OFF-ROAD AT THE COLISEUM : Millen and Roger Mears Easily Win Their Heats

An exceptionally high-speed track around the perimeter of the Coliseum football field kept close racing, a usual characteristic of stadium off-road racing, to a minimum Saturday night as 47,027 watched a series of follow-the-leader Mickey Thompson Gran Prix races.

The long program, seventh in a series of 10 stadium races, was running more than 45 minutes late before the six championship races.

Rod Millen, despite driving his Toyota V6 with a heavily bandaged left hand, went just about wire-to-wire in the first heat of the Grand National sport trucks. He led off the starting line, but was headed off by Scott Douglas, in a Jeep, during a transition coming down from the top of the peristyle in the middle of the first lap.

It took Millen less than 100 yards, however, to catch and pass Douglas on a tight inside turn. Douglas’ hopes of an upset ended on the third lap when he flipped his Jeep inside the peristyle arch, bringing out a yellow flag. On the restart, Millen took and was never headed.

The veteran New Zealander was injured during qualifying Friday when a rock flew through his unprotected windshield and hit him on the hand. It broke his little finger and when he arrived Saturday he was wearing an orthopedic cast wrapped around the broken finger, part of the palm of his hand and six inches above his wrist.

“I can’t bend the wrist,” he said, “but it’s not too bad. Especially when you win. You never hurt when you win.”

Millen was debuting a new Cal Wells-built V6 even though he had driven a four cylinder truck to victories at Phoenix and the Rose Bowl earlier in the season.

Glenn Harris, driving under a one-race probation after being censored for rough driving in the last race at Dallas, finished second, just ahead of Rob MacCachren, the fastest qualifier. MacCachren’s Ford made the biggest move in the heat, going from 11th to third, but the rough riding committee dropped him two positions. This moved defending series champion Ivan Stewart up to third.

Roger Mears, who had trouble keeping his Nissan going in the first heat, was an even easier winner than Millen in the second eight-lap heat. Greg George, in a Chevrolet, finished second with series leader Walker Evans third.

“We had some gremlins in that first heat, but got things turned around between races,” Mears said. The problem in the first race was a rock that hit a sensor that feeds information to the electronic engine management system.

“That made the engine really lose its mind.” Mears said.

Marty Coyne and Bob Gordon won the Super 1600 heats in two of the night’s best races.

Coyne received a gift while running a distant third with one lap remaining when Mitch Mustard tried to pass leader Marty Hart and ended up with his front end draped over the hood of Mustard’s Chenowth. Mustard was set back one position, while Coyne continued on to the win.

Gordon and Arciero, BF Goodrich teammates, raced tail to nose for eight laps but Arciero could never quite pass the veteran Gordon, a two-time series champion from Orange.