Mears Wins as Only Seven Finish

Rick Mears took advantage of a race of attrition Sunday to win his first Marlboro 500, beating Arie Luyendyk by 3.14 seconds at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich.

It was the eighth 500-mile victory for Mears, who won his fourth Indianapolis 500 in May.

“I had a good lead on him, but I didn’t want Arie to get up in my draft and get close enough to push me,” Mears said. “In that situation, you try not to change your rhythm, just keep doing the things that got you there.”

The field of 21 was the smallest ever for a 500-mile event and only seven were running at the end, tying the Michigan record set in 1986.

Al Unser Jr. finished third, four laps behind, after Mario Andretti’s engine quit five laps from the finish.

Mears, who won $173,189, averaged 167.230 m.p.h.

Paul Tracy, a 22-year-old Canadian rookie making his first oval start in an Indy car, hit the fourth-turn wall on the third lap. Tracy was hospitalized for treatment of a broken left leg.