Rudd Makes Cautious but Victorious Run

Ricky Rudd slipped and slid his way through the final two laps, barely holding off Mark Martin to win the Miller 500 on Sunday at Dover Downs (Del.) International Speedway. Rudd won the race by 0.091 seconds, averaging 114.635 mph.

The shootout between their Fords on the one-mile, high-banked track seemed improbable until early leaders either crashed or suffered mechanical failure. Among them was Jeff Gordon, denied in his bid to become the first driver to win four consecutive races at the track.

The victory extended the 40-year-old Rudd’s streak of winning at least once in each of the last 15 seasons.

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Clint Mears, son of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears, won his first professional race in the PPG-Firestone Indy Lights-Championship at the Milwaukee Mile at West Allis, Wis. Mears, of Bakersfield, finished 4.233 seconds ahead of defending series champion David Empringham of Canada, averaging 126.378 mph on the 1.032-mile oval course.

Also at West Allis, Canadian Greg Moore became the youngest winner of a PPG CART World Series race at the Miller 200. Moore averaged 119.597 mph to defeat defending champion Michael Andretti by three car lengths.

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Scott Kalitta won the top fuel title in the Western Auto Parts America Nationals for the fourth consecutive year and Whit Bazemore earned the first victory of his NHRA funny car career at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan. Scott Geoffrion won the pro stock title. . . . The team of Butch Leitzinger, James Weaver of England and Elliott Forbes-Robinson combined to drive a Ford R&S; MK III to the Exxon World SportsCar Championship and overall victory in the First Union Six Hours of The Glen race at Watkins Glen, N.Y.

James Hauenstein, 53, of Woodlake, Calif., was killed when his boat overturned during a Formula One race on the Pamlico River near Washington, N.C. Investigators said Hauenstein lost control on a turn. No one else was injured in the crash. . . . Dave Villwock averaged 129.366 mph in his Miss Budweiser, finishing a half-lap ahead of Appian Jeronimo to repeat as champion in the 1997 APBA Gold Cup hydroplane race on the Detroit River.

Soccer

Second-half substitute Eddy Berdusco scored in the 69th minute as Canada (1-2-2) upset Costa Rica (2-2-1), 1-0, in a 1998 World Cup qualifying game in Edmonton, Alberta. . . . Gustavo Napoles scored four goals to lead Chivas of Guadalajara to a 6-1 victory over Toros Neza in the Mexican League’s championship final before a sellout in Jalisco Stadium at Guadalajara.

Football

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneer wide receiver Courtney Hawkins to a three-year, $1.45 million contract. Hawkins led the Buccaneers with 46 receptions for 544 yards last year. . . . The Chicago Bears released starting safety Mark Carrier, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and the sixth overall pick in the 1990 draft, after the seven-year veteran refused a salary cut from $1.3 million to $600,000.

Miscellany

Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson (32-1) successfully defended his International Boxing Federation flyweight title, stopping Mexico’s Cecilio Espino (33-6-1) at the end of the second round at Montville, Conn. . . . Chris Humbert of Lodi, Calif., scored three goals as United States defeated tournament host Greece, 8-5, and won the FINA World Cup water polo championship at Athens. . . . Diane Shoemaker had eight kills as Team Paul Mitchell completed an undefeated weekend with a 15-8 victory over Team Norelco at the Bud Light Pro Beach Volleyball women’s tournament at Manhattan Beach. In the men’s final, Bob Ctvrtlik had 13 kills to lead ABVL to a 12-8 win over Team Outdoor Products. . . . Top-seeded Lisa Arce and Holly McPeak won their second Women’s Pro Beach Volleyball Tour event in a row, defeating second-seeded Barbara Fontana and Linda Hanley, 15-4, at San Diego.