Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • 39

The Detroit News TERRY FOSTER Section Outdoors Bagging a bruin Northville hunter realizes dream, lands brown bear on Alaskan hunt. Page 9D Thi Detroit Newt Onllni All day, every day. http:detnews.com 2D 20 4-50 UD Scenes NBA Baseball Horses 1 1 Sunday, June 18, 2000 Woods has record lead after three rounds u.s.0. Good for game Els says everyone In golf benefits from Woods' stellar play. Page 8D By Vartan Kupelian The Detroit News PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.

Tiger Woods proved he is mortal, but just barely. He hit the golf ball in odd places Sunday and he hacked and chopped. It proved to be little more than an illusion He was giving them hope when, in reality, there was no lifeline to grab onto. When the third round ended at dusk on the Monterey Peninsula, the incomparable Woods was firmly in control of his destiny at the 100th U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Woods shot 71 for a 205 total, good for a record-smashing 10- It's Woods against the world and the world is getting dusted. "A couple of loose shots got away but other than that I played pretty well," Woods said. The breezes freshened during the round but Woods said that played into his hands because it made it hard for the others to make up ground. "I knew if I could shoot something around par I could pick up a couple of shots," he said. Els moved all the way up the leaderboard into second place with a 4-under-par 68.

He's at 215. Please see OPEN, Page 8D shot margin on a leaderboard with a continental flair. There's a contingent from Spain Miguel Angel Jimenez and Jose Maria Olzabal. A man from South Africa (Ernie Els) is there, another from Ireland (Padraig and New Zealand (Michael Campbell) and Denmark (Thomas Bjorn) and England (Lee Westwood). Look hard enough and you'll even find an American or two John Huston and Phil Mickelsoa Second round leaders Tiger Woods 65-69-71 -8 Ernie Els 74-73-68 2 P.Harrington 73-71-72 3 M.A.Jimenez 66-74-76 3 Phil Mickelson 71-73-73 4 i J.M.OIazabal 70-71-76 4 lee Westwood 71-71-76 5 John Huston 67-75-76 5 Associated Press Tiger Woods had to blast a few shots from the rough, but after three rounds he's still smashing the field.

Mire Mil! Jr XV 4.1..:. w-f Vrt Jmpteqwy Belle Isle is no place to stage any kind of race DETROIT Please forgive my rusty French. But after 19 years of watching racing downtown and at Belle Isle, I've come to the conclusion that Grand Prix is either French for grand parade or the big bore. Today, they are running the Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle, an event called the city's fastest parade. CART and Grand Prix' officials told us this weekend that the 2001 race would be the last at Belle Isle because it has outgrown the site.

This is just a polite way of saying the track and facilities are horrible. For the life of me, I can't figure how you outgrow a facility with declining attendance. They might as well put up a sign that reads "No Passing Zone" because cars rarely pass unless a driver makes a huge mistake or is as slow as a tortoise. If you make it into the first turn of the race in front, chances are you will finish first. Can you imagine a Martian hovering pver Belle Isle in his spacecraft trying to figure out why people are sitting in the stands watching this race? Chances are they'd Conclude there was no intelligent life on this planet My guess is city officials did not care about a quality race.

All they wanted were the panoramic views of the Detroit skyline and river, i In fairness to organizers, they've worked hard to make this a more passable track. This year, they made some alterations and are using a harder tire that will reduce the amount of rubber in corners, making it less slick and more passer-friendly. And we do see more passing in CART here than we did 'during the Formula One races. The race has brought publicity for the city. It used to actually be fun when they raced downtown because a party atmosphere existed.

However, it can't leave fast enough for me. Belle Isle is the wrong venue and, quite frankly, is not a good street course. If I wanted to see cars drive quickly one behind the other I'd just assume stand over a freeway overpass and watch cars zip below me on I-94. There are rumors we might see a new road course, either at the State Fairgrounds or the Sil-verdome. The Silverdome is a possibility for one reason: The people who are trying to bring racing to the Fairgrounds see a hostile environment because many of the local residents "don't want it They cite noise, litter and crowd concerns.

Your yoke is being heard, and it has the movers and shakers of this track a little jittery. Let's assume a one-mile oval and road course is built at the Fairgrounds. There is no guarantee CART would race mere. Officials say Detroit is a priority. They want to race here.

But they will not say they definitely will race here if the track is built. In other words, build it and they might come, Any new race track must include a road course. Building an oval puts the race in competition with Michigan Speedway. Where would you rather race? In Brooklyn, where you jcould jam 200,000 folks into a Or the State Fairgrounds, i where you might get What do drivers want in a jnew course? "They are going to have to come up with a course where 'you can overtake," said Dario franchitti, the defending iGrand Prix champioa "I think they are very limited here jwith the layout." And how do you do that? "Long straightaways and hard 90-degree corners at the end of it," Michael Andretti said. "That is what sets up for passing." I don't know about the future of Detroit-area racing.

My only advice is build it correctly and don't build it in a hostile environment. It won't work. Tie-breaker places him on top, pushes Franchitti to 2nd. By Angelique S. Chengelis The Detroit News DETROIT Dario Franchitti would love to stop meeting Juan Montoya this way.

The two tied in points for the Championship Auto Racing Teams title last year, and Montoya won on a tie-breaker with seven victories to Franchitti's three. They were equally as good during qualifying Saturday for today's Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit, and had to go to a tiebreaker to determine the pole. Franchitti and Montoya turned identical record speeds of 115.604 mph, but Montoya again prevailed and was awarded the pole his second straight at Detroit. His next-fastest lap (115.195) bettered Franchitti's (115.139) to break the tie. This is the fourth consecutive pole of the season for Montoya, who drives for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

"You can't get any closer," said Franchitti, who drives' for Team KOOL Green. "That's stating the obvious, but you can't." Four drivers beat the track record of 114.859 mph set by Greg Moore in 1998, the first year the track was extended to 2.346 miles. Marlboro Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves was third at 115.353 and his teammate, Gil de Ferran, was fourth at 115.141. Montoya brushed the wall with to laps to go in the qualifying session, but that didn't hamper him. He turned his pole-winning speed on his 12th lap as the checkered flag waved signaling the end of the session.

"The car was really good straight out of the box," Montoya said. UobinBucicson The Detroit News Juan Montoya earned the Grand Prix pole because his next-fastest lap topped Dario Franchitti's. The top lap by each driver was 115.604 mph. Father 's Day special for Andrettis Kanaan injured Driver, air-lifted to hospital after crash during qualifying, is expected to recover. Page 6D Grand Piix of Detroit By Angelique S.

Chengelis The Detroit News DETROIT There have been no formal medical studies, but there is a theory that it might not be possible, genetically, to be an Andretti and not be a racer. To wit legendary Mario Andretti and his brother, Aldo, were race-car drivers. Mario's oldest son, Michael, races in the CART series, and his youngest, Jeff, is about to begin an IRL career. Then there's Aldo's son, John, who competes in the NASCAR Winston Cup series. And son Yamaha Sportster karting series today at Newport Jervis, N.J.

"(It) is pretty cool three generations racing the same weekend," said Marco, who leads the sportster class in points. Marco has endured the same growing pains of being an Andretti, as did his father. Michael, who is fourth in CART points, wondered about Marco's motivation to race. Marco actually took up the sport three years ago, then stopped, and recently began again. Please see ANDRETTI, Page 6D Dstroit Grand Prix What: Seventh stop of 20-race CART series.

When: Today, 1 p.m.. Where: Raceway on Belle Isle Park. Track: 2.36-mile temporary road course. TV Radio: ESPN WDFN 1130. Support races: Neon, 9:45 a.m.; Indy Lights, 11:15 a.m.; Barber Dodge, 3:45 p.m.

On the pole: Juan Montoya, Marco has taken up the family business. It just so happens that today, Father's Day, Mario, Michael and Marco will be racing. Mario, 60, is competing this weekend in the 24 hours of LeMans, Michael, 37, is competing on Belle Isle in the Detroit Grand Prix, which he has won twice, and 13-year-old Marco is competing in the Steve Perez The Detroit News Three generations of Andrettis will race today: Michael, above, his son, Marco, and father, Mario. Fans cheer Gonzalez's winning homer State finals I Stories, 10D-11D Red-hot Higginson Baseball By Tom Gage The Detroit News DETROIT The most exciting game of the year? Probably. The most important game? Possibly.

As Brad Ausmus said, you can't call a game the most important unless subsequent improvement proves it was. In any case, Juan Gonzalez turned the boos he was hearing into cheers Sat fiTiTii'iriArf 1 1 ,1 rraiinmiiiMgMmra Division 1: Warren DeLaSalle 3, Detroit Catholic Central 1 Division 2: Battle Creek Lake-view 1, Charlotte 0 Division 3: Blissfield 3, Berrien Springs 0 Division 4: Bay City All Saints 3, Posenl Softball Division 1: Portage Northern 7, Waterford Kettlng 0 Division 2: Pinconning Wyoming Rogers 0 Division 3: Kalamazoo Christian 2, Lansing Catholic Central 0 Division 4: Waterford Our Lady ''5, Mason County Eastern 2 Girls soccer Division 1: Troy Athens 4, Plymouth Canton 1 Division 2: Portage Central 3, Bishop Foley 2, 20T Home run off nemesis Finley continues outfielder's streak at plate. Page 3D They really felt it in the ninth when Higginson walked with one out to bring up Gonzalez, who had gotten booed after striking out in his two previous at-bats. "My feelings have been hurt a little bit," Gonzalez said, "but fans are fans." He knew they would change their tune if he gave them a reason "He's a special player and this is the kind of thing he can do for you," said Manager Phil Garner. "This win felt the best of any this season The Yankees' sweep was big, but we haven't had a game where we just battled back like this to win." That's true.

The Tigers had been 0-32 when trailing after seven innings. urday by hitting a two-run home run off Steve Karsay in the Associated Press Juan Gonzalez connects on his biggest hit as a Tiger, a two-run, winning home run in the ninth inning. Associated Press Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes pitcher Jackie Ruma hugs catcher Lindsey Calme after their victory. Division 3: East Grand Rapids Flint Powers Catholic 0 Division 4: Detroit Country Day Jackson Lumen Christi 0 bottom of the ninth to give the Tigers a dramatic 8-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Gonzalez was mobbed at the plate by his teammates while most of the crowd of 30,569 the largest yet at Comerica Park gave Gonzalez a standing ovation.

Why not the entire crowd? the bottom of the fourth offChuck Finley after the Indians scored four on Russell Branyan's grand slam in the top of the fourth. They felt it in the seventh, when Bobby Higginson hit a two-run home run off Finley, and again in the eighth, when they tied the score on Tony Clark's double. Hey, the Indians are in town. As C.J. Nitkowski said: "30-10-50 percent of the fans may have been rooting for them.

But that only helped to create the atmosphere." Call it atmosphere, or just a feeling, but die Tigers felt they were going to win. They felt it when they scored three runs in.