Race Car Is Too Small for Mansell

After months of planning, testing and fanfare, the McLaren Formula One team has announced that Nigel Mansell will miss the first two races of the season because the cockpit of his car is too small.

Mansell, who won the Formula One title in 1992, then came to the United States and switched to Indy cars, winning that title in 1993, was returning to the worldwide series this year amid great expectations. A car for him was unveiled in London last month, but after testing in Portugal last week, he complained that the cockpit was too cramped.

He will miss the Brazilian Grand Prix on March 26 and a race in Argentina on April 9, but a new car is being prepared for him to run in Italy at the San Marino Grand Prix on April 30.

Another Englishman, Mark Blundell, will replace him for the first two races.

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Blaine Johnson led top-fuel drivers with a 4.760-second run at 307.27 m.p.h., John Force led funny car qualifiers in 5.077 seconds at 297.42 m.p.h. and Warren Johnson was the top pro-stock driver in 7.026 seconds at 195.52 m.p.h. in a rain-shortened day of qualifying for the National Hot Rod Assn. Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla.

Winter Sports

World Cup leader Bjorn Daehlie blew the race wide open on the third leg in powering Norway to a 43-second victory in the men’s 40-kilometer cross-country relay at the Nordic skiing world championships in Thunder Bay, Canada. Finland took the silver medal and Italy the bronze.

Ji-Hoon Chae and Lee-Kyung Chun gave South Korea a sweep of the 1,500-meter events at the world short-track speedskating championships in Gjovik, Norway.

Chae was timed in two minutes 30.47 seconds and beat American Eric Flaim by .05 of a second. Chun was the women’s winner in 2:46.75.

Football

Todd Scott, who played in the Pro Bowl as a safety for the Minnesota Vikings, agreed to terms with the New York Jets.

The Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys will play an exhibition in Toronto on Aug. 12 to begin the Fox network’s NFL coverage for 1995.

Miscellany

After the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, Janet Evans, 23, said she wanted to quit swimming, but she says now that she is planning to swim in Atlanta in 1996.

The U.S. women’s national soccer team lost to Denmark, 2-0, and will play for third place in the Algarve Cup in Lagos, Portugal.