Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, August 1, 1993                   TAG: 9308010153
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BROOKLYN, MICH.                                LENGTH: Medium

LABONTE COMES THROUGH FOR ALLISON FAMILY IN IROC

While Geoff Brabham was battling to win his second IROC race at Michigan International Speedway, Labonte was working to give Allison the posthumous honor.

"I felt more pressure today than when I won the IROC championship in 1989," said Labonte, who was called upon by IROC President Jay Signore to run the finale of the four-race series after Allison died July 13 from injuries suffered in a helicopter crash.

Labonte's sixth-place finish Saturday gave Allison the championship. He drove a conservative race, passing fellow NASCAR Winston Cup driver and 1992 IROC winner Ricky Rudd two laps from the end to wrap up the title.

"I put the pressure on myself," Labonte said. "And I didn't push the car at all. I didn't want to take a chance on using up the car or getting into an accident. I had too much to lose. I just wanted to win that championship for Davey, his family and his fans."

Brabham, a veteran of Indy-car and road racing, took the lead from Winston Cup star Dale Earnhardt nine laps from the end of the 50-lap event on Michigan's two-mile, high-banked oval.

The Australian-born driver then held on for a 0.410-second victory over Winston Cup star Bill Elliott in the race featuring 11 drivers in identically prepared Dodge Daytonas.

"I just made the right moves at the right time," Brabham said. "For being out of work, I've done pretty well lately with LeMans and this."

Brabham lost his regular ride in the IMSA GTP sports car series when Nissan withdrew its team early this year. He was on the winning team in June at the 24 Hours of LeMans.

Indy-car star and two-time IROC champion Al Unser Jr. was third Saturday, followed by NASCAR drivers Harry Gant and Earnhardt - who replaced the late Alan Kulwicki, the 1992 Winston Cup champion who was killed April 1 in a plane crash - and Labonte.

That gave Allison, who was leading the $670,000 series after the first three events, 63 points. Unser was the runner-up with 60 1/2.

Labonte, displaying considerable emotion, said, "Liz Allison [Davey's widow] will get this trophy. Davey Allison really won this championship. I just filled in for him."

Bobby Allison, Davey's father and a longtime Winston Cup star, won the IROC title in 1980, so the Allisons now join the Unsers, Al and Al Jr., as father-and-son winners of the series.

The $175,000 first prize will be donated by IROC to a trust fund for Davey Allison's two children, while the $50,000 that Earnhardt helped Kulwicki win for his fifth-place series finish will be donated to three of Kulwicki's favorite charities.

Rudd finished seventh in Saturday's race, followed by Indy-car racer Arie Luyendyk, road-racer Davy Jones and 1992 SCCA Trans-Am champion Jack Baldwin and the senior Unser, a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner.

Brabham, who led only at the end of the race, averaged 159.017 mph. There were no caution flags and all 11 cars were running at the end.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING