European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22the stars and stripes sunday april 19, 1992 Lyn St. James exits her 1991 co Worth Lola after wednesdays 221-Mph Lap to compare notes with chief Mechanic Gerry Cook right. Sex Guthrie sponsor s steering 2nd woman toward indy 500 by Michael Graczyk College station Texas Aplyn St. James a sports car and Sedan racer often referred to As americans top woman race car Driver has been trying for years to put together a Deal for the Indianapolis 500. She finally has with the help of team owner Dick Simon a Veteran of 18 indy 500s. And As she wound up two Days of practice in Texas on wednesday she Hopes to become the second woman to qualify for the race. A i feel like a Rookie in what i am now launching into but thank god i done to feel like a Rookie race car Driver a St. James said. Quot it feels comfortable but what i have to do is get used to the feeling of the car being free and still identify what a going on. The indy car to me is the ultimate vehicle. When you Start and dream what a perfect race car is like this is it. In a tickled As i could  Simon was instrumental in putting Janet Guthrie in the race for three straight years in the late 1970s. Her Best finish was ninth in 1978. Guthrie remains the Only woman to Start at Indianapolis. A a she a Good she a really Good a Simon said of his latest protege. A a we re taking it a step at a time. The main reason we re Here is to make sure she a used to the speeds and used to the car and knows what the adjustments do to the  St. James averaged better than 221 Mph around the 2 mile Texas world Speedway on wednesday. Driving a 1991 co Worth powered Lola she reached Straightaway speeds of 227 Mph on the High banked super Speedway. She figures a four Lap average of 218 Mph at Indianapolis will get her into the 33-car Field next month. After 160 laps tuesday and another 150 wednesday the team Heads for its Home base in Indianapolis where the car which had been used As a backup car for japanese Driver Hiro Matsushita will be Fine tuned for Indianapolis Rookie tests next week. Simon said it was important to get the Zmeskal triumphs on floor Paris apr Kim Zmeskal rocked her Way to the world title saturday in the floor exercise at the world gymnastics championships. Performing to a Medley of �?T50s Rock in Roll music which included a Rock. Around the clock a she dazzled the crowd and judges with a Snappy routine. The 16-year-old from Houston won the world All around title last year. A new formula this year gives individual titles in the men and women s events. Past championships had team and All around Competition in addition to the Indi Zmeskal practice in Texas because of All the hoopla that Likely will surround St. James when they got to Indianapolis. A we wanted to get this out of the Way so when we get there she Wasny to mentally being pulled in 15 directions Quot he said. A i know in a going to be under a Microscope a St. James said. A i know that and accept that. But if that a the Way it is that a the Way it is. Its not my Choice but i accept it. And i want to do this badly  St. James speeds at Texas compare with laps of Over 233 Mph turned two weeks ago by Michael and Mario Andretti on the same track. She insists however she will be competitive. A Dick and i have talked about that a she said. A this has been three years in the making. 1 love this sport and in a committed to this sport. In be worked hard to have a Good career and have credibility and respect for what in be done. I done to need to blow it. A i done to need to grab for the Golden ring and slip. I need for it to be  visual apparatus finals. Henrietta Onodi of Hungary won the women a vault then finished second1 behind Zmeskal in the floor exercise. Her routine to the opening music of West Side Story a included a triple twist somersault. The menus floor exercise found the same top two from last year a Igor to Rubchinsky and Vitali Scherbo. They competed for the soviet Union in 1991, and Here represented the Commonwealth of Independent states. To Rubchinsky the 1989 All around Champion won the event with 9.812. Scherbo was second at 9.862. Scherbo Pae Gil us of North Korea and i Jing of China tied for first in the Pommel horse All with 9.85. Zmeskal had the crowd clapping and coach Bela Karolyi jumping when she hit her three tumbling runs. Her trademark three whip backs to a double Back somersault was Superb. When she hit her final twisting double Back somersault Karolyi jumped almost As High As he watched from the sidelines. Karolyi previously coached Mary Lou Retton and Nadia Comanici to olympic titles. At the medal ceremony the International federation of gymnastics Flag was raised with a piano composition written for the occasion by a local musician for the former soviets. Laettner exonerated Raleigh . A Duke Center Christian laettner violated no rules by keeping a diary during his senior season according to the Mcaa. Quot Christian laettner did not violate any Mcaa rules by keeping a diary a and that Sall he did a spokesman Jim Marchiony said. A there was neither any written nor Oral agreement Between laettner and go that would be a violation of Mcaa rules a laettner had agreed to keep the diary in order to write an article for go rag Azine. A i done to know what else we could have been done. In a convinced there was not a violation a Chris Kennedy in charge of Dukes Mcaa compliance told the Charlotte observer. Kennedy was referring to acknowledgement by Mcaa officials that they were contacted about the agreement be fore the season began. Rick Evrard the no aah a director of legislative services said David Thompson the Atlantic coast conferences assistant commissioner contacted the no aah a legislative services department. Mcaa rules say a student athletes eligibility is jeopardized if he makes an agreement for professional services or promotes a product while still eligible. Laettner Dukes leading scorer denied signing a contract. A i have never signed any contract with go Magazine a laettner said in a statement issued thursday by the University. A the Only agreement 1 made was to submit a diary to the Magazine after my senior year for a possible fall Issue. 1 am shocked and Hurt by the allegations that the newspaper has  Granger checked go a a files thursday and agreed there was no written contract. Howe confession stands Kalispell Mont. A a Federal magistrate ruled Friday that a written confession by new York Yankees reliever Steve Howe can be used As evidence in his Federal trial on cocaine charges. . Magistrate Bart Erickson denied Howe a motion to suppress the statement he gave Federal and local agents after his arrest last december in Kui Ispell. Howe 33, lives in nearby Whitefish in the off season. Erickson ruled that Howe waived his right to have an attorney present and gave the statement voluntarily. Erickson noted Howe was read his rights did not ask for an attorney to be present and was not threatened or Given promises by officers in return for cooperating with a confession. He said Howe a feelings of being a scared to death were Normal under the circumstances and did not show that the statement was anything but the product of his own intellect and free will. He ruled however that Howe could present a statement at trial asking a jury to question the relevance of the confession. Howe is charged with attempting to buy one Gram of cocaine last dec. 19 in Kalispell and with possessing two Grams of cocaine Between nov. 23 and dec. 19 in Whitefish. Both Are misdemeanours. A May 5 trial is set for the first charge. Erickson has set no Date for a trial on the second charge