If It’s Called a Pit Stop, Shouldn’t They Stop?

When the power-steering fluid ran dry in Roger Mears’ pickup truck during the 400-mile Baja Internacional off-road race, his riding mechanic, Tony Alvarez, crawled out on the hood while Mears was driving between 50 and 60 m.p.h. over the bumpy terrain and added fluid.

“If we’d stopped to do it, we’d have lost,” Mears said matter-of-factly. Mears and Alvarez won their class by four minutes over Manny Esquerra’s Ford.

Offbeat recruiting: Among those requesting press credentials for this week’s national track and field meet at Cerritos College was Tony Carlino of Lake Placid, N.Y., the U.S. Olympic bobsled coach.

So, why the interest in track and field? Carlino told meet organizers that he planned on approaching such track stars as Edwin Moses, Carl Lewis and Roger Kingdom with proposals that they try out for the U.S. bobsled team for the 1992 Winter Olympics at Albertville, France. He obviously wants to get his team off to a fast start.

Trivia time: What did Glen Campbell, Joe Garagiola, Andy Williams, Jackie Gleason, Danny Thomas, Bing Crosby and Sammy Davis Jr. all have in common?

Excuses, excuses: Laurent Fignon’s ponytail hanging out from beneath his helmet might have been the difference between losing and winning last year’s Tour de France.

That’s what Chester Pyle, a student of the aerodynamics of bicycles, claims after simulating in a wind tunnel the final day’s sprint from Versailles to the Champs Elysees in Paris. He says the ponytail cost the French rider eight seconds.

Greg LeMond won by that margin after overcoming a 53-second disadvantage going into the final day’s ride.

Soul tennis: Jennifer Capriati dazzled onlookers at the French Open with her tennis--and also with her latest in teen-age handshakes.

“It’s a forehand, backhand, volley, slice and overhead,” she explained after a demonstration of two handclasps, two knuckle raps and a high-five.

Looking back: On June 14, 1969, Reggie Jackson had his biggest batting day in the major leagues when he drove in 10 runs with two home runs, a double and two singles for the Oakland A’s against the Red Sox in Boston. On the other side of the coin, Cecil Cooper of the Red Sox struck out six times in one game on June 14, 1974.

Trivia answer: In 1980, their names were attached to PGA Tour events, but all have since been replaced by corporate sponsors.

No respect: Move over, Rodney Dangerfield. Make room for Buster Douglas.

Douglas may be the world heavyweight boxing champion, but in the mind of Art Manteris, vice president of the Las Vegas Hilton Race and Sports SuperBook, he is no better than a 2 1/2-1 underdog against Evander Holyfield in their Sept. 20 fight.

“Buster Douglas certainly scored an impressive win over Mike Tyson last February,” Manteris said, “but it doesn’t mean that Douglas is an awesome fighter. I’m not entirely sold on his boxing ability against top-ranked opponents.”

Quotebook: After firing her husband, Ray Knight, the former baseball player, as her caddie in tournaments, Nancy Lopez said he still had a job. “He’s still caddying for me. He carries the bag from the trunk of the car to the golf course.”