Page 14-Friday, June 4, 1982-The Michigan Daily
SPOR TS OF THE DAILY
Grand Prix practice cancelled
I
MECHANICS COVER one of the Lotus Formulas Irace cars on the Grand Prix:
race course in downtown Detroit after yesterday's practice was cancelled
because of a wet track.
DETROIT (AP) - A planned prac-
tice yesterday for the inaugural Detroit
Grand Prix was canceled because the
2.59-mile course through the city's
downtown area was not finished, race
officials said.
"The circuit is still being put
together," race spokesman Paul Klap-
proth reported.
HE SAID THE Paris-based
Federation Internationale du Sport
Automobile, which sanctions Grand
Prix racing, also had several
suggestions for improving the course.
"We are cooperating with FISA," he
said. "These are small suggestions -
moving barricades, installing safety
fences. It's a question of finetuning the
course."
The practice yesterday which was not
on the original schedule, had been in-
sisted on by drivers. Organizers have
predicted that speeds would average
about 100 mph although the cars could
reach 150 mph on some portions of the
course.
"THESE THINGS have to be expec-
ted," said Tyler Alexander, crew chief
for the McLaren team, which has Niki
Lauda and John Watson driving its en-
tries in Sunday's race. "It's the first
race here."
During a walking tour of the 20-turn
course, Watson and two-time world
driving champion Lauda said that while
the track generally was smooth, there
were several problems in the turns.
Watson complained one turn at the
end of a long straightaway left no
escape in the event of a problem.
ANOTHER CURVE through a tunnel
along the Detroit River resulted in a
blind corner, the drivers said, meaning
they would be unable to see trouble
ahead of them.
Race officials said more tires would
be added to existing tire barricades and
lights would be installed ahead of the
tunnel curve and other places on the
course to alert drivers to trouble.
Twenty-nine Formula One cars are
scheduled to attempt qualifying today
and tomorrow. The field Sunday will be
) limited to 24 cars.
The course has been under construc-
tion for a month and crews had worked
all night Wednesday to prepare it for
yesterday's practice.
In addition to the problems cited by
drivers, some areas yesterday lacked
fencing to keep out spectators.
Wallach player of the month
NEW YORK (AP)- Tim Wallach of
the Montreal Expos has been voted
National League Player of the Month
for May.
Wallach batted .367 during the month
with 36 hits in 98 at-bats. He hit six
home runs, drove in 23 runs and scored
16.
The award is the first for Wallach,
playing in only his second major league
season. His teammate, Steve Rogers,
was NL Pitcher of the Month for April.
Dale Murphy of Atlanta, was the Player
of the Month for April.
Other players who received strong
support in the voting by writers and
broadcasters included Ruppert Jones of
San Diego, who batted .370 with three
home runs, 19 runs scored and 19 RBI
and Pittsburgh's Jason Thompson, who
hit .374 with six homers and 17 RBI. Bob
Dernier of Philadelphia, Lonnie Smith
of St. Louis, Keith Moreland of the
Chicago Cubs, Ray Knight of Houston,
and Atlanta's Murphy also received
votes.
Ruthmen pitcher
of the month
NEW YORK (AP)- Right-hander
Dick Ruthven of the Philadelphia
Phillies was named yesterday as
National League Pitcher of the Month
for May.
Ruthven won four games during the
month, posting a 1.18 earned run
average. In six starts covering 45 2-3
innings pitched, Ruthven allowed only
six earned runs. He had one shutout and
three complete games, walking four
batters and striking out 27.
Others considered for the award in
voting by writers and broadcasters in-
cluded Fernando Valenzuela of Los
Angeles, who was 5-iwith 35 strikeouts
and a 2.34 ERA for the month, and
Mario Soto of Cincinnati, who was 4-2
with 57 strikeouts and a 1.51 ERA.
Willie Hernandez of the Chicago Cubs,
Don Sutton of Houston, Charlie Lea of
Montreal, Neil Allen of the New York
Mets and Bruce Sutter of St. Louis also
received votes.
Martin A.L. skipper.
NEW YORK (AP)- Billy Martin,
manager of the Oakland A's, was ap-
pointed manager of the 1982 American
League All-Star team by league
President Lee MacPhail yesterday.
By tradition, the job would have gone
to Bob Lemon who managed the New
York Yankees to the American League
pennant last year by beating Martin's
A's in the League Championship playof-
fs. Lemon, however, was fired April 25
as Yankees manager and is now a
California scout for the club.
IN 1979, when Martin replaced
Lemon as manager of the Yankees in
late June, MacPhail allowed Lemon,
who had been fired for the first time as
New York manager, to pilot the All
Stars.
"We thought it only fair this time to
give the managerial post to Billy as
manager of the league's runnerup
club." MacPhail said. "Lemon will
have been out of action as manager for
over two months when the 1982 game is
played on July 13 in Montreal."
There have been several other oc-
casions when pennant-winning
managers have not managed an All-
Star team the following season.
This will be Martin's third game as
pilot of the AL All-Stars. His team lost
7-5 to the Nationals at Yankee Stadium
in 1977 and again in 1978 when the NL
won 7-3 at San Diego.
Francis to coach Blues
ST. LOUIS (AP) - St. Louis Blues
president and General Manager Emile
Francis put yet another hat on yester-
day when he named himself coach of
the National Hockey League team.
Francis, 55, took over as coach at the
end of last season when he replaced
Red Berenson. Francis sparked the
Blues past the favored Winnipeg Jets in
the first round of the Stanley Cup
playoffs before they were eliminated by
the Chicago Black Hawks in the Norris
Division championship series.
"Ultimately it comes down to what
happens on the ice," said Francis, who
is ninth on the career victory list among
all-time NHL coaches. "Other respon-
sibilities you can funnel off to other
people in the organization. But the
coach has to get the job doe."
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