Tatrai Enters Georgia With Large Lead

Australia’s Gerry Tatrai maintained his commanding lead in the Race Across America Thursday and appears to be on the way to his second RAAM title.

Tatrai, the 1993 champion, went through Chattanooga, Tenn., at 5:20 p.m. When he crossed the Georgia border five miles later, he was 403 miles from the finish in Savannah. Tatrai is averaging 340 miles a day in the race that started July 23 in Irvine.

Rob Kish, a three-time winner from Port Orange, Fla., was about 6 1/2 hours behind Tatrai and 40 minutes ahead of defending champion Wolfgang Fasching of Austria. Pittsburgh’s Danny Chew, the 1996 winner, was about an hour behind Fasching.