Motor Racing: Mansell on pole

NIGEL MANSELL took his fifth IndyCar pole and his first on an oval at New Hampshire International Speedway yesterday under skies heavy with rain clouds. Mansell established a track record with a lap of 22.504sec, at an average speed of 169.247mph.

Mansell's main competition here has been Raul Boesel, who missed the pole and the record by the drop of a flag. IndyCar qualifying on an oval proceeds one car at a time with two warm-up laps and two qualifying laps.

Boesel's team waved off his first attempt. Under the rules Boesel was allowed another run with two tours to bring his tyres up to temperature but only one qualifying lap. On his second warm-up lap Boesel set an unofficial record but the car developed a push as the green flag dropped for his one hot lap and he fell .06sec short of Mansell's official time.

Mansell said: 'I've never done that kind of qualifying before coming over here. It's very different from what I've been used to.'

NEW ENGLAND 200 (Loudon, NH): 1 N Mansell (GB) Lola Ford-Cosworth 169.247mph; 2 R Boesel (Bra) Lola Ford- Cosworth 169.207; 3 S Goodyear (US) Lola Ford-Cosworth 167.863; 4 P Tracy (Can) Penske-Chevy C 167.788; 5 R Guerrero (US) Lola-Chevrolet 167.089; 6 M Andretti (US) 1993 Lola Ford-Cosworth 166.970.