Earnhardt Winner in Grand National Race

Dale Earnhardt won the Fram Filters 500-Kilometer race Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, holding off Busch Grand National series regular Randy LaJoie.

Ernie Irvan, another Winston Cup regular, moved up to second and was trying to get a run on Earnhardt on the last lap when he was tapped from behind by Tracy Leslie and spun onto the infield grass in the backstretch. Earnhardt average 146.801 m.p.h.

Sterling Marlin was easily the fastest qualifier in second-round qualifying for today’s DieHard 500 at Talladega.

Marlin, who was 33rd Friday in the opening round of time trials, jumped to 22nd, improving his top speed from 188.189 m.p.h. to 189.451.

Bill Elliott won the pole Friday at 192.397 m.p.h.

Alain Prost won the pole for the ninth time in 10 Formula One races this season by leading qualifiers for the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. Prost averaged 154.380 m.p.h.

Tennis

Elizabeth Smylie teamed with Rennae Stubbs for a decisive doubles victory over Argentina that put Australia in today’s Federation Cup final against Spain at Frankfurt, Germany.

Top-seeded Spain, looking to repeat its 1991 victory, won both singles matches against sixth-seeded France before retiring in the doubles to take their best-of-three semifinal, 2-1.

Australia last reached the final in 1984, losing to Czechoslovakia, with its current non-playing team captain Wendy Turnbull and Smylie dropping the decisive doubles.

Stubbs and Smylie, 30, defeated Ines Gorrochategui and Patricia Tarabini, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, to give Australia its 2-1 victory over Argentina.

Argentina and Australia, both unseeded, split the singles. Gorrochategui beat Michelle Jaggard-Lai, 6-4, 6-2, but Nicole Provis evened the score by rallying for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Florencia Labat.

Spain’s Conchita Martinez, ranked sixth in the world, outlasted Julie Halard, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, in an error-filled match, then Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, No. 3 in the world, stopped Nathalie Tauziat, 6-1, 6-4.

Amos Mansdorf of Israel recovered from a shaky start to defeat Richey Reneberg, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, and move into the finals of the Newsweek Classic at Washington.

Mansdorf, an 11-year veteran whose last victory on the IBM-ATP Tour came in 1990 at Philadelphia, will meet seventh-seeded Todd Martin today for the championship and $84,000 first prize. Martin defeated unseeded Aaron Krickstein, 6-3, 7-5.

Germany’s Michael Stich’s ousted defending champion Andrei Medvedev, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, to reach the final of the Mercedes Cup at Stuttgart, Germany. Stich will face Sweden’s Magnus Gustafsson, who spoiled an all-German final by eliminating Stich’s Davis Cup teammate, Marc Goellner, 6-4, 6-3.

Miscellany

A 20-year-old with both legs amputated at the knee stroked into the record books Friday when he became the youngest male and first disabled swimmer to cross Lake Ontario. Carlos Costa, whose legs were amputated when was 2 1/2 because of a birth deformity, completed the swim in 32 1/2 hours.

Arizona State’s Stevin Smith scored 18 points and the United States beat South Korea, 94-80, in the Under-22 World Basketball Championships at Burgos, Spain.

Argentina routed Israel, 82-58, to join the United States as a group leader after three days of play.

The U.S. women’s field hockey team earned the fifth and final berth in the 1994 World Cup, ousting India from the Women’s International Cup championship in a penalty stroke shootout at Villanova, Pa.