European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday december 24, 1906 the stars and stripes Page 21 Bobby Rahul. American Champion Derek Bill. World sports car Champion Alain Prost. World driving Champion Eddie Lawson. Cycle world Champion the motor racing season in review 1986 Prost made it two in a Row by Randy Barnetts a Molo sports editor for Frenchman Alain Prosl. 1986 was As the song goes a very Good year in fad it could t have been much better. As he defending world Champion he had inc pleasure of driving Wilh the numeral i emblazoned on his Mclaren tag porsche and he became inc first Driver in 26 years to successfully defend thai no i position. But in was never easy. The Only Frenchman Ever to win the world driving Erwn Prinsi went into the final grand Pri at Adelaide Australia trailing England s Nigel Mansill on Points but slightly ahead of Mansill s Williams Hunan in Ummat Nelson Piquet Othra in with any of these Torvi Drivers in a position to capture the world championship the dramatic potential for i australian grand prix was High and in fulfilled Lylial potential in every Way. Mansell. Seeking his first world tide. Needed Only a third place to capture it and he appeared to have it wrapped up running second in the late stages and his Williams Honda never missing a beat then his Hopes vanished at 200 Miles an hour when a rear lire exploded. Man sell bringing the car in safely in a Bril Liana piece of driving. Piquet a two Lime world Champion was leading inc race at the time and when Mansell departed the brazilian up pared to be on his Way to a third Crown. But he was called in 10 make a precautionary Pristop for tires. After Mansill s misfortune the Williams team was not about 10 Gamble on Piquet s tires lasting. Bui it was a needless action. Examined after the race. Piquet s tires would have gone inc distance. Prosl meanwhile who had pitied Early in the race for new tires after receiving a puncture went on to win the australian grand prix and his second straight Crown. His puncture so Early in inc action Pio cd to be fortunate instead of the other Way around and on such twists of Fortune arc championships won. Afterwards Prost said winning the title this year is even Marc satisfying than last year when i won my first one. This season right from inc Start we the Mclaren team had to counter the Speed and strength of both Mansell s and Piquet s extremely reliable Williams Honda cars. We were Superior last year but this time the Williams cars were Al ways stronger. But we never gave up and it paid off Prosl who will drive for the Mclaren team again in 1987, has two major Aims for next season a third world title and Turbo cars on Way out world Champion Alain Prosl is a Liun lil i aboard his no. 1 Mclaren tag porsche Turbo in the brazilian grand prix. Meeting in Paris two months so the breaking of Scot Jackie Stewart s re Cord of 27 grand prix victories. Now with 25 career wins Prost is almost cer Tain to achieve that goal but a third world Crown will prove More difficult even for a Driver of his Genius. At the end of the 16-race world driving championship. Frost s Points total was 72. Mansell had 70, and Piquet 69 an extremely close run. While manse i and Piquet lost out in their championship bids their Williams Honda team wrapped up the formula one constructor s championship with ease scoring 141 Points to Mclaren s Jyh. Lotus came in third Wilh 58. Retiring from the scene at the end of the season was the popular finnish Driver a Csc res Borg. Who won the world championship in 1982 while driving for the Williams team the 9s6 motor sports season proved a tragic one in All areas Wilh formula one Ace Elio de Angulis of Italy killed on May 13 Al the Paul Ricard circuit in France in a testing Accident sports car Driver to Gartner of Austria killed june 1 in the 24 hours of be mans endurance race and three lop line rally Drivers also killed in Competition Henri Toivonen of Finland and Sergio Creslo of Italy killed May 1 in the corsican rally and Switzerland s Michel Wyder killed in the Hesson rally on May 31. Moving to the world of motorcycling in our annual motor racing season in re  California rider Eddie Lawson won his second 500cc-class world title for Yamaha of Japan after the defending Mold reports officials decreed that Lumbu engines will no longer be allowed to pour cars in formula one grand prix racing after the 1988 season. Champion Louisiana Freddie Spencer withdrew from Competition Afler the opening round in Spain. Spencer who Rode for the Honda factory suffered ten Dorilis of his right Arm and eventually had surgery to Correct the condition. If All goes Well Spencer plans a comeback next season. Yamaha s Lawson who won his first Soock title in 1984. Scored seven Victo Ries in ii tilings on his Way to the 86 Crown and said after winning it that my Only aim for next year is a third Champi  Australia s Wayne Gardner Honda finished second Wilh three victories while american rider Randy Mamola placed third with one up win. Mamola Rode a Yamaha for the Kenny Roberts team. The domination by american riders in inc Soock class will probably continue in 19b7, americans now having won 45 of the last 49 grand prix races going Back to 1982. In the 250cc class world championship honors went to venezuelan rider Carlos lava do who Rode for Yamaha and scored six victories in his 11 grand prix outings. In Motocross Britain s David Thorpe won his second straight world tide in the Premier so oct class aboard a Honda. Three time world Champion Andre Mal Horbe of Belgium was Runn mip leaving the motorcycle world and re turning to Auto racing Victory in the 70th running of the Indianapolis 500 mile classic went to Bobby Rahal of Dublin Ohio who drove a March cos Worth for his Friend and tru Spons icam owner Jim Trueman who died of cancer Only 11 Days after the Victory. Rahal then went on to win inc Ameri can cart pig driving championship Healing out Michael Andretti of Naz Arch. Pa., Draco March co Worth. In he final cart round of the season in Miami. Placing third in the american championship was Danny Sullivan of Louisville fcy., pc Sec March cos wort last year s indy 500 Winner. Hilling if highlights in the rest of the action during our annual Molo sports re View the 24 hours of la mans provided another Rosip for porsche the Ger Man cars finishing first through Sun Enid. Winning was the porsche 962 factory car piloted by inc Veteran English Drin a Derek Dell and Germany s Hans stuck. It was the fourth la mans Victory fur hell and Sluck s first. Bell went on to capture the world sports car driving championship Wilh Stilt the run Crup. In the world sports car championship for teams Brun motor sports of Switzerland heal Oul Josl racing of Germany both porsche car campaigners for the 1986 Crown while the porsche factory and Jaguar factory learns tied i or third place. The european formula 3000 series inaugurated last year was won by Lallian Driver Ivan Capulli who campaigned in a March Ford. The Intel series european cup sports car Lilly meanwhile went to German Driver John Winter who campaigned in a porsche 956. In world championship rallying the French Peugeot company won its second straight manufacturer s title Wilh the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, while pc Geol Driver Julia Kankkunen of Finland captured the world Raily driving championship. In american rallying Vermont s John Buffum who has an almost permanent hold on the sports car club of America Acca . Rally championship won his Idith title this year aboard an Audi sport Quattro and he also captured the Nonh America rally cup again in a Quattro. Moving to the american Lascar Winston cup grand National championship Dale Earnhardt won he 1986 Lascar Crown the second of his Ca reer. Earnhardt who campaigned in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo clinched inc Lille when he won the Atlanta Soo the next to last Lascar race on inc Calendar. Run Crup in the 86 series was three time Champion Darrell wat trip who also drove a Monte  the International motor sports association Simsa Camel it prototype division series Al Holbert of warring ton pa., won his fifth it Crown while campaigning in a porsche 962. Both the Ftp Chassis and engine manufacturer championships were won by porsche