Blundell’s Win Is the Closest in Indy-Car History

Two weeks ago, Mark Blundell’s big gamble failed 300 feet short of victory. This time, he gambled and won, by the closest margin in Indy-car history.

The Englishman caught Gil de Ferran on the final straightaway to win the Budweiser G.I. Joe’s 200 in Portland, Ore., on Sunday by 27-thousandths of a second, high drama at the end of a rainy day when a timely tire change made the difference.

Blundell’s margin of victory in his Mercedes-powered Reynard broke the old record set at the Indianapolis 500 in 1992, when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear by 43-thousandths of a second.

Raul Boesel finished third, only 55-thousandths of a second behind Blundell.

It was the sixth consecutive victory for the Mercedes engine.

Two weeks ago, Blundell, trying to eke by on one pit stop, was headed for his first Indy-car victory before running out of fuel 300 feet from the finish line.

This time, eight laps from the end, he switched from rain tires to the much faster slicks as the Portland International Raceway track was drying out. It was a tactic that had spelled disaster for others Sunday, most notably Paul Tracy, the first to switch. He spun off the course twice and dropped out of contention.

De Ferran stayed with his deteriorating rain tires and held off Blundell until the final straightaway, when it turned into a drag race. Blundell pulled even, then nudged ahead of the Brazilian by a few feet as they crossed the finish line.

It was a rousing finish to a mostly miserable day that had cars sliding around the wet nine-turn, 1.967-mile track as if it were a skating rink.

For the first time in the race’s 14-year history, it was called after a two-hour time limit. The leaders completed 78 laps, 20 short of what had been scheduled and Blundell’s average speed was 76.575 mph.

*

Hideki Noda became the first Japanese driver to win a CART-sanctioned event, capturing the rain-shortened PPG-Firestone Indy Lights at Portland International Raceway.

Noda, averaged 83.679 mph in his Lola V6 over the 1.967-mile road course and won by 2.571 seconds over points-leader Helio Castro-Neves of Brazil.

Castro-Neves, the polesitter who held the lead for 22 laps, was passed by Noda, who remained first for the final seven laps. The race was halted by rain after 29 laps.

Castro-Neves finished second, but still has a 25-point lead in the overall standings.

*

David Sadowski, riding a Muzzy 835, holds first overall position after six rounds of the Formula USA Series motorcycle race at Road Atlanta at Braselton, Ga.