Auto Racing Roundup : Fourth Place Gives Prost Title; Mansell Wins Race

France’s Alain Prost won the 1985 world driver’s title Sunday and Nigel Mansell delighted his home British fans by scoring his first Formula One victory at the Grand Prix of Europe at Brands Hatch, England.

Prost, benefitting from the late exits of Marc Surer and Jacques Laffite, finished fourth and gained three points, enough to put him out of reach of rival Michele Alboreto of Italy with two races remaining in the season.

Mansell, whose best finish in 71 Grand Prix races was second in Belgium three weeks ago, took the lead on the ninth of the 75 laps and ran out an easy winner in a Williams.

Finishing in second, 21 seconds back, was Ayrton Senna of Brazil in a Lotus. Keke Rosberg of Finland drove an incredibly aggressive race after an early accident to storm up into third place in the other Williams, and McLaren driver Prost was the last of the four drivers to complete the full race distance.

“I feel wonderful, but it hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Prost, who finally became world champion after being runner-up the past two years.

Cale Yarborough came from one lap down to take the lead with 46 laps left and won the Miller 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Harrisburg, N.C., while second-place Bill Elliott gained some ground in the national-championship battle.

Elliott earned 175 points to move within 20 points of Darrell Waltrip with three races left. Waltrip, who finished fourth, earned 165 points for the race and now has 3,791 points.

Yarborough’s victory, his second of the season, ended a six-year drought at the 1 1/2-mile track. He averaged 136.761 m.p.h. in the 334-lap event.

Driving a Porsche 962, Drake Olson, Price Cobb and Rob Dyson won the inaugural Columbus 500 at at Columbus, Ohio.

Olson, who was driving when the race ended after 136 laps, finished 15.37 seconds ahead of Bob Wollek, also in a Porsche 962.

Average speed for the winner was 82.992 m.p.h. over the 2.3-mile course, laid out over city streets.