MOTOR RACING ROUNDUP : Allison Warms Up, Takes Over to Win at Richmond

After disappointing finishes in the season’s first two races, Davey Allison got into high gear Sunday at Richmond International Raceway.

Allison, who finished 28th in the Daytona 500 and 14th at Rockingham, N.C., drove his Ford Thunderbird from 14th place to dominate the second half of the 400-lap, 300-mile Pontiac Excitement 400.

He led three times for 155 laps, including 152 of the last 157 and the final 42 laps. Allison earned $70,125 and finished 4.38 seconds ahead of the Pontiac Grand Prix of runner-up Rusty Wallace.

“The car just felt great right from the start,” Allison said. “I just tried to pick my spots and get through traffic. I just had to be patient until we got up front.”

His average speed of 107.709 m.p.h. broke the record of 105.397 set in 1991 by Dale Earnhardt.

Third place Sunday went to Alan Kulwicki, followed by Dale Jarrett, Kyle Petty, rookie Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.

Motorcyclist James Adamo was killed at the Daytona 200 when his bike slammed into a concrete retaining wall and steel guard rail.

The 36-year-old racer from Glen Cove, N.Y., died of massive head injuries after his Ducati crashed during the seventh lap of a race won by Eddie Lawson.

Adamo, who began his pro motorcycling career in 1973, was a motorcycle parts distributor in New York. He was married and the father of two daughters.

Lawson, of Upland, Calif., passed Scott Russell of Santa Ana on the final turn of the last lap to win by 0.051 seconds on a Yamaha.

Lawson averaged 105.936 m.p.h.

Ed McCulloch of Hemet, who had set a track record in qualifying, beat Rance McDaniel of Fresno in the top fuel finals of the Slick 50 Nationals drag races at Baytown, Tex. McCulloch drove the quarter mile in 4.907 seconds at 285.44 m.p.h.

John Force of Yorba Linda won in funny cars when Al Hofman of Umatilla, Fla., fouled.

In Pro Stock, Bob Glidden of Whiteland, Ind., beat Larry Morgan with a time of 7.134, 193.34 m.p.h., to Morgan’s 7.140, 192.63 in the quickest Pro Stock race ever.