Martin Slips Past Earnhardt to Win

Mark Martin won the biggest race of his career, passing Dale Earnhardt with two laps to go Sunday and holding off Jeff Gordon in the Winston Select 500 at Talladega, Ala.

Earnhardt, who took the lead when Rusty Wallace had to pit for gas with four laps left in the 188-lap, 500-mile race, couldn’t hold off Martin, who passed him on the main straightaway and brought Gordon with him.

Martin beat Gordon to the finish by 0.18 of a second, about two car lengths. Martin collected $98,565.

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Damon Hill spoiled the day for the Ferraris by winning the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola, Italy, then dedicated the victory to his late teammate Ayrton Senna, who was killed at the track last May 1.

It was Hill’s second victory in three races and second in a row.

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Two drivers were in critical condition after being injured during the Grand Prix of Road Atlanta at Braselton, Ga., when one car slammed into another, cutting it in half. Jeremy Dale’s Porsche crashed into Fabrizio Barbazza’s Ferrari, which had spun out and was resting sideways on the track.

Barbazza, of Milan, was unconscious at the scene. Dale, of Toronto, who had been trapped in his car, was conscious but had serious injuries to his lower body.

The IMSA race was won by James Weaver.

The AMA Rotten Robbie Superbike event at Laguna Seca was halted by fog after seven of 29 laps and will be resumed today.

Boxing

Rick Parker, 39, a boxing promoter being investigated by the FBI for allegedly fixing fights, was shot to death in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., and former boxer Tim (Doc) Anderson was charged with the slaying.

Police said Anderson, who was outside the hotel room where Parker was found dead, handed a .38-caliber handgun to authorities and admitted the shooting.

Anderson had accused Parker of poisoning him so he would lose a bout with Mark Gastineau in 1992.

Former two-time world champion James Toney won the U.S. Boxing Assn. light heavyweight title, dethroning Anthony Hembrick, who failed to answer the bell for the sixth round in Las Vegas.

Tennis

Thomas Muster defeated Boris Becker, 4-6, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (8-6), 6-0, in the Monte Carlo Open final.

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario scored a a 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Iva Majoli of Croatia in the $430,000 Ford Open final in Barcelona.

Monica Seles will eventually make a tennis comeback despite facing serious psychological difficulties since she was stabbed in the back during a tournament in Hamburg, Germany, two years ago, her father, Karolj Seles, told German television.

Miscellany

The last of 408 finishers in the Newport Ocean Racing Assn.’s Newport Beach-to-Ensenada race, Russell Cox’s Pegasus of South Shore Yacht Club, completed the 125 miles in 30 hours 20 minutes.

Steve Fossett’s 75-foot trimaran Lakota from Chicago’s Columbia YC was first to finish in 8:40; Roy Disney’s Santa Cruz 70 Pyewacket from Los Angeles YC led all monohulls in 12:15:39; Doug Mongeon’s 68-foot Swiftsure from Dana Point YC won the President of Mexico Trophy for fastest corrected time and led the 70-rater class, and Ed Mann’s Ericson 27 Pumpkins from Dana Point YC won the President of the U.S. Trophy for fastest corrected time in the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet.

Wide receiver Gary Clark, eighth on the NFL’s all-time reception list, signed a two-year contract with the Miami Dolphins.

Lance Armstrong of Austin, Tex., took a commanding lead in the Tour DuPont, easily winning the rainy 141-mile fourth stage of the cycling race.

The U.S. hockey team clinched first place in pool B of the World Hockey Championships by tying Finland, 4-4, at Stockholm.

Richard Sandler, the late Newsday sports editor who encouraged his writers to take a closer look at the games they covered, won the Red Smith Award for his contributions to journalism. The award is given by the Associated Press Sports Editors.

An investigation into alleged gambling by University of Maryland athletes reportedly has expanded beyond the school’s football team to possible gambling by basketball players and former football players.

Linda Hanley and Angela Rock defeated Holly McPeak and Nancy Reno, 15-12, for their first Women’s Pro Beach Volleyball Tour victory, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. . . . Karch Kiraly and Scott Ayakatubby won the $100,000 Miller Lite Open pro beach volleyball tournament at Mesa, Ariz., when Randy Stoklos and Adam Johnson withdrew because of Stoklos’ illness.