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Kenny Roberts wheelied his way to two 500cc GP wins. Randy Mamola DNF Italy when the main bearing went placed third in Spain. World ChampionshIp Road !lace SerIes: Rounds J-2 Roberts romps in Italy MISANO , ITALY , MAY 11 Riding a new YZR500 Yamaha with a square tube, aluminum alloy frame, 500cc World Champion Kenny Roberts whipped all comers at the Italian Grand Prix held on the twisting 3.36 km Misano circuit on the Adriatic coast of Italy. Using only five gears, Roberts quickly set the pace after an early 22 scrap with the Italian Olio Nava Fiat works Suzuki of Marco Luchinelli . Roberts blitzed the lap record , shaving just under one second off the old record set by LuchineIli. Before the race was underway Luchinelli was considered the favorite after taking split seconds off his old record in practice and setting the quickest times. After his early race scrap with Roberts, Luchinelli was eventually sidelined when his engine seized due to main bearing failure, which proved a common fault with the works Suzukis except for Graziano Rossi who passed the checkered flag third behind Franco Uncini's Suzuki. Of LuchineIli , Roberts said, "It was the best I' ve ever seen Luchinelli ride. I wanted to stay behind him for half the race but he missed a shift and I nearly hit him . He was braking so early, I would have got past him earlier. I went around him when he missed the shift. I saw Randy (Mamola) once and I knew I had to get go ing." Roberts took the lead on lap nine and set a cracking pace with Luchinelli in hot pursuit. H is bike's new frame appeared to be taxed by the strain of the pace, wriggling in several places around th e track . It took King Kenny a mere two laps to build a commanding lead but Texaco Heron Suzuki teamster Randy Mamola wanted to be in the hunt and snatched second spot from LuchineIli. But Marnola 's bike couldn't take the pressure as the main bearing cracked up. Only shortly before, teammate Graeme Crosby, winner of the 1980 Daytona Superbike race, retired with similar problems while lying in 10th place. LuchineIli regained his second place after 19 laps . "I was also using only five gears and Luchinelli got me as the main bearing broke," said Californian Mamola. "I heard it go on the 17th lap and pulled out two laps later. " Dutchman Wil Hartog was another victim of the mysterious bearing disease and then LuchineIli pulled into the pits on lap 25 with smoke pouring from his chambers. Suzuki privateer Franco Uncini stole Luchinelli's place after cutting through the field from th e seventh spot on lap one. Uncini's pace was also red hot but Roberts' lead was commanding and he had to be content with second. Riding the sole surviving works Suzuki, Italian Rossi made a poor start but finished third ahead of South American Johnny Cecotto who rode a near standard TZ500 Yamaha. In a race where only seven of the 14 finishers completed the full distance, it was former World Champion Barry Sheene who finished seventh after his bike's monoshock went stiff on the fourth lap. Only 14 of the 50 starters finished the race. Kork Ballington was another who didn't stay the distance .when his new KR500 Kawasaki pulled int o the pits on lap four with ignition troubles . As the first round in this year's World Championships after Venezuela was canceled and Austria snowed out , the victory made defending champion Roberts happy. " I didn't score at the first round last year so I'm very pleased. I was a bit worried about the Suzukis but their troubles have given me more confidence in my Yamaha." Showing his pleasure with the win , Roberts de· lighted the 40 ,OOO-strong crowd with a big wheelie down the straight and under the checkered flag . Delighted to be number one for the first time since 1978, South American Johnny Cecotto now has the 550cc title in his sights. Winning this champion. ship class in 1975, Cecotto confounded the critics with his excellent form as he raced to an early lead in the Italian 550cc race and was headed only once during a short scrach with Reymond Freymond. An early dice materialized in the form of countryman Carlos Lavado but after scorching the asphalt and setting a new lap record , the Venezuelan fell. As Cecotto and Lavado set the pace, Italian 250cc Champion Massimo Matteoni moved up to hussle the leaders but after Lavado fell, the Italian cruised behind Cecotto to take a well-ridden second place. Veteran Walter Villa also powered , moving through the field with casual aplomb until a dice with Italy's Carl Perugini riding the radical fourcylinder RTM materialized. Villa held the upper hand , though , and finished third . West German Anton Mang clinched the 250cc race after his rear brake seized in the 550cc race and threw him off. Kork Ballington was also in the hunt for first until he hit a patch of oil while dicing with Mang and came down. Italian Pier- Paolo Bianchi led the 125cc race from start to finish. Results 500cc : 1. Robens IVaml: 2. Uncini ISuzl; 3. Rossi (Suz): 4. ceccnc (Yam): 5. Perugini (Suzl: 6. Katayama (Suz): 7. S~ IVaml: 8. Estrosi (Suz); 9. Coulon (Suz): 10. Pelandim (Suzl. 350cc: 1. Cocono (Yaml: 2. Manooni IVaml: 3. Villa IVaml: 4. Perugini IRTM): 5. ffeymond (Yam); 6. Ekerold (Vaml: 7. Saul (Yaml: 8. Saylo (Vam); 9. North (Varni; 10. S.ollengor (Kawl. 25Occ: 1. Mang (Kawl: 2. BaIlie (Kawl: 3. Confort i (Vam); 4. Espio (Yaml: 5. Saul (Vaml; 6. Feretti IVaml: 7. Stolingor: 8. Roth (Yam):9. 8yvarinnon IVaml; 10. " (VarnI. 125cc: 1. Bianchi (M8Al: 2. Knoubuhler (M8Al; 3. Reggiani IMin): 4. Nieto IMinl: 5. Palau... (M8Al; 6. Muller (M8Al; 7. Bertin (Mot): 8. Marchetti (M8Al: 9. 81aner (MBAl: 10. D' Amico IMBA!. SOcc 1. Lazzarini (Kre); 2. Timmer (Bull; 3. Hummel : IKrol: 4. Van Kessel (Krol 5. Dorflinger (Kro); 6. Hun..u : IABA; 7. Ascreggi (Min); 8. Dupont IABA: 9. Cer_ (DRS): 10. Pero (Krol. SpanishGP to King Kenny JARAMA , SPAIN . MAY 18 Kenny Roberts made it two in a row as he sped to an easy victory in the Spanish round of the 500cc World Championships at Jarama. King Kenny covered 57 laps of the 5.5 kilometre circuit - just outside Madrid - at an average speed of 127 .7 km /h. Roberts took the lead in the ninth lap on his YZR Yamaha and consistently widened the gap over Italian Marco Luchinelli and American Randy Mamola , who were both aboard works Suzukis. A keen battle for fourth place was waged between Takazumi Katayama , Barry Sheene, and Johnny Cecotto. W inning the first round in Italy, Roberts now has a 14 point lead in the championship after two rounds. The 250cc race was South African Kork Ballington's from start to finish , leaving W,~t German Anton Mang over eight second behind. Mang still heads the points table, though, as Ballington DNF the first round in Italy. Frenchman Thierry Espie rode his Yamaha to third place ahead of countryman Jean Francois Balde, who is now second in the point standings after his fourth place. The 125cc race brought the 60,000 Spanish spectators to a fever pitch as Pier-Paolo Bianchi diced with Spain's Angel Nieto but the Spaniard's Minarelli broke on the th ird lap and the Italian, riding his MinarelIi , repeated his Italian victory. Switzerland's Bruno KneubuhIer from Italy , worked his way into second place ahead of Palazzese and that's where they finished . Kneubuhler is now second on the points list. Italy's Eugenio Lazzarini won the 50cc class on his Kreidler after a bad start. As 15th away from the line, Lazzarini took the lead for good on the 14th lap. • Results 500cc: 1. Robens (Vam)' 2. Luchinelli (Suzl 3. Mamola (Suzl: 4. Katayama ISuzl: 5. S~ IVaml: 6. Cecono (Yam). 25Occ: 1. Ballington IKaw) 2. Mang (Kawl; 3. Esp;., : IVam): 4. BaIde IKaw); 5. ffeymond (Mor); 6. Cornu IVaml: 7. Marchatti (Yam): 8. Guignardot (Yaml: 9. Lavado (Varni. 5Occ: 1. Lazzarini (Krol: 2. Oorfingor (Kro): 3. Van K _ IKra);4. 8latter IKrol 5. Torma IKrol: 6. Dupon. : (Krol: 7. Huttaau lAllA.