European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 13, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday. January 13, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 25 racing Roundup prediction for 88 Prost to win title. _ As we re now in the first month of a new year it s Lime la make predictions regarding the i9b8 for Mula one world driving championship. At this time last year we picked Frenchman Alain Pratt to win a third straight title. So did Many other observers and while Prost started off Strong he tag porsche Turbo engines powering the Mclaren cars failed to improve As the season gained momentum. It was the final year for the tag Porche and after the first three grand prix races it could no longer Chal Lenge inc More technically developed Honda v6 tur bos that powered inc Williams and Lotus cars. But pros still managed to win three grand prix races in his Mclaren break Jackie Stewart s All Lime Victory record and finish fourth in the world championship standings not a bad record certainly. The 1987 season was oho the last one Tor the Ger Man Bow Turbo engine. Bow made history with its 4-Cylindcr Turbo motor when it became the first Turbo to Power a Driver to the world championship. That came in 19s3 when Brazil s Nelson pm Hucl won his second world title while campaigning in a Brab Ham Bow Turbo. Piquet captured his first world Crown in 1981 aboard a Brabham Ford Ben won his third Lilly last year in a Williams Honda. This season Piquet is the defending world Cham Pion and he will drive a Moliis Honda. He will be challenged by his countryman Ayrton Senna and by inc Frenchman pro both of whom drive Tor the Mclaren Honda team. His other top challengers will be Austria s Gerhard Der Ger and Italy s Michele a Borelon. Both to Campaign again for Ferrari. These five Drivers along with a few others will represent the dwindling Turbo  in 1989, the Turbo engines will be history and normally aspirated engines will take Over. A Large contingent of non Turbo Scanu will be racing in the i9sb Campaign preparing for the transition into 1989. And while it s possible that a non Turbo Driver could win a grand prix this year it would be a rarity if he did. So the 1988 world Champion will be a Driver with Turbo Power and it s obvious that Piquet Senna. Prosl Berger and Aib Orelo Are inc favourites. And from these five who will win Well give our vote to Frost again Al though it s tempting 10 go with bar grand the Ferrari team on the basis of bar Ger s two straight wins in the last two grand Pris races in 1987. But we think thai Prost will have the Edge with Honda Power in the always Strong Mclaren car and that he ii record his third world championship in 19es. Trie Frenchman is a Superb Driver and at age 32, he s in his prime. He now Dai 28 career grand prix Victoria and with any Luck he should have at least 40 wins before he Hangi up his helmet. The Only record remaining for Prost to break is that of the legendary Argentine Driver Juan Manuel Fangio who won the world driving title five times. And we think that Prost could break that record too and have sin world titles before he leaves the scene. It All depends on How Jong he races the strength of the learn he races Tor and an absence of Accident injuries. With 16 grand prix races scheduled for this year 11 of them in Europe you la have ample Opportunity to see Prost and All the others in action. It should prove an interesting season but he 1989 Campaign will be the one to look Forward to. When that one arrives every Driver will be racing cars with engines of Simitar horsepower. Speaking of posts is grand Prin Victory record let i look at the number of wins scored by the 14 driven who follow him. Stewart Ai noted had 27 wins during his illustrious career Whie another great scottish Driver inc Laic Jim Clark had 2. Also with 25 wins is Austria s Niki Lauda who now Ems an airline. Argentina s Fangio meanwhile scored 14 victories Fangio in his 70s, Heads a Mercedes Agency in Argentina. With his three victories from 1987, Piquet now has a total of 20, and he is followed by the englishman Stirling Moss with 16. Moss still does come racing now and then to keep in touch with his motor sports promotion work. Australia s Jack Brabham now sir Jack scored 14 victories before he re lived at age 45, while Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil who now competes in indy car racing in the United state. Also has 14 wins. The late Graham Hill of England also recorded 14. The englishman Nigel Mansell who was runner up to Piquet last year in the world championship Battle won sin grand prix races Las season and new has a total of d. Atso with 13 is the late Albedo asian of Italy. America s Mario Andretti who enjoys pointing out trial Ascari was his boyhood idol Lias 12 grand prix victories and still compiles in indy car racing As we All know. Also with 12 victories Are Alan Jones of Australia and Carlos Reutemann of Argentina both on the retired list but Janes doing a bit of tour ing car racing on occasion and Reutemann driving in a major rally now and then. Of these is driven Only Moss Mansell and Reutmann failed to win a world driving championship. Mansell of course is Mill in the running and he should win a title or two before he leaves the grand prix scene. We noted last week that the i oth running of the Paris Dakar rally was under Way and on monday in reached the half Way Mark in its danger Ous 22-Day, 7,982-Milc Odyssey. Leading at the half Way Mark was last year s win Ner. An Alanen of Finland a former rally world Champion who is driving again for Peugeot. Alanen won last year in a modified pc col 205 Turbo and in this year s Marathon he is at the wheel of a new Peugeot 405 Turbo set up for High Speed desert and Sand Dune driving. Leading in the motorcycle Divi Sion is Franco Picco of Italy aboard a Yamaha. This year s event has claimed two lives so far. Frenchman Patrick Canado 37, of France was killed sunday when his Range Rover crashed and Rees Van Locc Wijn 31, of the Netherlands died saturday when he crashed aboard a Daf truck. Several competitors have also been injured among them world Champion Motocross rider Andre Malherbe of Bel Gium who suffered a severe neck injury. More than half of the original 602 entrant have now abandoned the Marathon which ends on Jan. 22 in Dakar Senegal. While Many Drivers and racing officials have voiced concern about inc High number of accidents and injuries in this year s desert Marathon sex for Mula one Driver Patrick Tam Hay of France put it Best when he was quoted As saying the risks of such a Competition Are inherent and have always been  tem Faay who drove for Ferrari during his lop Days in grand prix racing is competing in his second pans Dakar Marathon rally. Still on rallying the 56th running of the Monte Carlo rally gets under Way on saturday from five cities in Europe. The 1,984-mile rally. Round one in this year s world championship ends on Jan. This teams. _ the Only lop factory entries have come from Lancia and Mazda. The italian Lancia Leam which won the Monte list year is by oily favored to Lake he honors again. The live Starling Points Are bad Homburg just North of Frankfurt Barcelona Spain Laus Nannc Switzerland Sci Ricc Italy and Monic Carlo. Seventeen teams will leave from bad Hom Burijon saturday with the first car off the starting ramp at 9 20 . The starting area will be set up in from of the Casino follow signs to Spurl Lunik. Saw clamors also May Sec the can and visit with driven during the technical inspections on Friday afternoon be ginning in 12 30 . And ending about 4 . This session will be held Al the Kuxhaus. Following the Monte Carlo rally will be the rally of Sweden on feb. 4-1. To Butl hid strip is year s Monte has drawn an a nary of Only 180 i it Drew As As Many As 400 in is heyday and no Rac Lory Enrit Lancia Gstrein stuns Tomba in world cup Austria s Burnhan it Lin Trao Osante winning Tulon of d Lou. Benz Austria a Bomhard is train of Austria surprisingly beat italian Ace Alberto Tom a tuesday to win the fourth men s world cup slalom this sea son. Gstrein who has had no slalom world cup paints so far was fastest in the first heat with 48.76 seconds and sixth in the second in 46.38, to win in i minute and 35.14 seconds Overall. Tomba was second in the race held on a course with a vertical drop of 160 Roc ten and flagged with 60 and 57 gales in sex world Champion Jonas Nilsson of Sweden had heat limes of 49,52 and 45.96 seconds to finish Overall third in1 31.48. Nilsson s teammate Veteran Ingomar Ste Nurk had bad Luck. Eleventh after inc first heat he marked the Best inter mediate time and was about to Clinch a lop spot when be tumbled Halfway through the second heal on the Lowe part Otighe slope. I knew i d be among the top finishers if i could Complete the race the 22 year old Gstrein said. I be often dropped out sometimes in a promising position Strein s advantage Over Tomba in the first heal was Only one Hundredth of a second a difference measurable Only with he modern computerized Lime it Ping equipment. The austrian said in order to get self Confidence i be been raining during recent weeks Al  Tomba retained inc Lead in world cup standings. His closest rival Pimin Zurbriggen of Switzerland dropped Outin the first heal. Fourth was Christian Bill nor of West Germany in 1 15.54 and Marc Cir Ardelli of Luxembourg was fifth in 1 35.67. Austrian Dithmar Koch Latchler finished sixth in 1 35.71, Only 10-Hundredlhs of a second better than Felix Mcgrath of nor wich. It who was seventh. The race originally was scheduled to Lake place on Jan. 5 and was then re scheduled for Jan. 12 in bad . West Germany. But there was not enough Snow in the West German resort