Schumacher Has The Edge, Wet And Dry
Auto racing
Michael Schumacher won his second con secutive race Sunday, capturing the French Grand Prix in Magny Cours with a new engine and an old strategy.
Starting from the pole position in a Ferrari, Schumacher led nearly all the way, building his advantage in the dry weather and driving superbly in the rain.
With 11 laps to go, Schumacher was comfortably in front when it started to rain hard. He decided not to change to rain tires, preferring to stay with dry weather tires, hoping it would clear up.
The rain eased a bit and Schumacher went on to his 25th career victory and third this season. He has won three of the last four races, at Monaco in the rain last month and in Canada two weeks ago.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen was second in a Williams-Renault, 23.537 seconds behind.
The winner completed 72 laps of the 2.64-mile Nevers circuit in 1 hour, 38 minutes, 4.92 seconds, averaging 115.37 mph.
Samsonite 200
Indy Racing League star Tony Stewart finally won a race, dominating the inaugural Samsonite 200 at Pikes Peak International Raceway at Fountain, Colo. He was out front for all but seven of the 200 laps in the race on Pikes Peak’s one-mile oval.
A track surface made slick and treacherous by pavement temperatures around 140 degrees took its toll in the race, with all nine caution flags brought out by crashes involving a total of 10 cars. Eighty-two laps were run under caution.
Lysol 200
Mike “Magic Shoes” McLaughlin lived up to his nickname on the only road course stop in the NASCAR Busch Series, winning the Lysol 200 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
McLaughlin, of Waterloo, N.Y., took the lead for the first time on lap 58 of 82 laps, and beat Team 34 teammate Todd Bodine by .431 seconds.
NAPA Autocare 200
Jack Sprague, who conquered Nazareth Speedway in cold rain last year, ran equally well on a 139-degree race track to win the NAPA AutoCare 200 at Nazareth, Pa.
After starting third in a Chevrolet, Sprague led three times, and went in front for good by passing Joe Ruttman’s Ford on the 167th lap around the one-mile speedway.
Pennsylvania 100
Bobby Dragon of Milton, Vt., waited patiently before taking the lead for the first time on lap 95 and went on to win the Pennsylvania 100 at Nazareth Speedway.
The victory was his first of the season, and it put him into sole possession of second place in career NASCAR Busch North victories with 14.