Motor Racing Roundup : Prost Nears Title With Victory in Spanish Grand Prix

France’s Alain Prost improved his chances of winning the world driving championship by racing his turbocharged McLaren-Honda to an easy victory Sunday in the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

Prost, a two-time world champion, led from the start and completed the 72 laps of the 2.62-mile Spanish circuit in 1 hour 48 minutes 43.851 seconds, 26 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Nigel Mansell of Great Britain, who drove a normally aspirated Williams-Judd.

Third was Italy’s Alessandro Nannini, in his multi-colored, normally aspirated Benetton-Ford. Brazilian Ayrton Senna took the second McLaren-Honda to fourth place after a late charge through the field.

Prost’s 34th Grand Prix victory gave him a total of 84 points after 14 races in the 16-race Formula One series. Senna is second with 79.

The remaining races are in Japan and Australia.

Geoff Brabham held off the late charge of Klaus Ludwig to win the Columbus 500 auto race at Columbus, Ohio, and clinch the IMSA GTP driving championship.

Brabham, driving a Nissan GTP-ZXT, averaged 80.819 m.p.h. for 81 laps of the 2.3-mile road circuit and won by 3.32 seconds over Ludwig, who was in a Porsche 962. It was Brabham’s ninth victory of the season.

Steady rain Sunday forced NASCAR officials to postpone the $350,000 Holly Farms 400 stock car race at North Wilkesboro Speedway until today.