Herberg Outlasts Rivals in Florida 200

Scott Herberg won the Florida 200 by more than two laps today at Daytona International Speedway in a race plagued by flat tires, mechanical trouble and empty gas tanks.

Herberg, 21, and defending NASCAR Dash Series champion Robert Huffman were dueling for the lead with five laps remaining in the 80-lap race for four-cylinder sedans. But Huffman dropped out with a flat tire that apparently caused other rear-end damage.

That left Herberg’s Pontiac with an advantage of several seconds over Roger Reuse, the only other driver on the lead lap. Reuse apparently ran out of gas a mile from the finish and rolled to a stop short of the line as Herberg took the checkered flag for his first super-speedway victory.

Dale Howdyshell finished second and David Probst was third. But most of the contenders in the 41-car field failed to finish.

Pole-winner Mike Swaim, who has won the race three times, led for most of the first 125 miles before an engine problem knocked him out of contention.

Five-time NASCAR dash champion Dean Combs was near the front and running well until a flat tire took him out of the lead lap with about 50 miles to go.

The most serious accident involved George Crenshaw, whose Pontiac spun out in Turn 4 and hit the apron wall. He was unhurt.

Darrell Marshall’s Pontiac briefly erupted in flames while in the pits, but no one was hurt.

Comeback-minded Indy-car driver Scott Pruett out-dueled stock car star Bill Elliott over the final nine laps today and won the opening round of the 15th International Race of Champions series at the Daytona International Speedway.

Pruett, who broke both legs and his back in a crash during an Indy-car test last March, was at or near the front virtually the entire 40-lap, 100-mile race matching 12 all-star drivers in identically prepared IROC Dodge Daytonas.

The former Trans-Am and GTO sports car champion trailed Elliott in second place on laps 32 and 33, then moved to the front the next time around the 2.5-mile Daytona track and, doing some slick blocking over the last two laps, held on to win by about one car length.