Fittipaldi Passes Mears to Win in Australia
Emerson Fittipaldi overtook Penske teammate Rick Mears with less than three laps to go to win the rain-plagued Gold Coast Indy Grand Prix, opening event of the Indy-car racing season.
It was the 14th victory for Fittipaldi, a two-time Formula One champion. The Brazilian averaged 77.561 m.p.h. for 65 laps of the 2.855-mile street circuit.
Mears, like Fittipaldi driving a Penske Chevy, was 2.81 seconds behind at the finish, with Bobby Rahal third in the debut of the Rahal-Hogan Chevy. Al Unser Jr., who led for part of the race, was fourth in Galles Racings’ new Galmer-Chevy chassis-engine combination, followed by teammate Danny Sullivan.
Defending race champion John Andretti was sixth and his uncle, Mario Andretti, was seventh, the last car on the lead lap.
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