Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Winner and championship leader Eddie Lawson (2) leads Freddie Spencer early in the 500cc GP; Spencer pitted early and finished 16th. third ahead of Baldwin, Sarron, Haslam and Reiner. Shunji Yatsushiro, riding his first GP on the Moriwakisponsored Honda NSR500 four-cylinder, was an ambitious eighth just ahead of the poor-starting Mamola. "Normally, I take four steps. This time I took six and it coughed and blubbered and by then it was too late," Mamola explained. "The first lap I took it slow because there were guys all over the place and the track was still a little wet. Rob got by me and then I just clicked on to a good feeling. And in two laps I was by Baldwin and Christian. I burnt my tire getting through traffic and that hurt my tlrive later in the race." After snapping the bars through' the chicane on the fifth lap Spencer found himself without the use of his steering damper. He pulled into the pits, bad it replaced and went back out. But the loss of the bolt sealed his chances, already slim after not scoring in the first three races, of retain· in'g his 500cc title. "It's depressing," a composed Spencer said after the race. "But it'd been o'n my mind since I got here. I've been icing my wrist down all the time and gelling treatment and it's always on my mind. It's not safe to be out there when I don't have any real feeling in the hand. After they fixed the damper I went back out to see how it would hold up. I wanted to finish and it's good for the bike to get 30 laps on it. I had to try." When he re-entered the race it was amidst a battle for third among Bald· win, Sanon and Mamola. On the sixth lap, Lawson had a 2.9-second lead on Gardner with Baldwin another four seconds back and Sarron right on his rear wheel. Mamola's steady progress ,brought him up to join Sarron and Baldwin on the ninth lap, the same lap that Gardner began getting hung up by backmarkers. . "Eddie always got a good run through traffic and I got held up," Gardner said. "I tried as hard as I could to catch him." By the 10th lap, Lawson haq almost five seconds in hand, having dropped his tap times to the I:22.5 range with Gardner 10 seconds ahead of the Mamola·Sarron-Baldwin trio as McElnea moved into sixth ahead of Vat· sushiro, Reiner, and Rollstar's Did· ier de Radi'gues. Roche had dropped out earlier after seizing the engine on his Team Katayama Rothmans Honda NS500 which was equipped with a live television camera. Lawson was gelling intervals from the top <;>f the hill behil)d th~ pit.s so that when he got his pit board there was only haH a lap lag. "Wayne was pushing real hard and I was pushing (Above) Christian Sarron (3) and Mike Baldwin battled for fourth place. hard the whole race. He keeps you (Below) Randy Mamola caught and passed both Sarron and Baldwin. working," said Lawson. His fast lap time of I:22.40 was turned in on the 14th lap, just before the halfway point. "With a full load of gas you can't go fast and after you've used up some of the gas the tires start to go away." At the halfway point Lawson had almost an II-second lead with Gardner eight seconds ahead of Mamola, who was now solidly in third, four seconds ahead of Sarron and Baldwin. McElnea led Yatsushiro and de Radigues with Reiner in eighth ahead of HB Suzuki's Pier Chili. Sarron, though hampered in the turns, was rapid on the straights and Baldwin couldn't keep up. He could outbrake Sanon into the corners and accelerate with him, but there was no match on the top end. "Ask Christian," Baldwin offered enough to be up there. And I like ninth and PDM Racing's Boet van when asked whose Yamaha was fastsome of the tracks that are coming up Dulmen earned a point for 10th. er. "Every lap up the hill, it didn't like Paul Ricard, Rijeka, and Assen. " "I didn't expect to get away today," matter how much distance I'd put on Mechanically, Mamola wasn't 100%. Lawson said relaxing in his motor· him, he was past." . , "Three-quarters of the wa)' up the home after the win. "I was hoping With an elastic margin of almost hill it hit 12,100 rpm. It was geared Freddie would go the distance. I was I3 seconds at the two-thirds mark, way down. And my tire was used up comfortable and it looked like that Lawson backed off to high I:22s. was as fast as he could go." The con- , at the end of the race so I couldn't Mamola was no threat to Gardner make a run at Wayne like I should sistent Lawson wasn't about to make and Sarron and Baldwin had lost have." any predictions about the outcome o( Mamola's draft. Only McElnea could Sarron admitted that he "was not the World Championship. At least catch Baldwin and Sarron, but he riding so well because of my (oot. My not yet after only four of II races have wasn't comfortable in the tra£fic. "I body was moving on the seat and I taken place. wasn't as relaxed as Randy in traffic. couldn't hold myself in an upright "We've got to race real hard (or the He got past the guys real good: r just position. I missed a lot of gears which next four or five GPs. By Paul Ricard had to keep cool," said Lawson's is very disturbing. The first few laps (the eighth round in France) we'll teammate McElnea.. it felt OK, but the pain got gradually know better and be able to plan a The sun came out on the 22nd lap worse. When Randy and Mike went strategy. Wayne's pushing so hard. and a lap later de Radigues highpast me I realized that I shouldn't I'm not worried about Baldwin, but sided in the right-hander past the give up. I tried harder, but Randy was Gardrter will be there again. He keeps chicane re-mjuring his twice broken too far gone. I don't think my bike you working. Once I had 12 seconds collarbone. With his third GP win in was as fast as Randy's, but it was there was no use doing something as many races just it few laps away, quicker than Mike's." stupid" , Lawson slowed· to a 1:24 pace while One of the reasons that it was "I lhrew everything I could at still holding. a sizeabfe lead "The qui€ker is that Baldwin never (ound him," said Gardner. "I was catdljng bike was missing,a bit with the throtthe right combination and was tle wide open. I SlaTted to get a little' Freddie and Eddie together. then plagued by a variety o( little probFreddie pulled out.and I pulled back worried as it got hotter because it got lems. "Stuff like hair in the carb float richer," Lawson said.' . into second. I got a second at Nur· needles," Baldwin said. ''I'm still burgring and. a second here, It's His margin of 'victory was O£fi· pleased. We went through four en~ another 12 points in the'bag. I haven't cialIy 11.5 seconds which is a clear gines this weekend. On the last lap I r.a€ed in lhe front of the pack like this inl!ication of his absolute domina· was trying to put Christian where I until this,.year. .I knew that I had a tion. Gardner was second, about 10 thought I was going to pass him. I , ,solid ,second so-I didn'l try to, go after seconds ahead '0£ Mjim.ola who had went past hIm at the start-finish line himJate in the race. I'm quite pleased about three and' a half seconds on ' and saw "L-29' 'and didn't know if with second." Sarron. Baldwin was sixth-tendls ofa ' 'that meant there were one or two laps , "I just ran out of time to' catch _ second £Tom fourth place with McEIremainin·g. I tried to pass him on the Gardner," Mamola began after his nea c10siQg to' withi'n a second of last lap in the chicane but it just third-place finish. "I feel a little dis· Baldwin. Yatsushiio was seventh in wasn't running." couraged after the race, but I also feel his debut after taking time off from McElnea said that he thought he 'better. I've gotten back 'to myoid self. the Japanese 500cc Natiomil Chamcould cateb Baldwin on the last lap. Mentally, I wasn't right aU of last pionships with Gustav Reiner the year. This year I know I'm good first pri.vateer in eighth. Chili was (Continued to page 72) 17

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