Tracy, Rookie End Up Winners

Paul Tracy won the Championship Auto Racing Teams drivers’ championship Sunday when Bruno Junqueira, his closest rival, crashed with 10 laps left in the Lexmark Indy 300 at Surfers Paradise, Australia.

American rookie Ryan Hunter-Reay was the winner in a race cut short by thunderstorms and hail. Hunter-Reay, in a Ford-Cosworth/Reynard, beat another rookie, Darren Manning, also in a Ford-Cosworth/Reynard, by 1.546 seconds for his first CART victory.

Tracy finished 13th in a Ford-Cosworth/Lola, two laps behind Hunter-Reay. But his 28-point lead over Junqueira entering the race meant Junqueira had to pick up at least seven points to send the title chase to the final event at California Speedway in Fontana next Sunday.

There were crashes on the first turn and a 75-minute delay because of hail. The race was shortened to 47 laps from 65 because of the weather.

Junqueira finished 15th in a Ford-Cosworth/Lola and was leading before the storm. Cars were forced off the track after 14 laps.

The race restarted after hail was plucked from the floor of some cockpits, drivers changed wet socks and shoes, and water was squeezed off the course.

Jimmy Vasser, Hunter-Reay’s teammate, was third. He was followed by Michel Jourdain Jr., who led briefly with 20 laps to go in a Ford-Cosworth/Lola.

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Tony Pedregon clinched his first funny car championship and won the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Pedregon beat Whit Bazemore, the No. 2 driver in the standings, in the final round. Pedregon used a 5.135-second pass at 273.39 mph in a Ford Mustang to beat Bazemore’s 5.183 at 266.64 in a Dodge Stratus.

Kenny Bernstein, Greg Anderson and Craig Treble also won in their respective categories at the $1.6-million NHRA Drag Racing Series event.

Bernstein beat Tony Schumacher in the top-fuel final round, earning his third win this season. Bernstein went 4.545 at 326.87 to beat Schumacher’s 5.436 at 174.68.

Anderson beat Kurt Johnson in the pro stock division, going 6.837 at 201.73 in a Pontiac Grand Am to Johnson’s 6.878 at 200.56 in a Chevy Cavalier.

Treble beat Angelle Savoie in the pro stock bike final with a 7.178 pass at 185.33 to beat Savoie’s 7.230 at 188.78.

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Rain forced postponement of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Winston Cup race after only 39 of the scheduled 325 laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race will resume at 8 a.m. PST today.