Motor Racing: Mansell second in 'lottery'

NIGEL MANSELL did all he could to produce a remarkable victory at the Portland International Raceway but he was forced to admit: 'The best driver and car combination won in the end.'

The Formula One world champion had to settle for second place behind the Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, who claimed his second IndyCar win of the season for his Marlboro Penske-Chevrolet team in Sunday's rain-hit Budweiser GI Joe's 200.

Mansell, however, stays in front in the series standings with 88 points ahead of the Brazilian Raul Boesel on 74.

In the seventh round of the series, it was not to be Mansell's day. The Briton, in his Newman-Haas Lola-Ford, made a good start but, after leading for the opening 27 laps, he locked up his brakes, slid off the track and dropped back to fourth. Fittipaldi, who had made three attempts to pass Mansell on lap 18, went into the lead with ease when Mansell went off.

Mansell briefly regained the lead when he stayed out on slick tyres in the heavy rain after both Fittipaldi and his team-mate, Paul Tracy, had pitted for wet tyres.

'It was a bit of a lottery at times,' Mansell said. 'But we gave everybody a fantastic race. You can only do your best with what you've got.'

BUDWEISER GI JOE'S 200 INDYCAR RACE (Portland, Oregon) Leading placings: 1 E Fittipaldi (Bra) Penske-Chevrolet C, 102 laps, 96.312mph (154.96 kph); 2 N Mansell (GB) Lola-Ford Cosworth XB, 102; 3 P Tracy (Can) Penske-Chevrolet C, 102; 4 B Rahal (US) Lola- Chevrolet C, 101; 5 A Unser Jr (US) Lola-Chevrolet C, 101; 6 M Andretti (US) Lola-Ford Cosworth XB, 101.

Series standings: 1 Mansell 88pts; 2 Boesel 74; 3 Fittipaldi 72; 4 Andretti 63; 5 Rahal 58.