Running on Empty, Wallace Makes It to the Winner’s Circle

Rusty Wallace is better known for his lead-footed ways than for winning on strategy. And he likes it like that.

“I don’t like running them half-throttle and trying to win a race like that, but we did it,” Wallace said Sunday after a gamble to cover the final 104 miles on one tank of gas brought him a victory in the Miller 400 at Michigan International Speedway at Brooklyn, Mich.

Wallace tried going the final 52 laps on the two-mile, high-banked oval--and he made it. He moved to the front 10 laps from the end as most of the other leaders were forced to pit for gas.

Sterling Marlin, who had the dominant car in the race, had built a lead of more than eight seconds before he was forced to stop for a gas on lap 188.

That gave the lead to Jeff Gordon, but he had to stop on lap 191.

“Usually we lose them on fuel mileage,” Wallace said after going the distance on three pit stops.

“It’s a heartbreaker to lose,” Marlin said. “I knew we had to pit because I ran out [of gas] on that last green flag stop, so there was no way I was going to make it all the way.”

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Italian Alex Zanardi survived a slippery few laps during a rain shower early in the race and went on to a nearly wire-to-wire victory in the Budweiser-G.I. Joe’s 200 at Portland, Ore., his first IndyCar triumph.

Zanardi became only the third pole sitter to win at Portland in the race’s 13-year history. He finished 9.14 seconds ahead of Gil de Ferran.

Zanardi’s Reynard Honda averaged 103.283 mph on the nine-turn, 1.95-mile Portland International Raceway road course. In his rookie season at age 29, Zanardi’s previous best finish this year was fourth at the Rio 400.

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Mike Dunn, John Force and Warren Johnson won professional titles at the NHRA Pennzoil Nationals at Memphis International Motorsports Park at Millington, Tenn.

Dunn won in top fuel, Force in funny car and Johnson in pro stock at the ninth event in the Winston Drag Racing Series. . . . Alex Smith of Vorhees, N.J., led four Fords across the finish line in the 35-minute IMSA Slick 50 Pro Series race at Mosport Park at Bowmanville, Canada. Starting second in the field of 23, Smith led all 24 laps and won by 11.320 seconds over Owen Trinkler.

Tennis

Qualifier Niklas Kulti of Sweden defeated French Open champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4, to win the Gerry Weber Open tournament at Halle, Germany.

The key point in the final set came with Kulti breaking Kafelnikov in the seventh game after staving off the Russian’s set point. Kafelnikov held off four match points before Kulti made good on the fifth to win.

“I didn’t come to Halle expecting to win, but the longer I was here, the more I started believing in it,” Kulti said.

Miscellany

Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes defeated fellow Olympians Mike Dodd and Mike Whitmarsh, 15-8, to capture the Miller Lite Open at Cleveland. . . . Team OP became the first team to win two tournaments this season by defeating Team Paul Mitchell, 15-4, in a Bud Light Pro Beach Volleyball League event at Chicago.

Trinidad and Tobago joined the United States, Costa Rica and Guatemala in a regional World Cup qualifying group, routing the Dominican Republic, 8-0, to advance 12-1 on total goals.

Michael Moorer will have to defend his International Boxing Federation heavyweight title against Frans Botha in the next 120 says, IBF President Bob Lee said. . . . Amina Zaripova of Russia won her second consecutive individual clubs final at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships at Budapest, Hungary. Elena Vitrichenko won the ribbon final with the maximum 10.000 points.