Vettel becomes F1’s youngest season champ
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Sebastian Vettel became the youngest champion in Formula One history on Sunday, clinching the title when he won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and Fernando Alonso faltered in the season-ending race.
The 23-year-old Red Bull driver started from the pole trailing Alonso by 15 points in the standings. While Vettel had a fairly trouble-free race, Alonso finished seventh after Ferrari made an ill-advised decision to pit early and the Spaniard got stuck behind Nico Rosberg and Vitaly Petrov for nearly 40 laps.
"It has been an incredible journey, to lead the championship after the last race is unbelievable," Vettel said. "It's been extremely intense and a tough season mentally. Sometimes just to ignore what people are saying and get your own thing done."
The German is six months younger than Lewis Hamilton was when he won the title in 2008.
■ NASCAR PRO SERIES -- At Avondale, Ariz., Las Vegan Dusty Davis, 18, placed sixth Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway in his second race in the NASCAR Pro West series.
Vision Aviation teammate Justin Johnson finished 23rd after being involved in a crash with 12 laps left in the 125-lap race won by Greg Pursley of Newhall, Calif.
■ LVMS -- Terry Phillips excited the crowd Saturday by running close to the outside guardwall to mount a charge through the IMCA Modified field and win the premier title of the 13th annual Duel in the Desert at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's dirt track,
Phillips, 44, of Springfield, Mo., took the lead from Bobby Hogge of Salinas, Calif., on the 37th of 40 laps and held on to edge Jordan Grabouski of Beatrice, Neb., to claim the title and $7,777 first-place paycheck.
Perry Misner of Garden City, Kan., won the 20-lap IMCA Stock Car feature.
Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff Wolf contributed to this report.
