Martin Spoils Irvan’s Return

Mark Martin ran off to an easy victory in the Holly Farms 400 in North Wilkesboro, N.C., a race that featured the triumphant return to Winston Cup racing of Ernie Irvan and may have been the end of the 1995 championship race.

Irvan led in the first half of the 400-lap race and never fell out of the lead lap as he drove to sixth place in his first start in nearly 14 months.

Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon won the latest battle in the championship war, finishing third while Dale Earnhardt wound up a lap down in 10th, falling 302 behind Gordon with four races remaining.

Michael Schumacher all but clinched his second straight Formula One championship when he won the European Grand Prix in Nuerburgring, Germany, with some daring driving in tough conditions.

Scott Kalitta won his fifth Top Fuel title of the year, beating Mike Dunn with a quarter-mile run of 4.756 seconds at 295.46 mph in the NHRA Sears Craftsman Nationals in Topeka, Kan.

Cruz Pedregon won his fifth Funny Car title and Steve Schmidt took the Pro Stock class.