Schumacher back on victory podium

Monday, Oct. 11, 2004 | 9:49 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

Michael Schumacher asserted his authority in Formula One again Sunday with his 13th victory of the season but first since August.

The seven-time world champion captured the Japanese Grand Prix, which was run at Suzuka in sunshine after days of rain and a typhoon threat.

Schumacher won 12 of the first 13 races before losing three in a row. In his previous race, he finished 12th at the Chinese Grand Prix, his worst finish since 1999.

"I didn't think too much about what happened at the last Grand Prix. I don't really take that into account, questioning anything," the German said. "There wasn't really the extra pressure."

Schumacher, with 83 career victories, clinched the drivers' title by finishing second at the Belgian GP behind Kimi Raikkonen and had gone winless since the Hungarian Grand Prix.

This was Schumacher's sixth win at the Japanese GP. Ferrari has won this race every year since 1999 -- Eddie Irvine (1999), Schumacher (2000-02 and 2004) and Rubens Barrichello 2003.

With only the Oct. 24 Brazilian GP left, the top three spots in the driver standings are set: Schumacher (146 points), Barrichello (108) and Button (85).

Schumacher captured the Top Fuel season title -- and the $400,000 bonus -- with a second-round win against rival Brandon Bernstein. Then in the final round, he beat veteran driver Bob Vandergriff to win his ninth race of the season.

Schumacher clocked a 4.475-second run at 329.99 mph in the final to tie Gary Scelzi (2000) and Larry Dixon (2002) for the record.

Reed, who won Friday's moto, came off the start in fourth place Saturday night and moved into second behind Ricky Carmichael before crashing at the end of lap one. Reed worked his way back to second until Carmichael slid out on lap 17, handing the lead to Reed.

Carmichael, who placed second in Friday night's race, was unable to finish Saturday's race due to mechanical problems on the second-to-last lap of the race. Honda rider Nick Wey finished second and Suzuki's Sebastien Tortelli was third.

Wey finished second overall on the weekend and Mike LaRocco was third.

John Gondini of North Las Vegas earned the 2004 IJSBA World Championship in Pro-Am Runabout 1200 Stock.

Dauliach claimed his second straight IJSBA Pro World Championship while Malone earned his fifth and MacClugage his eighth crown. MacClugage is the only rider in the sport's history who has won IJSBA Pro World Championships in four different classes.

Also winning Gold Medals Sunday in the final Pro-Am Classes of the event were Thailand's Chokuhit Molee (Pro-Am Runabout 800 Superstock), Janelle Barr of Renton, Wash. (Pro-Am Women Ski) and Amy Green of Escondido, Calif. (Women Runabout).