Schumacher’s Season May Have Come to a Halt

Michael Schumacher’s race lasted only 30 seconds at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, England on Sunday as he suffered a broken leg in a crash that could sideline him for the season.

The two-time world champion had surgery on his right leg, which was broken in two places. There were no head or spinal injuries.

The race was won by David Coulthard, whose McLaren Mercedes won for the first time in 15 months.

Eddie Irvine of Northern Ireland was second in a Ferrari, 1.829 seconds behind Coulthard, who averaged 124.253 mph.

The accident involving Schumacher happened after he came out of a turn and his brakes appeared to lock. He barreled across the track into a wall at about 130 mph but was able to climb out of his crumpled Ferrari. His team said a failed power steering unit probably caused the crash.

The injury is sure to keep Schumacher out of several races and hinder the German’s chances of winning this year’s series title.

*

Tony Stewart, trying to become the first rookie to win since the late Davey Alllison in 1987, came within two laps of doing it. But his Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac went dry exiting the second turn on the 298th of 300 laps during the Jiffy Lube 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway at Loudon, N.H.

So Jeff Burton, who had dominated the race the last two years, won with a three-second pit stop.

Burton got in the race on a provisional position awarded to car owner Jack Roush, started 38th in his Ford and wasn’t even able to make a serious run for the lead.

But after everyone had pitted in the waning laps, only Stewart and John Andretti were ahead of him.

Both ran out of gas and stalled simultaneously on pit road, giving Burton his ninth career victory and fourth this year--tying him with Jeff Gordon for the series lead.

*

A broken gearbox ended Juan Montoya’s brilliant run and helped Christian Fittipaldi to a CART FedEx Series victory in the Texaco/Havoline 200 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

Montoya, a 23-year-old Colombian rookie who still leads the series points after 10 of 20 races, began to experience shifting problems midway through the race.

The gearbox gave up midway through Lap 49, giving the lead to Fittipaldi, who was chased home by teammate Michael Andretti by 1.060 seconds over the four-mile, 14-turn road course.

*

Ducati teammates Ben Bostrom and Anthony Gobert dominated the World Superbike championship as each won at the Laguna Seca Raceway at Monterey, Calif.

Gobert won the first heat, with Bostrom, of Granada Hills, second. Bostrom won the second race after Gobert crashed on the 12th lap of the 28-lap race. He was uninjured.

*

Late Friday night, Darren Young’s victory in the Mechanix Wear Speed Truck Challenge at Irwindale Speedway was taken away after he failed the post-race inspection. John Holmes, of Riverside, was awarded the win.