MOTOR RACING ROUNDUP : Petty Avoids 20-Car Crash, Wins 500 at Dover Downs

Kyle Petty was far enough behind to avoid an early-race accident involving 20 cars, then beat a field resembling a destruction derby to win the Miller Genuine Draft 500 at Dover, Del., and end a two-year victory drought Sunday.

Petty, who started 37th, drove his Pontiac Grand Prix at an average speed of 119.880 m.p.h. as he led for 271 of the 500 laps on Dover Downs International Speedway’s Monster Mile. He beat Bobby Labonte, in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, by three car-lengths to collect $69,665 of the $1.32-million purse.

The 42-car field was just completing the second lap when John Andretti got loose entering the high-banked fourth turn. Ricky Craven, with nowhere to go, crashed into him, setting off a chain-reaction pileup.

Dale Earnhardt overcame damage to his Monte Carlo and finished fifth. He leads Sterling Marlin, seventh in a Monte Carlo, by 100 points in the Winston Cup series.

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Shortly after five-time Baja champion Danny Hamel was killed when his motorcycle collided with a car that strayed onto the race course of the Baja 500 Saturday, a second accident seriously injured Dino Pugeda of Oxnard.

Pugeda, a co-driver with John Swift, also of Oxnard, was airlifted to San Diego in critical condition with undisclosed injuries after the crash 65 miles into the race, officials said. Swift was treated in Mexico for a broken arm.

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Cory McClenathan, John Force, Warren Johnson and David Schultz won professional titles in the NHRA Virginia is for Lovers Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, Va.

McClenathan won in Top Fuel, Force in Funny Car, Johnson in Pro Stock and Schultz in Pro Stock Motorcycle.