Round 3 - US West
Andrea de Cesaris led the opening portion of the race, momentarily proving his numerous doubters wrong, but Niki Lauda was never far behind, patiently waiting for his chance to pounce on the young Italian. After Bruno Giacomelli took out Rene Arnoux, Lauda had a clear road up to de Cesaris, and with the help of Raul Boesel, got by him on Lap 15. It wasn't much of a race for first place after that as Niki steadily pulled away from the field and Andrea inevitably binned his Alfa Romeo.
For the second race in a row, Keke Rosberg found himself locked in an extended battle with a top car, this time the powerful Ferrari of Gilles Villeneuve. When Rosberg finally got clear of the Turbo, he was off on a lonely run to second place. Villeneuve would hold on for third, but his rear wing would eventually be declared illegal, striking his podium finish from the record.
It was your standard early-80's street race, as the bumpy streets and difficult conditions pitched many cars into the wall, thinning the field to effectively nine cars, with Boesel 5 laps down and Slim Borgudd 7 laps behind. Lauda proved to be up to the task, coasting his Marlboro McLaren home for his first victory since 1978.
Highlight Package
Andrea de Cesaris led the opening portion of the race, momentarily proving his numerous doubters wrong, but Niki Lauda was never far behind, patiently waiting for his chance to pounce on the young Italian. After Bruno Giacomelli took out Rene Arnoux, Lauda had a clear road up to de Cesaris, and with the help of Raul Boesel, got by him on Lap 15. It wasn't much of a race for first place after that as Niki steadily pulled away from the field and Andrea inevitably binned his Alfa Romeo.
For the second race in a row, Keke Rosberg found himself locked in an extended battle with a top car, this time the powerful Ferrari of Gilles Villeneuve. When Rosberg finally got clear of the Turbo, he was off on a lonely run to second place. Villeneuve would hold on for third, but his rear wing would eventually be declared illegal, striking his podium finish from the record.
It was your standard early-80's street race, as the bumpy streets and difficult conditions pitched many cars into the wall, thinning the field to effectively nine cars, with Boesel 5 laps down and Slim Borgudd 7 laps behind. Lauda proved to be up to the task, coasting his Marlboro McLaren home for his first victory since 1978.
Highlight Package
