MOTOR RACING : Irvan Gets Fast Help in Richmond Win

Early in the race, Rusty Wallace’s crew was getting his Ford out of the pits fastest.

Near day’s end, Ernie Irvan’s crew got faster.

Pit stops were the difference Sunday when Irvan outdueled Wallace to win the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond, Va., by 1.7 seconds.

“The guys did just a tremendous job in the pits,” said Irvan, who also drove a Ford Thunderbird. “All I hear about is how fast Rusty’s crew is in the pits. I’ll tell you what, I’ll lay these guys up against his any day. They showed it today.”

Irvan won for the first time this season and gave the Robert Yates team its second consecutive victory in this race over a three-quarter mile track.

Last year’s race was won by Davey Allison, who died in a helicopter crash in July.

Irvan made it look easy Sunday, leading six times for 189 of the 400 laps--including the final 21--in his third short-track victory among 10 wins in his career.

Only Irvan, who earned $66,175 and averaged 98.334 m.p.h., and Wallace, coming off a victory at Rockingham, led from Lap 153 on, and Wallace kept alive his streak of finishing no worse than second in nine events on ovals shorter than one mile, dating to last season.

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Don Prudhomme of Granada Hills, in his final drag racing season, won the top fuel title in the Slick 50 Nationals at Baytown, Tex., driving the quarter mile in 4.881 seconds at 294.50 n.p.h. to beat Scott Kalitta.

Kalitta had recorded the quickest time in drag racing history, 4.726 seconds, earlier in the day.

Prudhomme had not won in 27 events, dating back to August 1992.

“This is an emotional win for me,” said Prudhomme. “In January, our race shop was heavily damaged by the Southern California earthquake and, less than two months later, we were able to win. It’s one of the best thrills of my 30-year racing career.”

He was joined in the winner’s circle by Al Hofmann of Umatilla, Fla., in the Funny Car division and Warren Johnson of Duluth, Ga., in the Pro Stock class.