Motor Racing Roundup : Sullivan Finally Able to Smile Again

Danny Sullivan flexed his right arm, grimaced, then smiled and waved to the crowd around Victory Circle at Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Sunday.

The 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner, who has been hampered by a broken arm since an accident May 11 in practice for this year’s Indy 500, completed his comeback with a victory in the Quaker State 500.

Sullivan, who won $98,618, beat Penske Racing teammate Rick Mears in a late duel.

“My arm feels all right now,” Sullivan said. “It was a little sore during the race and I know I’ll feel it tomorrow, but right now it feels fine.”

Sullivan took the lead 12 laps from the end when Michael Andretti, who was leading, pitted for fuel. Mears, a three-time Pocono winner, moved past Andretti into second place on lap 191 and got to within one second of Sullivan, the 1984 Pocono winner, three laps later.

But Sullivan, defending CART-PPG Indy-car champion, wound up beating Mears by 4.226 seconds.

Michael Andretti, who won the last two Indy-car races, was third, followed by Teo Fabi of Italy, the last driver on the lead lap, Mario Andretti and, another lap back, defending race champion Bobby Rahal.

Sullivan’s race speed of 170.650 m.p.h. broke the 500-mile Pocono record of 156.701 set in 1974 by Johnny Rutherford.

Points leader Emerson Fittipaldi started from the pole and appeared to be on the way to a runaway, building margins of up to 25 seconds as he led 63 of the first 67 laps.

On lap 68, however, he suddenly slowed and pitted with a broken wheel and shredded tire. He was out for 22 laps and failed to finish and his points lead over Mears was cut to 143-125.

Rusty Wallace, winning his second consecutive Winston Cup event and fifth of the season, took the Champion 400 in a NASCAR track race record of 157.704 m.p.h. at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich.

The record of 156.863 m.p.h. was set by Davey Allison last year.

Wallace took the lead with 17 laps to go and beat Morgan Shepherd by 15.6 seconds.

Shepherd passed Harry Gant, who ran out of gas and finished third.

Defending Winston champion Joe Amato won the Top Fuel finals in the NHRA Northstar Nationals at Brainerd, Minn., by beating Shirley Muldowney.

While Amato’s victory was his second straight and fourth final-round appearance in a row, Muldowney was making her first appearance in the finals since 1983.

Amato took the win with a quarter-mile time of 5.248 seconds at 278.81 m.p.h., while Muldowney smoked her tires and could only watch as Amato raced to victory.

Bruce Allen won the Pro Stock competition, while Ed McCullough took the Funny Car event.