Eddie Cheever

Veteran Belgian endurance driver Didier Theys, two-time winner of the Daytona 24 Hour race, won the pole for today's Grand American Rolex 400 at California Speedway on Friday with a lap of 113.874 mph in his Judd-powered Dallara. Theys, also the 1987 Indy Lights champion, dominated every practice session and was more than 3 mph faster than runner-up James Weaver of Dyson Racing. Weaver's Crawford-Judd ran 110.575 mph around the 21-turn, 2.

Jeff and Mario Andretti and rookie Jimmy Vasser, all injured in crashes during Sunday's Indianapolis 500, remained in Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis Monday, recovering from surgery. Jeff Andretti, whose car hit the wall nose first after losing a wheel at racing speed, underwent a lengthy operation to repair broken bones in both lower legs, ankles and feet. Jeff, at 28 the youngest of the racing Andrettis, was listed in fair condition.

Rain continued to plague the Indy 500 as drivers were able to get only 39 minutes, out ofa scheduled two hours, to test their cars under racing conditions on Carburetion Day. Pole-sitter Tony Stewart had the fastest lap, 231.273 mph, in the abbreviated session Thursday. The busiest driver was rookie Johnny O'Connell, who managed to get in 23 laps, one more than Japan's Hideshi Matsuda.

Jeff Gordon has had trouble finishing races recently, but there is nothing wrong with his qualifying. The defending Winston Cup and Brickyard 400 champion won his seventh pole of the season Thursday, qualifying for Saturday's race at a record speed of 179.612 mph over Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile track in his Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The lap broke Ernie Irvan's track record of 179.394, set last year. Mark Martin qualified second at 178.941 and will join Gordon in the front row Saturday.

Qualifying for today's Indy Racing League season-opening race at Walt Disney World Speedway was done on paper Friday when rain prevented its being done on the track. The lineup was set using the 1997 points standings, creating a situation in which some cars that had turned slower practice laps will start in front of some faster ones in today's Indy 200.

One of the Indy Racing League's biggest worries--a shortage of cars for race day--became a concern Saturday when only 21 qualified for today's DuraLube 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Former Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk ran a track record 183.599 mph to wrest the pole from rookie Richie Hearn of Canyon Country, who earlier had bettered Bryan Herta's year-old record with a lap of 182.797. Both Luyendyk and Hearn drove Reynard-Cosworths. Herta's record was 181.952.

Helio Castroneves of Brazil earned his first CART victory, beating Max Papis of Italy by 4.415 seconds in the Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit. "Now they know who Helio Castroneves is," said Castroneves, who has won at all levels on three continents since beginning his career in go-carts at age 12. "I knew it would come, but you're still pulling your hair."

After 30 crashes of one sort or another caused primarily by cold weather conditions--20 during a week of practice and 10 on two qualifying days--the 33 qualified cars for Sunday's Indianapolis 500 took advantage of a warm day Thursday and ran 754 laps on Carburetion Day without a single mishap. Most took only a few laps to check for leaks. Speed was not important, but CART champion Juan Montoya lapped the 2.5-mile rectangular oval at 218.

Two-time world champion Eddie Lawson of Upland, using every inch of pavement, blasted into first place on lap 18 and easily held the lead to win the United States Grand Prix motorcycle road race Sunday at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif. The victory in the 40-lap race, the first world Grand Prix held in the United States since 1965, moved Lawson into the lead in the overall standings with 35 points, one point ahead of defending champion Wayne Gardner of Australia.