Motor Racing Roundup : Lawson Wins Motorcycle Grand Prix

Two-time world champion Eddie Lawson of Upland, using every inch of pavement, blasted into first place on lap 18 and easily held the lead to win the United States Grand Prix motorcycle road race Sunday at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif.

The victory in the 40-lap race, the first world Grand Prix held in the United States since 1965, moved Lawson into the lead in the overall standings with 35 points, one point ahead of defending champion Wayne Gardner of Australia.

Lawson, riding a Yamaha, passed Gardner on lap 15 in turn two, a slow hairpin that is part of the new portion of the race track added this year to expand the track to the international minimum of 2.2 miles.

Three laps later, he slipped by leader Niall MacKenzie of Scotland and began to steadily pull away from the pack.

At the finish, Gardner was second on his Honda, with MacKenzie third, also on a Honda. Fourth went to pole sitter Wayne Rainey of Downey.

At Bristol International Raceway in Tennessee, Bill Elliott won the NASCAR Valleydale 500 despite a late-race scrape with Geoff Bodine.

“I just never gave up,” said Elliott, who was knocked out of the lead when he and Bodine tangled coming out of the third turn on lap 492 of the 500-lap race and Elliott’s Ford Thunderbird was sent spinning into the retaining wall.

Elliott controlled the spin and, although he lost the lead to Bodine, was able to remain in the lead lap.

Elliott passed Bodine on lap 498. Mark Martin also got past Bodine to place second. It was Martin’s best finish in 64 career starts.

At Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., Geoff Brabham and John Morton overcame a fire in the pits and a 60-second deficit to win the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Grand Prix IMSA Camel GT sports car race.

At Monza, Italy, Martin Brundle of England and American Eddie Cheever raced their Jaguar XJR9 to first place in the Monza 1,000 kilometer (620-mile) prototype auto race.