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

DATE: SUNDAY, September 19, 1993                   TAG: 9309190182
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: D2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

AUTO RACING-NIGEL MANSELL TO DRIVE INDY CARS FOR 2 MORE YEARS

The announcement was made at Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway, where the 40-year-old driver will try to wrap up the PPG Cup championship in today's Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix.

The 1992 Formula one champion made the move to the Indy-car series this year after a contract dispute with Williams-Renault team owner Frank Williams. There was considerable speculation that he would race Indy cars for one year, then return to Formula One, where the top drivers are paid considerably more.

Rain washed away the scheduled practice and qualifying for today's race, Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi anxious for the battle.

Mansell leads Fittipaldi by 14 points in the title chase going into the season's penultimate event. But the Englishman never has raced on the tight one-mile Nazareth Speedway oval.

Fittipaldi, a two-time Formula One champion, clinched his 1989 PPG Cup championship at Nazareth and also added a victory in the 1990 race, making him the only driver to have won at the track more than once.

"He has tested here, but it will work against Nigel not having experience in traffic here," Fittipaldi said after the day's activity was canceled and today's lineup was set using the point standings.

That puts Mansell on the pole, with Fittipaldi alongside and fellow Brazilian Raul Boesel and Fittipaldi's teammate Paul Tracy of Canada right behind for the start of the 200-mile race.