MOTOR RACING ROUNDUP : Unser Triumphs for the First Time on an Oval Track

Al Unser Jr., chasing Michael Andretti in a battle of second-generation Indy-car stars in Sunday’s Miller 200 at West Allis, Wis., saw Andretti roll toward the pit road with fewer than two laps remaining.

Andretti, just over one mile from his first victory in 10 months, heard the Chevrolet engine on his streaking Lola sputter and die, out of fuel.

Unser’s Chevrolet-powered Lola darted past and into the lead on the main straightaway as Andretti pounded his steering wheel in frustration while his crew poured in enough fuel to allow him to finish the 200-mile race in fifth place.

Unser easily held off two-time defending champion Rick Mears for the 10th victory of his career and first on an oval track. The margin of victory was 0.73 seconds, and the race was worth $87,632 to Unser. Emerson Fittipaldi was third and Bobby Rahal fourth.

“I didn’t have any indication or clue that Michael was having any problems,” Unser said. “We were running our race. I knew that I was cutting it close on fuel. I was hoping that as fast as Michael was going, he was using the fuel along with the speed. And, sure enough, he was.”

Unser averaged 133.670 m.p.h. That broke the race record of 130.160 by Mears last year.

Derrike Cope’s won his second career NASCAR Winston Cup race, holding off Ken Schrader in a battle of Chevrolets to win the Budweiser 500 at Dover, Del.

Cope won the Daytona 500 in February when Dale Earnhart cut a tire with a mile to go. He won this time by taking charge and not letting go.

“From all the things that were said at Daytona it took a little bit of the sweetness away from it because a lot of people always said that I lucked into it,” he said.

Cope’s victory was worth $55,050 and came at an average speed of 123.993 m.p.h., an event record on the high-banked, one-mile oval at Dover Downs International Speedway.

Canada’s Paul Tracy took the lead at the start and won the Milwaukee round of the American Racing Series, a prelude to the Miller 200 CART race.

Tracy built leads of up to 10.2 seconds, earning $17,000 and averaging 106.42 m.p.h.

Robbie Buhl finished second, holding off Robbie Groff.

French rider Jean-Michel Bayle rode his Honda to a season-high fifth victory at Foxboro, Mass., Stadium Saturday and moved to within nine points of the Camel Supercross series lead.

Bayle beat the Kawasaki of Jeff Ward of San Juan Capistrano in the main event.

Bayle trails Jeff Mataisevich of La Habra and defending champion Jeff Stanton, who is only one point behind Mataisevich.