Porsche Takes Top Five Places at Fuji Speedway

GOTEMBA, Japan — Led by Kris Nissen of Denmark and Bruno Giacomelli of Italy, Porsche 962C swept the top five places Sunday in the All-Japan sports prototype car 620-mile championships.

The Nissen-Giacomelli team, covered 224 laps over the 2.7-mile Fuji International Speedway in 5 hours 33 minutes 43.267 seconds at an average speed of 111.613 m.p.h.

More than 52,000 spectators watched the race at the foot of Mount Fuji. It was the second leg of the six-race series.

The Japanese team of Kunimitsu Takahashi and Kazuo Mogi finished second in 5:34:01.864, covering 223 laps.

Third-place finishers were Kenneth Acheson of Ireland and Price Cobb of the United States in 5:35:11.096 over 223 laps, followed by Naoki Nagasaka, Kaoru Hoshino and Masahiko Kageyama, all of Japan, in 5:34:34.436 over 221 laps.

The team of Eje Elgh of Sweden and Mavrizio Sandro-Sala of Brazil finished fifth in 5:34.14.031, in 220 laps.

Vern Schuppan of Australia and George Fouche of South Africa, driving a Porsche and starting from the pole position, retired after covering four laps. Officials said they were not sure why the team dropped out.

A total of 18 cars started the race and 14 finished.