European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 04, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday. January 4.1990 the stars and stripes Page 21 racer in Roundup classic be mans race in jeopardy lemans Rand Barnett the 58th running of the classic 24 hours of be mans is in big trouble As the new year begins. The federation internationale mfr / automobile fisa. He governing body of . Has re fused to renew inc track s License unless two Chi canes Are installed on the famous Tulsa inc straight. The chicanes would reduce speeds at mul Sannic where the top sports prototypes hit the 250 Mph Mark and sometimes a bit More. At its final 1989 meeting late last month Fis agreed to protect the traditional mid june race Date at be mans but Only until Jan. 31. This Extension will hopefully allow the la mans organizers time to come up with a solution. If there is no solution by then and it appears there won t be. The classic race will not be run this year at least not As a round in the world sports prototype championship. Disputes Between the be mans organizers and fisa Are nothing new with television rights being the main source of Contention during the past three seasons. Last year the race was run on a non championship status without fisa s approval and that could happen again in june. But the major teams of course want it otherwise and the la mans organizers cannot continue to go it alone for much longer. The be mans race if it is to continue must be run on a world championship status to attract the leading teams Drivers sponsors and spectators. The business of chicanes on the 3.5-Milc Long Tulsa inc straight docs not Only involve be mans. Fisa says. The motor sports governing body ruled last month that no circuit May have a straight longer than 1.2 Miles. This ruling was made to safety purposes. The be mans organizers with Complete justification charge that the ruling was made too lat for the inclusion of chicanes by june of 1990. As the mul Sanne straight is National Public Road an not part of a private track the installation of Chi canes would involve the acquis Ion of private land. It is obviously Loo late to Start Purchase negotiations now. Furthermore the be mans officials say thai chicanes will ruin the nature of the race. An that s True enough. The automobile club de t guest Aco which organizes the annual la mans classic charges in its press releases that All of us know that it the Chi Cane ruling is Only a pretext by fisa used to have the 24 hours entering a financial system. If this position is confirmed the press release continues it would be Likely to deliberately Chal Lenge our inclusion in the world sports prototype lemans is in trouble because the 3.5-Mllc Long mul Sanne straight right is 2.3 Miles longer than the new fisa Standard. Championship. Until now major problems concerning the straight have never been mentioned in any official fisa report. Besides in a letter dated nov. 8, 1989, fisa president Jean Marie Balestro was proposing for the future a common study of the Tulsa inc straight " the Aco added that it has brought the French government into the Issue because the 24-Hourrace is a treasure of our National the club has asked the French Assembly to As sure no further interference by fisa and three members of parliament from the la mans Region have introduced a Bill to strip fisa of supervisor authority for the mans race. The club would then run its own race under the jurisdiction of the French government. Meanwhile the Aco optimistically closed out its press release by saying. We will meet you on june 16 and 17 for the 58th edition of our International for the Good of motor sport we can All Hope the la mans race will continue although it can t last much longer in its present form which is a pity. And while the safely Issue is a real one it is quite unfair thai fisa should make these demands at so late a Date. The race should be allowed to retain inc Tulsa inc straight for 1990. It should also be noted that fisa is toying with a classic race Here no just another sports car race in the championship. The 24 hours of la mans Al Lipacis its Quarter million spectators each june be cause of the nature of the circuit and the Tulsa inc straight. The order to install chicanes at Tulsa inc is Sim Ilar to ordering chicanes for the Indianapolis Speedway. If that happened. Indy would no longer be inc greatest spectacle in As the promo tors enjoy it s obvious that la mans will eventually have to face up to the chicane situation if no this year then and when it docs much of the Glamour will be gone. Attacking fisa s demands. Jean Marc do snubs. The spokesman for the Aco. Says the Tulsa inc straight is a motor racing Cathedral. The mount Everest of All True but at one time. Germany s great 14.2-mile nil Burgering was also in the racing Cathe dral category. Eventually there was no Way to Rescue it so a new. Smaller and much safer circuit was built and the old ring survives today for tourist drives and manufacturer car it s better to close a circuit altogether and build a new one As the germans did than to ruin the a visiting one. When the chicanes come to la mans that circuit like Monza Silver Stone and Hock Nchim will never be the same. During Tiik holidays we received a letter from Long time racing fan George Smith who has a collection of the English motor sport magazines the collection ranging from 1956 through 1979. Smith says the magazines contain some especially interesting articles by Denis Jinkinson the Brit ish journalist who navigated Sterling Moss to Victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia. Maybe you know some Auto buffs who would like them Smith Wrils. And if so. They should give me a Call before Corning by As the magazines arc a bit too heavy to interested in these magazines write Smith at Tal Strassl 9, 6906 a Cimon. West Germany or Cal him at 06224-75884. The town of Leiden is near Heidelberg. Where to go this weekend the third round in the adar indoor Motocross Winter cup races is set for Friday saturday and sunday in Dortmund. Wesl Germany. The races featuring european riders As Well As entrants from the United Stales will be held in Dortmund s Wisl Falcon Hall. The races Start at 7 . On Friday and sat urday and at 3 . On surf and of my for Jan. 4-10 unless otherwise dated wrestling the Continental sports conference championships will be held this weekend at the Simbach a gym. Greco roman Competition leads off the meet sat urday at 10 . If time permits at the completion of Greco roman one or two rounds of freestyle will be held on saturday. Sunday s freestyle Competition starts at 10 . All wrestlers must compete in both styles. Basketball with Only two weekends left in the Continental sports conference regular season the Csc resumes its schedule Friday evening. visits Rhein main. Lindsey plays at Tilburg Hahn at Simbach and Spang Dahlem at Ramstein in Friday games. On saturday soc Sterberg completes its series at Rhein main Pitburg is at Hahn at Ramstein and Simbach at Spang Dahlum. On both nights women play at 6 . And men at 8 . The Csc s annual Small unit tournament will be played at the Ramstein a South gym next week. The double elimination tourney opens tuesday at 11 . And continues daily through Friday. Last game starts at 11 . On each of the first three Days. First games begin at 8 . On wednesday and thursday. is the defending Champion. The other 14 entries arc accent. Alzey. Wasdahl Berlin. Bol Kcal Buchol he Swisch Oldendorf. Kleine Brogel. Mcm Mingan Neu Briick nor Mcnich Rhein Grafin slain shape and Wuch Cim. V corps is the Only major Usa eur league operating this weekend with both Vii corps and 21st Talcom continuing their Holiday Breaks. On saturday v corps four matchup will be bad Kreuz Nach at Frankfurt Darmstadt at Fulda. Baum hold or at Giessen and Mainz at Wiesbaden. Sunday s schedule has bad Kreuz Nach at Darmstadt. Frankfurt at Baum Holder Fulda at and Gic Ssan at Wiesbaden. Women s games tip off at i . And men s games Start at 3 ., except at Fulda and wild Flucken. Which have no women s teams. The men s games at those two Sites begin at i . In German basketball Bamberg hosts Langon at 7 30 . Friday to Lead off the bund Sliga weekend. Other first division games arc slated for saturday and they include Cologne at Ulm 7 30 . And Goldstan Hagen at Bayreuth 7 . Sports Calendar pot. Women arc Welcome to enter. For More information Call 4672-638 or civilian 09802-83-2638. Hockey the German Uund Sliga offers a full schedule this weekend i c games each on Friday and sunday evenings. Landshut invades Mannheim sch Wanningen sat Berlin Rosenheim at Munich Dusseldorf at Cologne and Frankfurt at Freiburg on Friday at 7 30 . On sunday at 7 . Mannheim plays at Frankfurt. Berlin at Landshut. Cologne at sch Wanningen. Frei Burg at Rosenheim and Munich at Diss Aldort. Ski jumping the four Hills International tournament four world cup events the first of which started Las saturday in of Borstdorf continues thursday at Bischof Shoffn. Austria and winds up saturday at inns Bruck. Austria. Both competitions Start at i . Bowling horse racing the Ansbach area men s Bowling association will Host a King of the Mill tournament sunday in the Ansbach action lants at the Kat Lorbach heliport. Registration will be at 10 30 . Lanes will be drawn at 11 . And Bowling will Start at 11 15 . Entry fee is $35. Plus $5 for the optional High game Dortmund on saturday and Neuss on sunday arc the West German tracks with racing this races Start at around noon. Prep Pickin s Ben Abrams prep Pickin s column will be delayed until tomorrow because of the new Vitur s Day Holiday
