Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126923
Carlos Lavado (3) leads Stephane Mertens (36), Sito Pons and J.M. Mattioli in early 250cc action; Lavado took the win and the World Championship. ning onlO the grass at the end of the first lap. Balde moved into second on the seventh lap and lOok the lead a lap later as the track dried. Vitali led Caracchi for third with Mertens beginning lO drop back in fifth ahead of Pons. Pons had to finish ahead of Lavado lO keep his title hopes alive and moved into third on the II th lap. Balde led by six seconds, stretching it to eight a lap later with Lavado second five seconds ahead of Pons. The pack for third was led by Virginio Ferrari with Anton Mang moving into fifth ahead of Vitali, Caracchi and Mertens. Minich was ninth. Pons turned in the race's best lap, a 1:41.72, on the 13th lap. It was Mang's and Ferrari's fastest also with Lavado's fastest lap of the race, a 1:43.18, coming two laps earlier. But Lavado had bet that it would rain and on the 14th lap it began as Pons moved past Lavado in the carousel. The rain picked up a lap later, falling especially hard in the final two turns before the start-finish. First Mang went down, followed by Harald Eckl and Ferrari. Ferrari thought the race should be stopped and grabbed a red flag and started waving it, but lO no avail. Wimmer was moving lOward the top 10, but destroyed his cut slick and was helpless wpen the rain came. Balde kept the heat up with Pons on his tail, but by lap 19 he had a four-second lead and in was Pons feeling the heat of Lavado. Sarron had moved lo a fourth, all alone, with Vitali the same way in fifth. Jacques Cornu led Reinhold Roth in sixth. When Balde looked back on the 20th lap he saw Lavado in second about 40 yards back as tbe shower turned to a downpour. A lap later and Lavado was in front, Balde second, Pons third with Vitali pulling away from Sarron in fourth. Balde dropped back with tire troubles and Pons took over second as the sun came out toward the end of the race. After Wimmer's teammate Tadahiko Taira and Guy Bertin crashed on the 22nd lap the starter waved the checkered flag ending the race two laps early. However, F1M rules state that a race can only be stopped before full-term by a red flag. A protest was filed by Armstrong team manager Charles Mortirqer in the hope that the race would be declared null and void and be re-run on Sunday. What was decided, however, was to revert the scoring back to the 22nd lap. Lavado was unaffected by the change and would be the World Champion after having scored his sixth win of the year and 18th career GP victory. Pons held onto second and Balde third. Vitali, originally credited with fifth, was moved up lo fourth knocking Dominique Sanon back to fifth and dropping him a point behind Balde, 63-62, in the points battle for third place. "I wasn't so happy at the beginning when the track was drying out, but when it started to rain they were perfect," Lavado said of his tire choice. Balde was philosophical about his decision. "That's racing. You make a decision before the start and then you're stuck with it. Tire choice in the 500cc class is always critical and with Sunday looking cloudy and overcast, but dry, the lOp riders went with E compound tires, Michelin's latest, available since the Dutch TT at Assen. For Baldwin, this race was the first one in' which the best tires were available to him and he noticed the difference q uickl y. ''The track seems to ha ve good gri p and I know I can do those times in the race," he said after qualifying fourth (I :36.90) behind McElnea. "The tire makes the difference." A look at a list of all the lap time for the third and fastest session showed Baldwin consistently at or below 37. McElnea did a I:36.96, but most of his other times were a couple of 10ths higher making the fast lap theexception. Lawson was second at I :36.94 averaging 93.34 mph. But Lawson, who has longcomended that far too much importance is attached to qualifying, was more concerned with the race. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens," a subdued Lawson said as he sat in his motorhome after the final session. "The number one priority is to stay up. If it's wet it'll be Wayne, i fit's dry it'll be Wayne. He's ~ot lo go for it.'ยท "If Eddie goes for it I'm going with him," Gardner agreed. "If I can't do it I'll have lo let him go." The 125cc class winner Fausto Gresini (1) leads second placed Luca Cadalora at Anderstorp in Sweden; Cadalora still leads the championship. The 36-rider field came to the lme all mounted on sl icks as the clouds continued to roll in. The starter waved the green flag and off the push- tart de Radigues led Elf's Ron Haslam, Gardner, Fabio Biliotti. Lawson and McElnea. Mamola was off the line about 23rd with a long day ahead. "I got a shot of anaesthetic before the race. It wasn't too painful to push," Mamola explained, "I just wasn't strong enough t.o hold my right. arm locked for t.he start." De Radigues held the point at the end of the first lap with Lawson on hi t.ail and Haslam in third, followed b\ Gardner, Roche, McElnea. Baldwin and Biliotti. The Belgian managed to hold the lead for anotheF lap. but on the third go-around it was Lawson from Gardner with de Radigues leading the quartel of himself, Roche, McElnea and Baldwin. Haslam had slipped to seventh ahead of Niall MacKenzie and Mamola in ninth. Lawson and Gardner quickly built up a five-second lead by the fifth lap with Roche moving into third. His fast lap would be his fourth. The sixth lap was an unofficial 1:37.1, well of[ the qualifying pace with Gardner right on Lawson's tail and seven seconds ahead of the RocheMcElnea-Baldwin-de Radigues fight for third. Behind them were McKenzie and Haslam with Mamola on his tail. It appeared lo t.he 22,000 spectat.ors that Gardner was the more aggressive. braking later than Lawson in the corners, but unable to make up any ground on t.he straightaways. Lawson explained t.hat it wasn't so. "When you're setting the pace it's easy lo be outbraked." he began. "It. looked like he was outriding me. I went slow and he went low and I knew that's the ivay it wouldgo to the end." Gardner concurred and explained his strategy b saying thaI "I wanted to keep behind him and nOl how