Motor Racing Roundup : Fittipaldi Wins Detroit Grand Prix

Emerson Fittipaldi survived two bumping incidents and a stalled engine to charge from last place and win the Detroit Grand Prix Indy-car race Sunday.

It was the first Indy-car event over downtown Detroit streets after seven years of Formula One racing. The victory moved Fittipaldi, the Indianapolis 500 winner, and fifth-place finisher Rick Mears into a tie for the CART-PPG series points lead.

Michael Andretti dominated the race from the pole, leading for all but two of the first 54 laps before a mechanical problem forced him to the pits.

Indy-car rookie and road racing specialist Scott Pruett, who trailed Andretti by 57 seconds, took the lead. But Fittipaldi, the two-time Formula One champion from Brazil, kept the pressure on, finally driving his Chevrolet-powered Penske PC18 past Pruett’s Judd-powered Lola only four laps from the end of the 62-lap, 155-mile event.

The race began under a caution flag after rookie Steve Saleen stalled during the pace lap. The 28-car field was given the green flag for the start of lap two. As the leaders drove through the tight first turn, Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti, another former Formula One champion, touched wheels and Andretti spun.

Andretti quickly returned to speed, but Fittipaldi, whose right front wheel was damaged, drove slowly to the pits and made a 21-second stop, falling nearly a lap behind.

On lap 48, Fittipaldi tried to pass Mario Andretti on the inside and the two touched and slid to a stop. Both were push-started, but Fittipaldi’s engine stalled and it took several seconds longer to get him to a downhill spot that helped restart the engine.

One lap later, Andretti spun again, locking up his brakes. This time, it took about a minute to restart with a push. Meanwhile, Pruett and Fittipaldi had roared past in pursuit of Michael Andretti, who had a big lead.

But Michael Andretti slowed and pitted with an apparent shift-linkage problem. Pruett and Fittipaldi moved past, but Michael Andretti came back onto the track and got up to speed before spinning and crashing less than a lap later. He wound up 13th. His father finished third, followed by Teo Fabi of Italy, the only other competitor on the lead lap.

Fittipaldi, who earned his eighth career Indy-car victory, crossed the finish line 29.544 seconds ahead of Pruett. The winner, who earned $144,160 from the $1 million purse, averaged 76.112 m.p.h.

Danny Sullivan, the defending series champion, quit after lap 16 because he was suffering too much pain from a broken right forearm. It was the first test on a road course since his injury in a crash during practice last month at Indianapolis.

Terry Labonte earned his first victory in more than a year by holding off Harry Gant to win the NASCAR Miller 500 at Pocono International Raceway near Long Pond, Pa.

Labonte took the lead with 14 laps remaining as the field came off a three-lap caution period and beat Gant by 1.88 seconds. Dale Earnhardt finished third, Ken Schrader fourth and Morgan Shepherd fifth on the 2 1/2-mile tri-oval.

Labonte, who started 23rd, averaged 131.319 m.p.h to win for the first time in 14 months. It was Labonte’s first victory ever at Pocono.

Thierry Boutsen of Belgium, taking advantage after leader Ayrton Senna’s McLaren-Honda blew an engine with three laps remaining, won the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal for his first-ever career Formula One victory.

The results were protested by the Ferrari and Benetton-Ford teams when two cars were disqualified after what appeared to be a false start out of the pit lane. There was no immediate decision by race organizers.

Jamie James won his second American Motorcyclist Assn. superbike road race of the season, at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, N.H.