Motor Racing Roundup : Senna Wins Portuguese Grand Prix in Heavy Rain

Brazilian Ayrton Senna said he lost count of the number of times he nearly spun off the rain-soaked track, but led all the way in winning the Portuguese Grand Prix Sunday at Estoril, Portugal, for his first career victory.

“The conditions were so dangerous that I wanted the race stopped,” said the 25-year-old Lotus-Renault driver. Senna said he signaled starting-line officials to stop the race 30 laps into the event, but was either ignored or misunderstood.

In two hours--the race was stopped two laps short of its scheduled 69 laps--Senna lapped everyone but Italian Michele Alboreto.

Alboreto finished second in a Ferrari, taking the lead in the 1985 world driving championship with 12 points. Senna and Alain Prost of France each have nine.

Only nine of the 26 starters officially finished the race.

Senna completed 67 laps in 2:00.28, for an average speed of 90.20 m.p.h.

Patrick Tambay of France was third, while Elio de Angelis of Italy finished fourth.

Neil Bonnett edged teammate Darrell Waltrip by a car length at North Wilkesboro, N.C., to win the Northwestern Bank 400 Grand National stock car race.

Bonnett led for 205 of the 400 laps on the 5/8-mile track, and took over the lead for good with 30 laps to go, holding off a stiff challenge from Waltrip over the final 10 laps of the 250-mile race.

“I felt like I had the rest of the guys beat and I saw Darrell break out of the pack,” Bonnett said. “I felt like a quarterback who had just thrown an interception. I went from playing offense to defense in a hurry. I had to drive defensively to keep him behind me. I had to use up every bit of the race track.”

Waltrip drew almost even with the leader twice on the final five laps, but couldn’t take the lead.

Bonnett averaged 93.818 m.p.h. and picked up $30,025 for his 15th career victory and second this year. Waltrip, who won six of the previous seven races at North Wilkesboro Speedway, collected $27,500.

Bobby Allison finished third and picked up $12,965 after coming from behind to edge Ricky Rudd by a foot. Geoff Bodine, who blew a tire 19 laps from the finish, was fifth, while Bill Elliott was sixth, one lap behind the leaders. Terry Labonte, the 1984 Winston Cup champion, was seventh, also one lap behind the leaders.