Motor Racing Roundup : Senna Gets Seventh Win at Belgian Grand Prix

Ayrton Senna of Brazil won the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix Sunday for his seventh victory of the season, matching the record shared by teammate Alain Prost and Jim Clark.

It appears that only an extraordinary turn of events can prevent Senna from winning the 1988 world drivers championship.

Prost, already a double world champion and Senna’s only rival this season, finished second in the Belgian Grand Prix.

“There’s no doubt about who’s going to be world champion this year,” Prost said. “He (Senna) really deserves to be world champion, not just because of this year--he’s been running well the last two years.”

Despite Prost’s compliments, Senna said the last five races of the season were as important as the first 11.

“Any race is hard if you want to beat Alain,” Senna said. “You have to drive to your maximum efficiency. I think I’m close to it, but it’s not finished. I just have to carry on as I have been and wait.”

Along with his seven victories, Senna has put his Honda-powered McLaren in the pole position nine times, tying another season record shared by three drivers.

Senna broke into Formula One racing in 1984 and quickly became one of the finest drivers. But until his move from Lotus to McLaren at the beginning of the season, he couldn’t always rely on his equipment.

“This is the first time in my career that I am able to score consistently well in the world championship,” Senna said. “I am taking full advantage of it.”

Eddie Lawson of the United States ensured his third motorcycle world champion title after placing second on a Yamaha in the 500cc category in the Czechoslovak Grand Prix at Brno, Czechoslovakia.

Lawson’s lead with 232 points in the standings ensures him of the world champion title.

Lawson has a 20-point lead over Australia’s Wayne Gardner, who won the Czechoslovak Grand Prix in 49:11.06. Lawson was only 1.91 seconds behind Gardner.

Dutchman John van den Berk clinched the World 250cc motocross championship title Sunday after two consistent rides in the Swedish Grand Prix at Tibro, Sweden--the final stop of the series.

Van den Berk, aboard a Yamaha, placed third in the opening heat and finished runnerup in the second. Compatriot Gert Jan van Doorn won both heats on a Cagiva bike.

Van den Berk topped the final overall standings with 315 points, 30 ahead of Pekka Vehkonen of Finland. Vehkonen, the only rider who had a chance to catch Van den Berk going into the Swedish event, finished second and third in the two heats.

American Rodney Smith, riding a Suzuki, was sixth in the first heat and finished third overall with 230 points.

Markku Alen of Finland, driving a Lancia, easily captured his sixth victory in the Rally of the 1000 Lakes, this year’s 10th World Championship rally, at Jyvaskyla, Finland.

Alen took the victory when countryman Juha Kankkunen was forced to quit the race. Kankkunen, the reigning world champion, had to retire when his Toyota failed with a broken engine.

Mikael Ericsson of Sweden took second place, while Didier Auriol of France was third.

Intermittent rain showers forced the postponement of Sunday’s final eliminations for the International Hot Rod Assn.’s World Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio.

The 11th annual race has been rescheduled for Sept. 14 at Norwalk Raceway Park.

Top qualifiers were Gene Snow of Ft. Worth; Dale Pulde of Sylmar; Morris Johnson of Midlothian, Ill.; and Bob Newberry of Schenectady, N.Y.