Andretti Breaks Long Drought

Michael Andretti, the defending Indy car series champion but without a victory this year, dominated the Budweiser-G.I. Joe’s 200 at Portland, Ore., winning in a Ford Cosworth.

As he did a year ago, Andretti darted ahead of pole-sitter Emerson Fittipaldi at the start. After that, Andretti trailed for only two of the 102 laps on the 12-turn, 1.95-mile Portland International Raceway road course, averaging 105.219 m.p.h.

Fittipaldi finished second in his Penske Chevrolet, 8.43 seconds behind. Al Unser Jr. took third and Eddie Cheever fourth.

It was the first victory for a Ford-powered Indy car since 1971, when A.J. Foyt won at Phoenix.

“I had a little bit of miss in the engine and it really had me worried,” Andretti said. “But it never got any worse. It would come and go. It was kind of a funny thing. But the Ford ran all day--finally.”