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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126634
the pole position. covered the 30 laps of the 2.54-mile Kyalami circuit in 43 minutes, 58.3 seconds at an average speed of (Topl Marco Lucchinelli. Takazumi Katayama. Freddie Spencer and Ron Haslam mug it up. (Above) Jean-Francois Balde is trailed by D idier De Radigues and Herve Gilleux in the 250cc GP. (Top right) Eddie Lawson took eighth. (Above right) Katayama (81 leads Haslam (91. Lucchinelli (51 and Randy Mamola (6). World Championship Road Race Series: Round 1 Spencer, Roberts 1-2 in South African GP KYAL AMI, SO UTH AFR ICA , MAR. 19 Team Honda's Freddie Spencer took over the lead of the South African CP's 500cc race on the second lap and went on to an unchal16 lenged victory. Spencer, who started from 104.14 mph to regi ster hi s th ird GP win. The Shreveport, La., resident finished more than seven seconds ahead of three-time World Champion Kenny Roberts on a Yamaha, and more than 13 seconds ahead of Briton Ron Haslam, who like Spencer, was on a three-cylinder works Honda. " I got a good start and was able to get som e breathing room ," said Sp encer. " I just kept watching th e la p board and never let th e lea d ge t under five seconds. We had been working on getting up speed through th e turns and it rea ll y worked. The track is interestin g to rac e o n. It 's very fas t in parts but there ar e so me reall y slow curves an d both of th em helped me." Roberts, who qual ified third fa stest behind Spe nce r a nd teammat e Eddie Lawson, moved through th e pack after a p oor sta rt, taking over seco n d pl ace o n th e n inth lap. H e ad mi tte d he kn ew h e h ad n o rea l cha nce o f ca tchi n g Spe ncer. " I knew the re was n o way o f ge tti ng h im unless he goofed up with a ta ilender, " sa id Ro bert s. " I'd been push in g it very h ard to ge t th ro ugh th e fiel d a nd 1 wa s tired. About 10 laps out 1 rea lized 1 didn 't have a cha nce an d th ere wa s no point i n push ing th e bike so hard ea rly in th e season." Beh ind Spencer, Robe rts an d H aslam, Fre nc h ma n Mar c Fontan o n a Ya m aha fin ish ed fourth and American R an dy Mam ol a o n a Suzuki was fifth. Sixth we nt to defending World Champion Franco U nci n i, a lso o n a Su zuki. Form er World C ha mpion Bar ry Shee ne, returning to CP racing a fter an a ll -bu t-crip p lin g cra sh last year, coll ected one cha m p io ns hi p point with a LOth-place finish . The openin g practi ce/qual ifying session o n Thursda y saw T eam Marlbo ro /Yamaha 's Edd ie Lawson clo ck th e fas test time , a t I m inute, 26.76 seco nds. " I sur prised m yself," sai d La wson . " After ridin g fou r-strokes for so long it took a bit o f time to ge t used to th e bike, but I'm very happy with th e time 1 clocked today ." Fr ida y's fin al qualifying sessio n saw Spencer take over the p ole position with a lap at I m inute, 26.60 seconds. Lawson held secon d with a 1:26.64, a head of japan's Takazumi Katayama on a Honda at I :26.88, and teammate Roberts at 1:26.94. " It 's a fast track and it all went pretty well," said Spencer of his fast lap. " We did that time with the bike set up for racing with the race tires and everything. I'd rather get the feel of how the bike will be on race day rather than do something different just for qualifying." . Former World Champion Marco Lucchinelli was astonished by the times of th e Am eri can riders in the qualifying session s. "These boys are going stro n g, too strong," said Lucchinelli. . Once Spen cer got th e lead on the seco nd lap th e race was his. Attention focused on Roberts as h e charged through the field, but on ce he grabbed secon d that sp o t wa s also secure, as was third in th e hands of Haslam. j apan' s Katayama duelled with Fontan a nd Mamola for fourth until he cra shed a t the en d of th e straight on th e 27th lap. Fontan th en held off Mamola for fourth. In the only other race of th e Saturday program, pole sitter jean-Francois Balde, aboard a Cheval lier, edged o u t Didier De Radrigues a nd H erve Cuilleux on th e final straigh t to win a thrilling 250cc CP by h alf a second. The three rid ers raced together from th e 16th lap on in a battle which saw th e lead chan ge h ands five times. Balde ave raged 98. 36 mph. Cuilleux, wh o rode a Kaw asaki , claimed h e was blocked on four occa sions by Chevallier-rnounted De Radrigues on th e final lap and h e kicked out at the Belgian with his foot as th e two raced down the last straightawa y. The two continued the argument in th e pits and nearly came to blows. Guilleux later said he would not lodge a protest. Results • 500cc: 1. Freddie Spencer (Hon); 2. Kenny Robens (Yaml ; 3. Ron Haslam (Han); 4. Marc Fontan (Yam); 5. Randy Mamoll (Suz); 6. Franco Uncini (Suz); 7 . Raymond Roche (Han); S. Eddie Lawson (Yaml; 9 . Marco Lucchinelli (Han); 10. Barry Sheene (Suz). 500cc POINT STAND INGS : 1. Spencer (15); 2. Robens(12); 3. Haslam (10); 4. Fontan(S); 5. Mamala (6); 6 . Uncini (5); 7. Roche (41; S. Lawson (3); 9. Lucchinelli (2); 10. Sheane (1). 25Occ : 1. Jean-Francois BaldI' (Che); 2. Didier De Radigues (Che); 3. Herve Guilleux (Kaw) ; 4. Patrick Fernandoz (Bor); 5. Jacques Cornu (Yam); 6. Manfred Herweh IRea); 7. Carlol l.II"ado (Yam); 8 . Martin Wimmer (Yam) ; 9 . Thierry Rapicault(Yam); 10 .lv8n PHlsuese (Yam). 250cc POINT STANDINGS: 1. Salde (15); 2. De Redigue. (12); 3. Guilleu. (10); 4. Fernandez (SI; 5. Cornu (8); 6. Herweh (5); 7. Lavado (4); S. Wimmer (3); 9. Repicault (2); 10. Pal...e.. (1).