Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

corners to go, lrlIvelling so much faster that the Englishman had no answer. His last lap was over [WO seconds quicker than his fifth place qualifying time on a bike that still had the standard road chassis, seat and tank and was prepared in Ireland just for the Isle of Man TT. Schwantz had only seen the bike three days before, at the same time he set eyes on the Assen circuit for the first time. Practice did not go that smoothly as on the second day of Formula One practice he crashed the modified street bike while trying a new line through the chicane. "I guess I found out two things: that line doesn't work and the bike doesn't handle too good on the grass," said Schwantz with a grin and a slightly crooked shrug of the shoulders thanks to having broken his collarbone only a couple of weeks before. The next day Schwantz dropped the GP 500, the carbon-framed, reed valve-equipped,. square-four Suzuki that he had also never seen before arriving in Holland. 'This time I remembered to fall on the other shoulder so I didn't hurt the sore one." He had been trying a different Dunlop rear tire but quickly the team reverted realizing that it had been a mistake. That last lap in the Formula One race certainly blew Iddon's mind as ne never expected the Texan to be able to make up so much ground in just one short lap and Iddon berated those same mechanics who had made fun of Schwantz for not giving him a pit signal warning of the American's approach. Schwantz had it planned from way back. "I realized when I was catchin~ Kenny Irons, who was third, that I might also be able to catch lddon but I wasn't going to go crazy and risk falling do~n. Starting the last lap I knew I could do it and about a third of the way around I pulled alongside but I didn't want to go past because he might have been able to get me back. I waited until I could slingshot past and leave him with no chance to pass me back before the flag. I managed to string together 25 laps without crashing. I amazed myself." The 250cc GP saw Carlos Lavado stroll to a comfortable victory on his HB Yamaha froln the pole position. He opened up an eight-second lead in the first seven laps after passing first lap leader Fausto Ricci, and then he held that advantage right to the checkered flag and crossed the line siuing up. The fight for second was more intense and from the start Ricci and Sito Pons on their NSR Hondas had to battle hard against Donnie McLeod who was having an inspired ride after qualifying fifth fastest. Ricci crashed on lap nine right in front of McLeOd. "I had got in front of him but he passed me back down the straight and then his front wheel tucked under as he braked for the next corner." At. that point Pons and McLeod were caught by Anton Mang who had started in mid-field, much quicker off the line than Tadahiko Taira and Martin Wimmer. Wimmer's bike fired immediately but as he jumped on and tried to scream off the line it just crawled away leaving him to";ards the back of the field. Taira was even slower away and while Wimmer was 21st at the end of lap one Taira was another three places behind. The japanese rider gritted his teeth and p

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