Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

!Top) Barry Sheene ended an almost two year win drought with his Anderstorp victory. (Above left) Marco Lucchinelli 121. hera racing. with Bernard Fau. cruised to a ninth place and took the 600cc World Championship. (Above right) American Rich ~chlachter had handling problems. piecing ninth in the 250cc race. World Road Race Championship Series: Round 12 • '. Lucky' Lucchin'elli takes 500cc title as Sheene storms Sweden By Lou Martin ANDERSTORP, SWEDEN, AUG. 16 Italy's Marco Lucchinelli clinched the.500cc World Road Racing Championship for Suzuki with a sensible ni~th place ride at Anderstorp. Barry Sheene (Yam) won the race to make it six wins 'in a row at the Swedish GP in. his first win since the French GP in 1979. Ametican Randy Mamola, who was Lucchinelli's only threat in the. title chase at this the last round, finished one lap down on the leaders in I11th place. For the fifth GP this season it rained for the 500cc race. In contrast it has rained in only one 250cc race. Moma. The usual problem of what tires to use was complicated by the fact that the track drains exceptionally well because all corners are banked and the rain came il;! burst~. All of the top runners bar KeQny Roberts chose inter· mediates. Roberts went for full rain tires on his Yamaha and by the sixth lap his rear tire was in shreds. Sheene had a bad start as Mamola led on the opening lap. However, Mamola's lead didn't last for long as a fork seal, which blew on the half lap ride from the pits to the warm·up grid, caused the RG500 Gamma Suzuki to handle like a dog through left hand comers. jack Middelburg took over on lap two followed by Kork Ballingron, Boet Van I)ulmen, Graeme Crosby, Mamola and Roberts. At this stage Sheene was in eighth place and moving through the field. Van Dulmen was the first to pressure Middelburg until lap five when Sheene caught up. From this point Sheene and Van Dulmen cleared out together until the 20th lap which saw Sheene break clear of Van Dulmen and establish an eight second lead. Van Dulmen fought back and crossed the finish line .4 seconds' behind Sheene. Middelburg came .in third, 118 seconds behind Van Dulmen after a lonely ride. Ballington, who was circulating in fifth place for most of the race, caught Crosby as the track dried out and held 'him off to finish fourth just one second ahead of Crosby. . Roberts pitted on lap six to change . tires but too much time was lost and he retired. Mamola, who confessed to hating the wet, saw any chance of winning the title disappear when Lucchinelli passed him after the new champ had a very slow start. Lucchinelli's pit crew kept him informed of Randy's placing and Marco cruised around in ninth place to win the championship for 198-1, breaking Kenny Roberts' domination of the class for the last three years. The 250cc race was run the day • &eior~ tl'le "l-es'~ ·01' the ~events for some reason that no one can explain.' As usual it was an A'D~on Mang benefit. Mang and his Kawasaki won by 16 seconds over Roland Freymond with jean Francois Balde a further two seconds back. Richard Schlachter finished in ninth place after riding the whole race with a faulty monoshock . unit. His TZ250's unit went in practice and a 500 Yamaha unit was fitted but it was not dialed ip. properly. Schlachter is now in eighth place in the 250cc World Road Racing Cham· pionship standings with one round remaining at Brno, Czechoslovakia on Aug. 110. Rolf Biland sealed the sidecar title with a ,!,asterlul display o~ racing in beating other title hopefuls Alain Michel and '1980 champion jock Taylor. Biland grabbed the lead early and held on to win by eight seconds over Michel with a further 29 seconds back to Taylor. • Results 500cc: 1. Barry Sheene IYam); 2. Boet Van Dulmen IYam); 3. Jack Middelburg ISuz); 4. Kork Ballington IKaw); 5. Graame William Crosby ISuz); 6. MlIfc Fontall IYam); 7. Franco Uncini (Suz); 8. Sappo Rossi ISuz); 9. Mllfco Lucchinam (Suz); 10. BernBrd FlU ISuz). 25Occ: 1. Anton Mang IKawl; 2. Roland Freymond lAM); 3. Jeen-Francois BaIde IKawI; 4. J.L. Guignabodet IKawI; 5. J.L. Tournedra (Yam); 6: Christian Estroei IYaml; 7. Martin Wimmer (Yaml; 8. Didter De Radogies IYam); 9. Richerd Schlachter (Yam); 10. Bengt Elgh (Yaml. 500cc WORLD ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS: 1. Maca Lucchinelli 11051; 2. Randy Mamols (94); 3. Kenny Roberts (74); 4. Barry Sheene (721; 5. Graome Crosby (681; 6. Boat Van Dulmen 1641; 7. Jack Middelburg 160); 8. Kork Ballington 1431; 9. Marc Fontan (25); 10. H. Kawasaki (191. 250cc WORLD ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES POiNT STANDINGS: 1. Anton Mang 11451; 2. Jean-Francois Balda 1931; 4. Roland Freymon

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