Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 20, 1993 TAG: 9309200061
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The 40-year-old Briton, who had tears in his eyes after climbing from the cockpit of his Ford Cosworth-powered Lola, joins his closest competitor, Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil, and teammate Mario Andretti as the only drivers to win Formula One and IndyCar titles.
But Mansell is the first Formula One champion to come across the Atlantic to win the American open-wheel series on the first try. He also is the first Englishman to win the title since Dario Resta in 1916.
Mansell did it by winning six poles and five races, including four on oval tracks - a very different type of racing than the traditional road courses he was raised on in Europe.
"I just love racing and I just like this kind of racing," Mansell said. "I just forget I'm on an oval and it's just pure racing."
Mansell's victory, combined with a fifth-place finish for Fittipaldi, gives the Englishman an insurmountable 25-point lead (191-166) going into the season finale Oct. 3 in Monterey, Calif. Each race is worth a maximum of 22 points.
In other auto racing:
One man died and at least 21 people were injured when a race car crashed into a pit area at Stockton 99 Speedway in Stockton, Calif.
Driver Ben Twisselman hit a retaining wall after apparently losing control coming out of a turn during the Saturday night race, track officials said. His car skidded over a chain-link safety fence and landed in a pit area, witnesses said.
Twisselman was not injured. Track officials identified the victim as Modesto resident Rene Bourgois, 34, a member of driver Mike David's pit crew.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING FATALITY
by CNB