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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126769
As Mamola streaks by, a crewman signals his time behind Lawson and ahead of Roche. (Below) Mang (3) leads Pons (30) Sarron, Carter (14), Mcleod (36), Cornu (9), Balde. and Lavado on 250s. Mamola, Lawson and Roche on the winner's stand with race officials; (Below) Everybody else's view of Lawson. World ROGd Rtleing Championship Series: Round :I Lawson pulls awa~ with Spanish win By Mike Pons MADRID, SPAIN , MAY 6 Eddie Lawson won the Spanish Grand Prix to stretch his points lead over 1983 World Champion Freddie Spencer, who missed the race with injuries suffered in England two weeks earlier. Lawson's victory was his second in the first three races of the 1984 season, giving him 42 points to Spencer's 15. Privateer Raymond Roche is second in points standings with 32 points; Spencer is third. In front of 100,000 speclators, Lawson used his Team Marlboro Yamaha V-4 to beat Randy Mamola, who rode an NS500 Honda V-3, by 17.5 seconds. The race was Mamola's first Grand Prix of the year. Law on qualified fastest at 1:30.25 second on the hilly, 2-mile, bankedrn 12-comertrackthatisamixture of Laguna Seca and Loudon. Lawson' teammate Virginio Ferrari crashed hard during qualifying and broke a leg. Second fastest in qualifying was Roche (Hon) at 1:30.95; Mamola was third at I:31.35. Franco Uncini (Suz) fourth at I :31.85 and Ron Ha lam (Hon) fifth at 1:31.95. Haslam got off the grid in firSt place, followed by Mamola, Roche and Lawson. That didn't last for long as Lawson shot by Roche and Mamola before the end of the first lap and was hot on Haslam's tail. Lawson passed Haslamexitingtum three on the second lap, and by the end of that lap Mamola was in second place ahead of Haslam and Roche. Lawson immediately stret hed out hi advantage, holding a 4.5-second lead over Mamola bv the end of the fifth lap. . By that time, Roche had passed Haslam and the finishing order was already set: Lawson, Mamola, Roche, Haslam. The real ballie was for fifth place between former World Champions Un ini and Barry Sheene (Suz) and privateers Boet van Dulman (Suz). Reinhold Roth (Hon). and Gu tav Reiner (Hon). Less than 0.5 seconds separated the five riders. Uncini Led the group until he retired on the 20th lap with a broken fuel line; then van Dulman took over, eventually lead- . ing the group to the line and finishing fifth, ahead of Reiner. heene and Roth. Lawson wa elated after his vi tory, saying that the win took much of the pre sure off him in the World Championship series. "But it' still early in th year," Lawson added, "and anything can happen." Many Europeansstill don't believe that Lawson is a serious contender for the championship. Seventh-place heene, for example, ha said that Lawson isn't g-ood enough to be World Champion. And many journalists think Spencer will win the remaining nine ra es and take the championship. One' Italian writer actually asked Lawson what he' thought about the idea that Spencer would win all the remaining events. Lawson dismissed the possibility and said that he expected many close races with Spencer. Lawson said that he didn't think Spencer's bike 'was as fast as many experts said; but hedid admit that the Honda has a slight power advantage. Randy Mamola was thrilled to be back on the Grand Prix circuit but wasn't completely happy with his performance on the N 500 Honda. Mamola said he was still gelling used to the bike and didn't have it completely dialed in yet. Meanwhile, the stands reverberated with chants of "SilO! SilO!" and "Pons! Pons! Pons'" during the 250cc race, won by none other than Antonio "SiLO" Pons on a Kobas. Fully eight riders had a shot at the win, with less than one second separating the lot. I. Palazzese led with his Yamaha from the stan. staying in first for five laps until his bike broke. But between the start and that fateful fifth lap, pole-siller C. Cardus and his Kobas worked up' from seventh off of the grid LO econd, taking the lead as Palazze e dropped out. But Cardus' lead was just as short lived, and he crashed on the ninth lap. Leading then was Christian arron on a Yamaha, until former World Champion Anton Mang forced past only LO be pas ed by Pons, then Sarron, then reigning World Champion Carlos Lavado, Alan Carter, J .F. BaJde and Jaques Cornu, Balde on a Pernod, the rest on Yamahas. U.S. Superbike Champion Wayne Rainey started slowly, taking it easy and being very careful, still feeling the effects of hi· crash in England, in which he broke a foot. Rainey staned back near 20th and worked steadily • forward. finishing 10th. Results 500: 1. Eddie Lawson (Vam): 2. Randy Mamola (Hon); 3. Raymond Roche (Hon); 4. Ron Haslam (Han); 5. Boet van Dulmln (Suzl: 6. Gustav Reiner (Hon); 7. Barrv Sheene (Suzl; 8. Reinhold Roth (Hon); 9. Fabio Bilioni (Hon); 10, Keith Huewan (Hon). 250: 1. Sito Pons (Kob); 2. Christian Sarron (Vam); 3. Carlos Layado (Yam); 4. Alan Carter (Vam); 5. J.F. aalde (Perl; 6. Jacques Cornu (Vam); 7. Anton Mang; 8. Jacques Bolle (Yam); 9. J.M. Mattioli; 10. Wayne Rainey (Vam).