Motor Racing Roundup : British Fans Help Mansell

Nigel Mansell gave fans the credit after rallying Sunday to defeat teammate Nelson Piquet and win the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, England.

“The fans won the race for me,” said Mansell, who was born at Birmingham, about 60 miles from the Silverstone circuit.

“For the last 15 laps they were waving and cheering me on so that I knew I was getting close to Nelson. They definitely put five seconds in my pocket. I was absolutely amazed. They were incredible.”

Mansell needed those 5 seconds after a pit stop meant he had to make up 28 seconds on Piquet, his Williams-Honda teammate but his rival in the world drivers’ championships.

With fresh tires, he reduced Piquet’s lead and then overtook the Brazilian on a right-hand bend and eventually won by almost two seconds.

Mansell, who covered the 192.985 miles at an average speed of 146.208 m.p.h., became the first driver since Jim Clark to win the British Grand Prix in successive years. Clark won four straight times from 1962-65.

Piquet finished more than a lap ahead of countryman Ayrton Senna, whose lead in the drivers’ championship was cut to one point.

Reigning world champion Alain Prost of France retired 12 laps from the finish and failed to pick up any points.

Senna, in a Lotus Honda, has 31 points with nine races to go. Piquet and Mansell each have 30 and Prost, who drives a McLaren Tag, has 26.

Bubba Shobert used third-place and second-place finishes in the crash-shortened two-heat Nissan 200 motorcycle road race en route to the overall Superbike title at Laguna Seca Raceway at Monterey Sunday.

In the first heat, Honda rider Wayne Rainey of Downey had tire problems while in second place and lost a lap while a wheel was replaced.

In the second heat, first-heat winner Kevin Schwantz crashed in turn No. 9 while leading the race on the 11th lap.

Scott Pierce drove Mr. Pringles to an upset victory in the Spirit of Detroit unlimited hydroplane race.

Chip Hanauer’s Miller American, one of two boats expected to battle for the championship, had problems with its helicopter turbine engines. The other favorite, Jim Kropfeld’s Miss Budweiser, which led all six laps of the final 12.5-mile heat, was penalized a lap for jumping the start.

Winston Funny Car champion Kenny Bernstein of Newport Beach won the 18th annual $869,150 Budweiser Summer Nationals at Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.

Bernstein, driving a Buick LeSabre, won with a run of 5.563 seconds at a speed of 255.33 m.p.h.