Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

c..o 00 0') One of Eddie Lawson's mechanics>" Rolando, works on one of his two V-four Yamahas at the team's headquarters in Bergamo, Italy. Massive transporters fill the Grand Prix paddocks of Europe and Marlboro Yamaha's is no different; workshop and bedroom facilities in one truck. In search of the World Championship: Parfone .T.wo weeks in Marlboro Country By Paul ~rruthers Photos by Ray Daniel and Paul Carruthers The first thing that gets you is the size of the entire operation; hospitality buses, massive transporters, engineers, mechanics, shock and tire engineers, time keepers, cooks. Club racing it's not. Nineteen men from seven countries make. up one of the most successful race teams in World Championship 24 road racing- Team Marlboro Yamaha. Nineteen men working together with the same common goal - winning the most prestigious titles in motorcycle racing. And thus far in 1986 that goal looks to be within grasp. The team's number one rider is 1984 500cc World Champion Eddie Lawson from Upland, CaJifonia. The American leads the 500cc World Championship after three rounds with two wins and a second. Rob McElnea is the second Marlboro Yamaha 500cc rider and the Englishman is beginning to turn some heads. He follo.wed his seventh in the opening round in Spain with a crash in the Italian GP while in fourth place. In Germany, McElnea finished fourth despite a severe front end chattering problem. Marlboro Yamaha's 250cc title hopeful is Martin Wimmer, who finished fourth in 250cc World Championship points last year. The West German lies third in the series after finishing fourth twice and third once. Tadahiko TaiFa is the second 250cc rider and after a start line pile-up in Spain, the japanese Champion is off to an injury-riddl~ start. ~aira finished out of the points in the first two races, but finished ninth in Germany. Each of the four riders have two bikes at their disposal. Lawson's two 500cc V-four Yamahas are named EI and E2. The bikes are identical, but having two aHows Lawson to try different things while comparing back and forth in addition to having a spare. McElnea also has two 500cc V-fours to choose from; they're named RI and R2. The 250ccriders have two V-twin Yamahas each, one with pOwervalve and one non-powervalve. The team is run by 15-time World Champion Giacomo Agostini from his home base in Bergamo, Italy. Agostini handles the financial end of the team and is the one responsible for putting together Team Marlboro Yamaha. Engineers from the Yamaha factory attend each race and for the first three GPs Suzuki-san was the liOOcc team's engineer. The 250cc engineering duties were handled by the engine designer of both the 250 and 5005, Lofty-san (a nickname because of his small size). A third engineer, Mikawa-san, was also on hand for the first three GPs. Former 250cc World Champion Kel Carruthers is chief engineer fdT both .teams and works closely with the japanese. Each rider has two mechanics and each is assigned a particular bike. Lawson has two Italian mechanics, with the EI'wrenching being done by Firenzo while E2 is handled by Rolando. McElnea's mechanics are the Italian Massimo and the Frenchman Bernard. Wimmer's mechanics, Trevor and Colin, are both English while Taira has an Italian, Pietro, and a japanese, Smiler-san. I travelled and lived with Team Marlboro Yamaha and Lawson for two weeks beginning with the Italian Grand Prix in Monza and winding down with the West German Grand Prix at the infamous Nurburgring. Being Kel's son and having grown up around the principals helped secure the invi'tation; this is a day-by-day account of the team's march toward the WorM Championship. Day one: Thursday. May 15 Monza.ltaly Firenzo picked me up from the Malpenza airport in Milan, Italy, and we arrived at the Monza track in time for the first practice session. After a quick trip to pick up press credentials it was time to watch practice. For the team, preparation for the second round of the series was no different than the rest and it had begun immediatel y after the opening round in Spain. The team and Lawson had been to Mon~ in 1983 and they used that experience as a starting point in the preparation of the bikes. Lawson had shock problems in the Spanish GP, and as a result the first thing that was altered was the shock. The Ohlins man, Lars, modified both Lawson's and McElnea's shocks prior to the . free (non-timed) practice session. Changing carburetion settings, gearbox ratios, tires and rear suspension make up most of the work done to the 5OOs. The mechanics can pull the engine apart, change the gearbox and put it back together with their eyes closed.. Following the first session on Thursday, El had the both the compression and rebound damping changed and carburetion changes; the rear sprocket was changed from a 35 to a 34. E2 also had the rear sprocket changed to a 34 and the original Brembo front disc brake assembly was put back on. Lawson had tested a new Brembo system in the first session and it went back to Brembo to be checked. Mechanics also changed the mainjets in the carburetors. McElnea changed his second and third gear (Lawson and McElnea have a choice of seven first gears, seven second gears, six third gears, six fourth gears, four fifth .gears and five sixth gears) on RI plus had the ride height bolt adjusted to make the bike sit up higher. The ride height was also changed on R2 along with the mainjets. The second session on Thursday was timed, but gearbox problems kept Lawson from doing any serious times and a I:52.53 saw him fifth fastest after day one. Lawson told me that T~J;II_ .RQthl1)~l)s .Hpndji:~. WilYge Gardner had turned a 50 and said while shaking his head. "We may be in trouble." But he had that tone in his voice that sounds Like a man being overly modest, like a man who knew when he had to he could turn a 49. McElnea, meanwhile, had turned a 1.51.98 for the third-fastest time behind Gardner and Team Lucky Strike Roberts' Randy MamoLa. Everybody is pretty serious during practice, but when they aren't practicing things lighten up considerably. The team eats twice a day in the Marlbqro hospitality area where a full-time cook and two helpers serve Italian specialties. During my first Italian lunch (pasta and mineral water con gas) the subject turned to motocross in the United States. "What are whoop-de-doos?" McElnea asked. When he was told what they were, Lawson asked, "What do you call them?" "We call 'em bumps, I suppose," McElnea answered. All part of the Americanization of Rob McElnea. The two teammates get along well together. Lawson is confident of his own abilities and McElnea listens intently. At the team's first test session in Brazil, McElnea picked up on Lawson's favorite riding term, "Just flick the bitch." And he now uses it with regularity. McElnea is an enthusiast who has worked hard to finally get to the point he's at and you get the feeling that he's happy just to be there. Following the final practice ses-. sion, Lawson and McElnea jogged around the 3.6-mile Monza track. Later that night, while the mechanics worked (until 12:00 a.m.), I watched Lawson's ABC-TV Superbikers win on video tape with McEInea, who thought the whole thing was "bloody amazing." I found out quickly that Wimmer is different from the others. He actually likes to test and is very techni: cally minded. He drives his mechanics up a wall with his computer-like planning and frequent gearbox changes. Whatever he was doing was working, however, because after the first day he had the fastest 250cc time with a 1:57.54. Day two: Friday. May 16 Monza Friday's first practice Session was much better for Lawson. When asked about a Rossible 1:49 in the upcoming timed session, he said. "I think it's possible." McElnea continued to surpt'ise in his first time ever at the Monza track and only ~i~ , ~cond r,ace ~n, !he, Y;. • •• • .. l • 4 •• I "') ~ ~'

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