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Raikkonen Wins Chinese Grand Prix; 3 Battle For Title With 1 Race To Go

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The Associated Press

Published: October 7, 2007

SHANGHAI, China - Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari won the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren missed his chance to clinch the drivers' title by spinning out entering the pits.

Fernando Alonso of McLaren was second and Felipe Massa of Ferrari finished third.

Hamilton ran off the track and into a gravel trap, while entering pit lane after 31 laps.

'I haven't made a mistake all year, but I am over it now,' Hamilton said. 'There is still one race to go so, I can still do it. I will now focus on attacking in Brazil, where I will do everything I can to bounce back.'

The championship will go down to the final race in Brazil on Oct. 21 with three drivers capable of winning the title. Hamilton has 107 points, Alonso has 103 and Raikkonen 100. A win is worth 10 points and second is worth eight.

It will be the first time since 1986 that three drivers have a chance to win the title in the last race.

Sebastian Vettel of Toro Rosso finished fourth, Jenson Button of Honda was fifth, followed by Vitantoni Liuzzi of Toro Rosso in sixth.

SCELZI RACES TO FUNNY CAR WIN: Four-time series champion Gary Scelzi earned one of four berths in the two-race championship, beating teammate Ron Capps in the Funny Car final Sunday in the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, Va.

Scelzi, who jumped from sixth to second place, was joined in the winner's circle by Top Fuel's Doug Kalitta and Pro Stock's Dave Connolly, who has won five straight races overall to take the No. 1 seed in the Countdown to 1.

Capps secured the fourth and final berth in Funny Car with his semifinal win over Tim Wilkerson. Tony Pedregon and Robert Hight, first and third, respectively, will be the other two finalists in the Funny Car Countdown to 1.

In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson will be the No. 2 seed and the Pro Stock final four was filled out by No. 3 Jeg Coughlin, who drove his way in with a first-round win Sunday, and Allen Johnson, who clinched the fourth and final Pro Stock berth when his teammate eliminated fifth-place Kurt Johnson in the second round.

LOEB CLOSES IN ON CHAMPIONSHIP: Sebastian Loeb edged closer to world championship leader Marcus Gronholm after winning his third straight Catalunya Rally on Sunday in Salou, Spain.

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