European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 3, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday july 3, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 25 Elliott noses to firecracker Victory by Mike Harris a motor sports writer Daytona Beach Fla. Bill Elliott held off Rick Wilson by 18 inches saturday in a bumper rub Bing finish to win the firecracker 400 Lascar Stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. Elliott who started 38th in the 42-car Field did not Lead until 23 laps from the end of the 400-mile, 160-Lap race. Once the Dawsonville ga., Driver got his for thunderbird in front however he kept it there beat ing Wilson s Oldsmobile Cutlass by less than the length of his Hood. Wilson who never finished better than seventh in a Winston cup event dogged Elliott s rear bumper from Ner s share of $63,500 from a total purse of $549,020.the time the Elliott moved into the Lead on Lap 138 until the third turn of their final trip around the 2.5-mile, High banked Oval. Wilson then Dove Low on the track and caught Elliott nosing ahead coming off the fourth turn. But Elliott who now has 26 career victories and series leading three triumphs this season held his ground drawing Back alongside Wilson. With the crowd estimated at More than 80,000standing and cheering the finish wildly the two cars ground together puffs of smoke leaping into the air before Elliott pulled barely ahead at the finish line. Elliott averaged 163.302 Mph As he earned the win to get his first firecracker Victory Elliott came from farther Back than any Winner in the 30 years that the race has been run. The previous Mark was held by Bobby Isaac who won from 21 St in 1971. Phil Parsons wound up third followed by two Tim defending Winston cup Champion Dale Earnhardt and pole Winner Darrell Waltrip. Buddy Baker and Ken Schrader were the Only other Drivers on the Lead Lap at the end. Rusty Wallace who finished a Lap Down in 12th,held onto his Winston cup Point Lead and won the $ 150,000 that goes to the series Leader at the Halfway Point in the 29-race schedule. American favored in tour by Salvatore Zanca Paris a the tour de Franceis becoming a foreign affair won last year by Stephen Roche of Ireland an two years ago by american Greg Lemond. This year another american Andy Hampsten is at the top of the list of favor ites for the world s toughest and most prestigious cycling race a three week or Deal that opens monday with two Short stages near the City of Nantes in Western France. Hampsten is a 26-year-old native of Columbus Ohio who lives in Boulder Colorado. He Hopes to survive the grueling clockwise circuit of the coun try to ride Down the champs Elysee on july 24 wearing the Leader s yellow Jersey. This year s race stretches Over 2,020miles through the French Countryside and mountains. Fewer than half of the 198 riders from 22 teams Are expected to Complete the course through Fields snowy Alpine passes and Over rough roads in French villages. To win the tour de France you be got to do Well in everything be Able Towin in the mountains when you must win a time trial or at least do Well says Ber Nard Tinault a five time Winner who re tired in 1986. The tour de France which started in 1903, is televised nationwide every Day for three weeks. It is the sporting event of the year for Many French fans for whom cycling stars like i Nault Are National heroes. The tour. It s everything Hampsten said. If i do my Best and i m beaten then i la be Happy. But if i lose in making some errors then i la really  Hampsten won the tour of ital last month giving him a major boost. Last year Roche won the italian race leisurely tour a photo taking a pre tour de France look at the course members of the colombian team Cycle around Nantes France on saturday. The colombians among 198 competitors in the race Are led by contender Luis Herrera left in the 2,020-mile event which starts monday in Nantes and ends july 24 in Paris. On his Way to the tour de France Triumph but he has not been Able to recover from a knee operation with Drew from the tour lineup last month. Lemond after winning in 1986,was unable to defend the title the Fol lowing year because of a shooting Accident and will not be Back this year either. He Hurt an ankle and cracked a Collarbone during a Road race in Bel Gium last month and has had foot problems too. He has never Recap tured the form that made him respected in France and will make hire entry in August. So that leaves Hampsten Colombi a s Luis Herrera a Tough climber ire land s Sean Kelly and Mexico s Rau Lacala in the top Echelon. Citadel dismissed from suit Charleston . A the Citadel and school Trainer Andy Clawson were dismissed As defendants from Marc Buoniconti s $16.5 million negligence lawsuit Friday but the Case continued against or. E. K. Wallace jr., the school football team doctor. Although it appeared a settlement May have been reached Between the military College Clawson and Buoniconti attorneys for the parties remained under a  order issued by judge John Hamilto Smith. We have been dismissed said Dawes Cooke the attorney for the Cita Del. We re not involved in the Case but we re still under a  order. Until the Case is Over i can t make any further comment he added. The Citadel and or. Clawson those two defendants Are no longer involved inthe Case Smith told the jurors. Before the three week trial resume Friday morning there was a 40-minute meeting in Smith s Chambers attended by attorneys for the parties As Well a Buoniconti and his father former Miami dolphins Star Nick Buoniconti. Following the meeting the attorney representing the Citadel and Clawson packed up their briefcases and sat in the courtroom with the audience As the jury returned. Earlier in the trial attorneys had made a motion to limit the school s liability tothe amount of the school s insurance coverage at the time of the Accident. Smith had not ruled on the motion atthe time of dismissal. The coverage is $1 million according to James Bennett of the South Carolina insurance Reserve fund. The suit alleges negligence in the treat ing of a neck injury Buoniconti suffered several weeks before he played in an oct.26, 1985, game at East Tennessee state. Buoniconti suffered a broken neck making a tackle in that game and was left a quadriplegic. Darmstadt Mainz split a a doubleheader Mannheim West Germany the Mainz rangers and Darmstadt comets traded 10-run-Rule-shortened blowouts in German american league baseball on saturday. Rees Berry raised his record to 3-0 with a three hit five strikeout performance while going the distance in the 5 mining opener won by Mainz 12-0. He was backed by a 3-for-3 Day fro third baseman Greg Wolfgang who drove in two. Ronnie Price was 2-for-2 for Mainz and scored three runs. Darmstadt came Back 20-8, in the six a neg Nightcap. Jose Rivera pitched five innings for the winners loser Roger Ste Vens fell to 0-2. Big blow for the comets was a three run Homer by first baseman Tim Bowers. In saturday s other doubleheader Mannheim 12-12, Ramstein 2-4 Mannheim s Bill Dickman went the distance in the first game then relieved in the second game to pick up both wins and push his season record to 6-0 As the Klee Amigos improved to 12-2. Dickman silenced Ramstein 6-5, in allowing Only four hits in the first game. Amigo Curtis Kennedy broke the game open in the second inning with a three run triple and eight of the nine starting Mannheim players combined for 12 hits off loser Tom Sokoloski. Dickman who finished with seven strikeouts went two for two at the  Luzunaris Istvan Dejesus and Richard Jackson also knocked out two hits apiece. It was More of the same in game two once Dickman replaced shaky starter a thur freeze. Freeze could manage to get Only two outs in the first inning while allowing four runs. Then came Dickman and from there on it was All Mannheim. R. Jackson pounded a two run double in the second inning to spark a five Sunburst and the Amigos went up 7-4 and won going away. Dickman went two for two and r. Jackson Peter Jackson and Marcus Probst added two hits apiece a Mannheim combined for 12 hits. Arn sports television Tennis Wimbledon men s final 3 . Sunday. Radio baseball Cincinnati at Philadelphia 7 30 . Sunday Baltimore at Texas 1 . Monday