Gordon Finally Reenters Winners’ Circle

Jeff Gordon bounced back from a terrible start to the season with his first victory as defending Winston Cup champion, outrunning points leader Dale Jarrett on Sunday in the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond, Va.

Gordon, 41st in the Daytona 500 and 40th last weekend at Rockingham, N.C., kept his Chevrolet in front over the final 50 laps despite a series of cautions that kept erasing any advantage he’d built.

“This is the momentum we needed, and it can really take you places,” said Gordon, who led five times for 124 laps. “I’m real interested to make sure this team doesn’t come into this season and fall on their faces.”

Gordon, who led at least one lap in all but two races last year, hadn’t led at all this year before moving in front on the 81st trip around the three-quarter-mile Richmond International Raceway.

Jarrett, who broke a tie with Dale Earnhardt and took the lead in the series point standings, finished more than a half-second behind in his Ford. He was followed by the Jack Roush Fords of Ted Musgrave, Jeff Burton and Mark Martin.

The race, run under green from the 85th lap until the 349th, turned into something akin to a demolition derby for the last 50 circuits. Of the eight cautions, five came during the last eighth of the $1.34-million race.

A spin by Darrell Waltrip caused eight caution laps, then Elton Sawyer and Earnhardt spun out in the second turn. Gordon, Musgrave and Jarrett barely dodged Earnhardt’s car before the caution came out.

Sawyer, whose spin was caused by a bump in the rear from Ernie Irvan, tangled with Irvan again right after the return to green on the 379th of 400 laps, causing three more circuits under the yellow flag.

Twice more the race was slowed by caution, giving Gordon’s pursuers a chance to get right on his rear bumper again. Each time, though, the 24-year-old managed to beat them off the line and into the first turn.

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Jimmy Vasser passed Gil de Ferran on a restart with 32 laps to go in the season-opening Marlboro Grand Prix at Homestead, Fla., then drove away for his first Indy-car win in 56 starts.

The 30-year-old Vasser, driving a Honda-powered Reynard for Target-Chip Ganassi Racing, earned his first trip to Victory Lane. He beat the Reynard-Honda of de Ferran to the finish line by 3.16-seconds--about 15 car-lengths on the Homestead Motorsports Complex’s 1.527-mile oval.

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Jeremy McGrath rode his Honda CR250 to victory in the opening round of the American Motorcyclist Association 250cc national motocross series at Gainesville, Fla.

Soccer

Argentina and Brazil qualified for the Olympic Games in Atlanta on Sunday at Mar Del Plata, Argentina.

Argentina beat Venezuela, 2-0, with goals by Hernan Crespo and Claudio Lopez, while Brazil beat Uruguay, 3-1, on two goals by Juninho, a star for Middlesbrough in England’s Premier League.

A referee suspended a match when some fans stormed the field at Foggia, Italy, sending about 10 people to the hospital.

Fans began hurling objects from the stands to protest the expulsions of two players for home team Foggia. One linesman was hit and required medical attention.

A dozen spectators then overran police barriers and referee Marcello Cardona called off the Serie B match with just over three minutes left.

Skiing

Peter Runggaldier of Italy won his first World Cup race of the season, a Super-G at Hakuba, Japan that was the only event not canceled.

The 27-year-old finished in 1 minute, 34.60 seconds, 0.28 faster than Atle Skaadal of Norway.

Hans Knaus of Austria, who leads the World Cup overall standings, was third in 1:35.00.

Miscellany

The Iditarod’s 60 mushers began an 1,150-mile trek from Wasilla, Alaska to Nome.

The leaders are expected to reach Skwentna early today, 100 miles into the race.

Daniel Zaragoza of Mexico stopped Joichiro Tatsuyoshi of Japan in the 11th round at Yokohama, Japan, to retain his World Boxing Council junior featherweight title.

Brook Kintz won the 5,000-meter run and Georgetown teammates Andy Downin and Bryan Woodward followed with victories in the mile and 800-meter run at Boston, leading the Hoyas to their fourth consecutive IC4A Indoor Track and Field championship.