European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday. December 25, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 25 a fast Freddie Spencer. 250, Soock Cycle King. American Champion the motor racing season in review Alain Prost. World driving Champion Timo Salonen. World rally Champion 1985 it was finally Frost s title year by Randy Barnetts a motor sport columnist in 198s. Alain Prat became the first Frenchman to win the world driving championship and racing fans everywhere breathed a collective sigh of Relief. Not because a Frenchman had finally come through necessarily but because the Frenchman happened to be Frost. It Only seemed fair that he had finally won the driving Crown. After All it was Prost who had lost by two Points in 1983 and by merely a half Point in 1984. So the 1985 season became a Case of now or never and happily it resulted in  although Prost drove the Best car the Mclaron tag porsche his championship did not come easily. The reason Italy s Mich la Albor clo. Albor to the Ferrari team s no. I Driver had led Prost from the Start of the season in april. Although the Lead was never Large it was More than enough to keep Prost worried until late in the Campaign. After the aug. 4 German grand prix which Albreto won the count had Albor clo with 46 Points to Prost s 41. But in the next round the austrian grand prix Prost came Back with a Victory and the score stood us 50 Points each with six races to go. In the Dulch grand prix on aug. 25, the Frenchman finally moved three Points ahead and that slight Lead surprisingly proved to be permanent. Going into the italian grand prix on sept. 8, Prost won and Albor to failed to finish the score standing Prosl 65. Albor clo 53. Now Prost poured it on As the Ferrari Challenge began to collapse. The Frenchman collected four Points in Belgium during raid september for a third place finish while Albor to again failed to score. Prost then clinched the Crown in Early october at the grand prix of Europe at brands Hatch England. He drove his Mclaren to fourth place while the hapless Albor to retired when his Ferrari engine exploded and caught fire. After clinching the title Prost said my main goals now arc to win the championship again next year and to win the Indianapolis 500 some Day  the Frenchman scored five victories during his championship year and he and his teammate Niki Lauda of Austria brought the formula one constructor s championship to the Mclaron tack porsche team for the second straight year. Prost will drive for Mclaren again in 1986 while Lauda a three Lime world Champion and one of the great names in the history of grand prix racing has re tired to concentrate on his airline firm. The thrilling 1985 season also proved to be a tragic one with two formula one Drivers killed in High Speed crashes. Ironi Cally both Drivers were germans vend both Lauda and Prost in action Austria Niki Lauda is shown leading his Mclaren teammate Alain Frost of France during the French grand prix Al Paul Ricard circuit. At the end of the died in Long distance endurance races not formula one grand prix events. The Veteran Manfred Wink clock who drove for the ram team in formula one racing died in a private entry porsche Fol lowing a High Speed Accident in the 1,000 Kilometres of Gosport Canada. Stefan belief considered by Many As a potential world Champion was killed when he crashed aboard his private entry porsche Only three weeks later in the 1,000 kilo meters of spa Franco champs Belgium. In formula one racing Bellof drove for the British Tyrrell team. Moving to the world of motorcycling in our annual motor racing season in review it was fast Freddie Spencer of Shreveport la., who won in All capturing the Soock and the 250cc world championships for Honda. Spencer who also won the Soock title for Honda in 1983, was Brilliant All sea son his double world Crown marking the first Lime in the 37-year history of world championship Road racing that one rider had won both titles in the same season. Eddie Lawson of Upland Calif the 1984 Champion finished second to spen cer in the Soock division Lawson again campaigning for Yamaha. Spencer and Lawson were amazingly consistent in the 500cc Campaign Spencer winning seven races and scoring Points in All events except the dutch up. Lawson won three races his Only Blank space in the Points department also being the dutch up. As in 1984, american riders dominated the Soock class winning every race except one. While Spencer and Lawson a season Lauda a three Lime world Cham Pion retired. Pros won the 85 title and his Mclaren tag pors Csc will now carry the number "1" Emblem. Counted for 10 victories in the 12-Racc championship Randy Mamola of Santa Clara Calif won one race the dutch up on his Honda while the Lone Soock Victory for a european rider came in Ger Many where Frenchman Christian Sarron won on a Yamaha. Americans have won 37 of the Asl 38 grand prix races stretch ing Back to 1982. In american motorcycle association Ama championship racing meanwhile Fred Merkel of Carson Calif Rode a factory Honda to his second straight Ama us re Bike series title while Mike Baldwin of Darien conn., also on a Honda won the Ama formula one Crown. In Motocross Britain s David Thorpe won the world title in the Premier Soock division aboard a Honda. Leaving the motorcycle world and return ing to Auto racing Victory in the 69th run Ning of the Indianapolis 500-mile classic went to Danny Sullivan of Louisville ky., who drove a Pensec March cos world 85c. It was the first indy Victory for Sullivan who survived a colossal spin to beat Mario Andretti to the Check ered Flag. Andretti drove a Lola co Worth. Third came Roberto Guerrero of Colombia in a March cos world. Three time indy Winner Al Unser. Mean while who placed fourth in this year s 500 mile event won the 1985 american cart pig driving championship in dramatic Fash Ion beating out his son Al or. By just one Point in the final race of the season Al Miami. It was inc third american title for big Al Sullivan s March Cost Polh partner on the Punske racing team. Finishing third in the cart standings behind Lillic Al  co Worth was Bobby Raquil March cos Worth. Hitting inc highlights in the rest of the action during our annual motor sports re View inc 24 hours of la mans proved a porsche playground once again. Inc German cars finishing first through fifth. Although inc race was won by a priv air a nary Joist porsche driven by Klaus  wig of Germany Paolo Barilla of Italy and John Winter of Germany. In was Lud wig s third Triumph at be mans. The porsche firm As usual won the 1985 world f Durant c championship for makes while two of its Drivers shared the world Long distance driving championship. Capturing honors there were Hans suck of Germany and his teammate Derek Bell of England. The  formula 3000 series inaugurated in 19x5. Was won by German Driver Christian Danner in a March cos Worth. Danner edged the new zealand or Mike thackwell Salt co Worth. The in ice scrips  cup sports car Lille meanwhile a Cal to Germany s Sluck who drove a Brun porsche 956 in this series. In world championship rallying the French Peugeot company won the 1985 manufacturer s title with relative ease the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 racking up seven victories in 11 events. Second came Audi of Germany while third place a Cal to the italian Lancia firm. Finland s Timo Salonen who drove for Peu col. Won five rallies during inc season and added to the firm s laurels by winning the 1985 rally driving championship. It was Salonen s first world Lilly. The inter National rally scene also was marred by death. Italian Driver Allilion Bellga killed in the rally of Corsica when his Lancia left the Road and hit a tree at High Speed. In american rallying Vermont s John Buffum clinched the sports car club of America Crown by winning the final cd Cal of inc season inc Nevada inc National in Early december. Buffum campaigned in an Audi Quattro. Moving to the american Lascar Winston cup scene Tennessee Driver Dar Rell Waltrip captured inc iqh5 Lascar grand National championship campaigning in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo is. It was Waltrip s third Lascar title and he clinched in in the final race of inc sea son Al Riverside Calif. Runner up in the 85 series was Bill Elliott of Dawsonville. Ga., in a Kord thunderbird. In the International motor sports association Simsa Camel it prototype Divi Sion series Al Holbert of Warrington pa., Cape Rcd his fourth it Crown while campaigning in a porsche 962. Both the Ftp Chassis and engine manuf Clurar championships were won by porsche