Porsches Dominating At Le Mans

Auto racing

Porsches were battling in the top three positions at the mid-point of the Le Mans 24 Hours race early today as Mario Andretti’s chance for victory ended with early electrical problems.

An American Riley & Scott car, seeking to add the Le Mans crown to previous endurance victories at Daytona and Sebring, went out of the race shortly before the halfway mark.

A TWR Porsche with a team of American Davy Jones, German Manuel Reuter and Austrian Alexander Wurz was in first, covering 176 laps, or 1,487.2 miles.

A factory Porsche with HansJoachim Stuck of Germany, Thierry Boutsen of Belgium and Bob Wollek of France driving, was a lap behind on the 8.45-mile circuit.

Another TWR Porsche, handled by Italians Pierluigi Martini and Michele Alboreto and Belgian Didier Theys was third, also a lap behind.

Andretti, sharing a Courage-Porsche with Dutchman Jan Lammers and Britain Derek Warwick, was in 18th place.

Canadian Grand Prix

Damon Hill’s fast lap late in Saturday’s qualifying knocked Williams-Renault teammate Jacques Villeneuve off the pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

The Englishman, also a secondgeneration Formula One star, now has five poles in eight opportunities this year and leads the 16-race series by 17 points over both Villeneuve and defending series champion Michael Schumacher.

NHRA

At Hebron, Ohio, Cory McClenathan, Chuck Etchells, Chuck Harris and Dave Schultz won drag racing titles in the rain-delayed finals of the NHRA Pontiac Excitement Nationals at National Trail Raceway.

McClenathan won in top fuel, Etchells in funny car, Harris in pro stock and Schultz in pro stock motorcycle. Eliminations were postponed from June 9 because of rain.