"ACT OF GOD" FLARES MORE THAN TEMPERS IN FIREWORKS 250

Barstow, Calif (July 1, 1995) -- SpeedNet -- A brushfire interrupted the
24th annual SCORE Fireworks 250 off-road race for periods of a few
minutes up to an hour today, but Bob Gordon of Orange, Calif., had
already sped through the burn area by then to win in his
Chenowth-Porsche at an average speed of 49.568 mph.

Gordon, father of Indy car driver Robby Gordon, who had races in the
SCORE Tecate Trophy-Truck race the day before, covered the 248.48-mile
race in 5:00:58.  He won by more than 10 minutes over Ray Croll of
Corona in a Jimco-Toyota.

Farther back in the field, however, tempers flared when Bureau of Land
Management rangers and firemen from the U.S. Forestry Service closed the
course near a brushfire that burned an estimated 400 acres on a hillside
near a racing checkpoint.

Faster classes had cleared the checkpoint before federal officials shut
down the race, but for those drivers who didn't, they had to sit at an
intersection of dirt roads and wait -- some not very patiently -- until
the fire mostly burned itself out, SCORE International vice-president
Paul Fish said.  Four drivers who didn't wait were penalized at a
hearing after the race, losing one position each in the final standings.

Fish argued for permission to continue the race, and after 56 minutes of
waiting, he was allowed to escort competitors past the fire lanes one at
a time, 30-seconds apart.  Hours later there were still complaints over
unfair advantages the course closure gave some race drivers as the
drivers waited for awards presentations to be held.  Race officials
countered by saying fire and subsequent delay was "an act of God."

Fish said fire fighters were on the scene with a helicopter, three fire
trucks and four support vehicles.  The U.S. Forestry Service was aided
by BLM personnel and units of the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

by Deke Houlgate, for SpeedNet