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.

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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 victory 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.

Pro Football

Rodney Hampton, the New York Giants’ career rushing leader, will be staying where he is. Hampton signed a six-year, $16.45-million offer sheet with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. On Sunday night, his agent said Giant General Manager George Young informed him the team intends to match the offer.

Hampton is a transition player and the Giants can retain him by matching the offer within seven days.

Soccer

Argentina and Brazil qualified for the Summer Olympics with victories at Mar Del Plata, Argentina.

Argentina beat Venezuela, 2-0, with goals by Hernan Crespo and Claudio Lopez. 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 about 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.

The race was held after a two-day delay because of heavy snowfall. Two downhills were called off.

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 world’s most famous sled dog race.

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.

USC senior Leslie Coons, a transfer from South Carolina, set a women’s collegiate mark in the hammer throw at 189 feet at USC’s Cromwell Field.

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.