Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

when they came across the living proof that not only is Silversto!le it:! lhe heart of the Brilish countrystde, It also includes a thriving selection of wildlife. The proof came in the form of a large hare which chose lap II to dash OUl of the fields around the circui t and try to cross the track. The way Mamola described it in the press conference after the race, it was uncertain which wa lhe most frightened, him or lhe hare. Luckily for Randy, the panic-slricken animal did not go under his front wheel, but he did catch it with his fairing, and il shot backwards to hil Lawson on lhe knee. Fortunately,lhe impact harmed neither rider nor did it arrect the bikes and they were able to'continue their bailIe. Soon after lhe incident with the hare Lawson moved into the lead, but a few laps laler Mamola, riding at a full ten-tenths, was back in front. As the race progressed the Honda's rear Michelin began to slide, but Randy wasn't put ofr. "1 knew it would slide," he said afterwards, "and I was ready for it. II looked worse than it felt - il was no big deal." Maybe Lawson didn't have Ihe same confidence lhat Mamola did, for he dropped back slightly to hold an easy second place. Haslam was third, but he had 10stLOuch with the twO leaders and could not make up the gap. So at the finish it was another win for Mamola and another easy second for Lawson. Haslam was third, to the delight of his British fans, and Ferrari got his best placing of lhe sea on with a fourth. Britons and Britishbased rider' did well, with Sheene fifth, Wayne Gardner sixth, Rob McElnea seventh, and Roger Marshall ninth. In the press tem after the race, Leandro Becheroni, who had fallen close to where Mamola and Lawson struck the hare, tried to present one or both of them with the body as a souvenir - both declined the orrer. "1 felt comfortable out there," said Randy, "the four-cylinder ran well and it was a really good race for me. Although my chances of taking the titlearealmost non-existent, I'll keep trying and thinking about next season. " As for Eddie Lawson, it was simple: "All I want to do," he said, "is just keep marking up those poinls, and that's what I did today." Yes, it's not over tillthe fat lady sings, but you won'l get many bets that the one she'll be singing for will be Eddie Lawson. In the 250cc GP, it was the usual close battle. Manfred Henveh was on the pole with his Real after a si7.Zling 1:33.26 lap in the second practice session. Nobodv dsecame near his lime, and second SPOl went to Jean-Fmncois Balde, who was exactly one second slower. The gap between Balde's second place time and that of Patrick Fernandez, who was in 27th position on the grid, w,lsjust two - yes, I-w-o - seconds! Wayne Rainey, supported by team boss Kenny Roberts, had lhe Malboro Team Roberts Yamaha in 19th spot, just2.21 seconds slower than Herweh and 1.21 seconds slower than Balde, but it was only good for the middle of the th iI'd row of the grid. There was a surprise at lhe start when local youngsler Andy Watts went into the lead on the Britishmade EMC, another of the ROlaxengined specials which are giving the Yamahas cause for concern this year. By the third lap reign ing champ Carlos Lavado had taken the lead, but Watts was hanging in there, with a leading group which also included Balde and West Germany's Martin . Wimmer. For a time it looked as though we were not going to have the usual running battle at the head of the field, for both Herweh and poinl standings leader Chrislian Sarron had made poor slarts and were some way back. But by the race's half-way point both had caught up with the leading group and Herweh, who had caughl up first, had laken over the lead. Following him was a group of eight rider made up of Sarron, Lavado, Wimmer, Alfonso Pons, Thierry Espie, Watts, Balde, and Carlo Cardus. From there on il looked like an'ybody's raCl., wilh Watts, Pon ,Sarron and Lavado all laking turns to lead at some lime or another. It was 250 c road racing at its best. lndy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, over to do color commentary for NBC's future telecast in the U.S. of the ilverstone 500cc and Sidecar races, was walching lhe race on TV in the press tent, and the way he, a hardened motorsports compeli tor and walcher, gasped at orne of the overtaking maneuvers was as good a recommendation for motorcycle racing as any. Going into the last lap, Herweh suddenly seemed to have found a litlie eXlra, for he pulled out a few yards over the rest of the group. If he could hold it umil the last corner, the race was his - but he couldn't. With less than a mile to the nag his rear tire,. which had twitched a couple of times already, belrayed him completely on one of Silverstone's few left hand bends - maybe the left shoulder wa 'n't a hot as the right? - and his race was over as he rolled unhun onto the grass. The ren1aining six of the leading group were now left with a death-orglory dash to get the best position through the 120 mile-per-hour WoodCOle Corner and over Ihe finish line which comes right after it. The winner, by a gap which the clocks said was 0.24 seconds, was arron, who now I oks sel for a well-deserved World Championship title. econd was Watts, doing his chanC('S of sponsorship for next year no harm at all, and third was Lavado, disappoil1led to be beaten by the 23year-old pan-time racer. Rainey, with an engine that gives less power and a rear tire wilh less Ihan perfect grip, was only 27.48 seconds behind Sarron. That's the kind of gap which normally wouldn't be considered as too bad between first and founh, but in 1984-style 250cc racing, it's the gap between first and 14th. • Results 500cc: 1. Randv Mamola (Honl; 2. Eddie Lawson (Yam); 3. Aon Haslam (Hon); 4. Virginia Ferrari (Yam); 5. Barry Sheene (Suz); 6. Wayne Gardner (Hon); 7. Rob McElnea (Suz); 8. Takazumi Katavama (Hon); 9. Roger Marshall (Hon); 10. Christian Le liard IChel. 500cc POINT STANDINGS: 1. Lawson (119); 2. Mamola 196); 3. Spencer 187); 4. Aoche 1751: 5. Hlslam (67); 6. Sheene (341: 7. Gardner (23); 8. Van Culmen (19); 9. De Radlgues (181. 10 f.errarlll II 25Occ: 1. Chrtstian Sarron (Yam). 2. Andy Watts (EMC); 3. Carlos Lavado (Yam); 4 Jean-FranCOIS Balde (Per); 5. Martin Wimmer (Yam); 6. Atfonso Pons (Kobl; 7. Harold EckIIES); 8. Jean·Michel Ma,· tioli (Yam); 9. Jacques Cornu (Yam); 10. Teruo Fukuda (Yam). 2500c POINT STANDINGS: 1. Sarron 1971; 2. Herweh (70): 3. Layado (61): 4. Pons (581; 5. Mang 158); 6. Cornu (40); 7. Wimmer (391: 8. Aainey (291; 9. 8enin (20): 10. 8alde 1201. 125cc: 1. Angel Nieto (Gar); 2. Jean-Claude Selini (MBA); 3. Fausto Gresini (Gar); 4. Bruno Kneubuhler (MBA); 5. Maurizio Vitali (MBA): 6. Luca Cadalora (MBA); 7. Oliver Liegeois (MBA): a. Stefano Caracchi (MBA): 9. Johnny Wickstrom (M8AI: 10. Jacques Hutteau (M8AI. 1250c POINT STANDINGS: 1. Nie,o (901; 2. Lazzarini (56); 3. Selini (33); 4. {TIE) Kneubuhler/ Muller (27); 6. Gresini (261: 7. Caracchi (25): 8. CadaloraI23): 9. Vi,ali 1221: 10. Auinger 121). SIDECAR: 1. Streuer/Schneiders (Yam); 2. Biland/Waltisperg (Kra); 3. Schwarzel/Huber (Yam); 4. Michel/Frese (Kra): 5. Jones/Ayres (LCR); 6. Kumano/Diehl (Yam); 7. 5teinhausen/Kalauch (8usl: 8. 8oddice/8irks (Yam); 9. Van Keepen/De Haas (Yam); 10. Progin/Hunziker (Yaml. SIDECAA POINT STANDINGS: 1. Slreur/Sch· neiders (67); 2. Sehwarzel/Huber (60); 3. Michell Fresc (55); 4. Biland/Waltisperg (421: 5. Kumanol Diehl (30); 6. Jones/Ayres (261; 7. Abbott/Smith 1251: 8. ITiEI EgloflEglot - Van Kempen/De Hass 1121: 10. Webster/Hewwillll). _ 80cc POINT STANDINGS: 1. Dorllinger 1761: 2. Abold 1651: 3. 8ianchi (63); 4. Aspar 1501; 5. Spain (47): 6. WlibeI146); 7. Heykoop 1271: 8. Muller (18); 9.looyeslein 116); 10. Vln Kessel (12). ATVlIell1$ TM Covers it all! All that·'s happening in the world of allterrain vehicles. Evely month. All for only $5 a year. A TV News, America's A 11- Terrain Vehicle Newspaper. Subscribe today! AMEIICA'S IIIONTHLY ALL·TERRAIN VEHICLE NEWSPAPER ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• o YES! Send me one full year (12 issues) of ATV NEWS for only $5.oo! o I want to SAVE MORE! Send me two years (24 issues) of ATV NEWS for only $9.00 $15.00 off the newsstand price! 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