunk. It was awful. I didn't know what to do." Sports fantasy: "Guarding Magic Johnson.

I would love to see if I could do it." Self-description: "An outgoing person who likes to get out and meet people." For the most complete national sports report In the USA, see USA TODAY'S Sports section every day. -ii-.