Pruett Sets Track Record In Portland

Sat., June 21, 1997

Associated Press

Auto racing

For the second race in a row, Scott Pruett has the provisional pole for an Indy-car race. This time, the weather might help him hold onto it until Sunday’s race in Portland.

Pruett’s Reynard Ford Cosworth was easily the best in Friday’s first round of qualifying for Sunday’s Budweiser-G.I. Joe’s 200, putting together the three fastest laps of the day, with a best of 118.834 mph, a track record.

Five drivers bettered the track record of 117.614 mph set by Jacques Villeneuve in 1995.

California 500

A new track, a new pole-winner.

Joe Nemechek, the 44th of 45 drivers who made qualifying runs Friday on the 2-mile, high-banked oval at Roger Penske’s impressive California Speedway in Fontana, won the pole for Sunday’s inaugural California 500 with a lap of 183.015 mph.

That knocked Ernie Irvan, last week’s race winner at Michigan, off the top spot, which he held for more than half the qualifying session.

Spokane’s Chad Little qualified 24th with a speed of 180.655.

Robby Gordon’s misfortunes continued Friday when the Winston Cup rookie took a hard blow to the driver’s side of his Chevrolet in a crash during practice.

Gordon, who was briefly unconscious and disoriented following the one-car incident, was withdrawn from the entry list for the 500.

Loadhandler 200

Ron Hornaday gave himself a birthday present Friday as the defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion won the pole position for the Loadhandler 200 race at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Tobacco out?

Although stock cars still zoom past bright billboards for cigarettes and cowboys still compete in rodeos peppered with references to chew, Friday’s historic tobacco settlement could mean an end to the industry’s longtime alliance with sports.

Cigarette makers, lawyers, health officials and politicians who have wrangled over litigation against the tobacco industry announced a tentative agreement Friday that includes a provision to ban brand-name tobacco company sponsorship of sports events.

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Pruett Sets Track Record In Portland

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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