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/126976
West German Reinhold Roth extended his 250cc championship point lead with a runaway win in the rain. worst with the Italian suffering a broken pelvis. After Saturday's dry sessions it was Dominque Sarron joining his brother Christian on the pole. The Rothrnans Honda pilot circulated the twisty track in I:46.58. Second on the grid went to Marlboro Yamaha's Martin Wimmer with his 1:46.69. The West German was heal'ed from his broken right ankle and the shifter was moved back to the more comfortable right side of the Yamaha. Third place on the grid was occupied by Roth's 1:46.71. Mang (1:47.25) and Cornu (1:47.63) filled the front row. The consistent Roth started quickly and led every lap of the 250cc GP, earning his first win of the season. He led by three seconds on the second .Iap, 12 seconds on the 10th, 13.5 on the 15th and by over 15 at the finish. Roth was using the old style Michelin rain tire, similar to that of Chili's. The battle for second was a more heated affair. First it was Man~, then it was Cardus and finally It was Sarron, who battled back from a bad start and was hit by the crashing Stephane Mertens on the first lap. Mang and Cornu also crashed later on the 16th lap with Cornu diving under and running into Mang. Sarron took over second for good on the 13th lap after his battle with Cardus. By this time defending World Champion Carlos Lavado was in the paddock; suffering from his practice crashes and not wanting to risk further problems while running out of the points. Pons broke free for fourth after the Mang/Cornu crash and held the position to the £lag. Herweh, Hans Lidner, Loris Reggiani on the Aprillia, Jean Philippe Ruggia, Donnie McLeod (his first points of the year on the EMC) and Wimmer rounded out the point paying top 10. • Results Dominque Sarron enthralled the partisan French crowd with his second place finish in the 250cc class. avoiding crashing. Haslam got by Irons and set out after Gardner; closing to within four seconds late in the race. Irons got back in the fray to end up sixth behind Haslam, his bestever Grand Prix finish. Mackenzie held off the constant threat of Yatsushiro to finish seventh. Schwantz, meanwhile, was putting on a show. The Texan was 23.5 seconds behind the 10th-placed Roger Burnett on the eighth lap, but was closing at an incredible rate while charging through traffic. On the 20th lap he ·trailed Burnett by only l. 7 seconds. before locking the front wheel and going straight. On the next go-around he was again 10.3 seconds behind Burnett after "flat-tracking" through the French mud. Four laps later he was past Burnett and charging after Yatsushiro. On the final lap he reeled-in the Japanese Honda NSR500 pilot, but came up just short at the finish line. "1£ I'd known where the finish line was I might have been able to get him a few corners earlier," Schwantz said. "I thought it was up there (at the start line)." Burnett held on to finish behind Schwantz, rounding out the top 10. "From the start to the end I never made a mistake," Mamola said. "I had a few slides, but it was natural for this wet of a circuit. I don't think anyone was not sliding. I don't think my tire is any better than anyone elses, I think it's my mental outlook. A lot give up a little (when it starts to rain), but I know what I can do." Mamola added confidently, "If it rains in all of them, we'll win." Chili credited his success to the tractiblity of the NS500. Sarron felt he chose the wrong tire for Sunday's race. "I should have used the tire I had on the bike when 1 set the fastest time on Friday," he said. "I also had ignition problems almost from the start, perhaps it was water because the bike misfired out of every corner." The first official practice for the 250cc class on Friday turned into a crashfest as wet/dry conditions brought down Dominque Sarron, Carlos Cardus, Manfred Herweh (twice), Toni Mang, Carlos Lavado (twice), Sito Pons and Jacques Cornu twice. Juan Garriga:S fall was the 500: ,. Randy Mamola (Yam); 2. Pier·Francesco Chili (Hoo); 3. Christian Sarron (Yam); 4. Wayne Gardner (Hon); 5. Ron Haslam (Han); 6. Kenny Irons (Suz); 7. Niall Mackenzie (Han); 8. Shunji Yatsushiro (Han); 9. Kevin Schwantz (Suz); 10. Roger 8urnen (Han). RACE DISTANCE: 29 laps. 71.92 miles. AVERAGE SPEED: 78.386 mph. 250: ,. Reinhold Roth (Han); 2.. Dominique Sarron (Han); 3. Carlos Cardus (Han); 4. Sito Pons (Han); 5. Manfred Herweh (Han); 6. Hans Lindner (Han); 7. Loris Reggiani (Apr); 8. Jean Philippe Ruggia (Yam); 9. Donnie McLeod (EMC); 10. Manin Wimmer (Yam). RACE DISTANCE: 24 laps. 59.52 miles. AVERAGE SPEED: 78.540 mph. 125: 1. Fausto Gresinl tGarl; 2. Ezio Gianola (Han); 3. Bruno Casanova (Gar); 4. Mike Leitner (MBA); 5. Paolo Casali IAGV); 6. Johnny Wickstrom (MBA); 7. Domenico Brigeglia IAGV); 8. Olivier Liegeois IASX); 9. Gastone Grasetti (MBA); 10. Femming Kistrup (MBA). RACE DISTANCE: 22 Illps. 54.56 miles. AVERAGE SPEED: 73.31 mph. SIDECAR: ,. 8iland/Waltisperg lLCR); 2. Streuer/Schnieders (Yam}; 3. Webster/Hewitt IVaml; 4. Michel/Frese (LCR); 5. Jones!Ayres (LCR); 6. Kumagaya/8arlow (Yam); 7. Van Kempen/De Haas (Yam); 8. AbbottISmith (Yam); 9. Zurbrugg/Birchall; 10. Scherer/Gess (BSR). RACE DISTANCE: 22 laps, 54.56 miles. AVERAGE SPEED: 76.27 mph. 500cc WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STAND, INGS: ,. Wevne Gardner 193); 2. Randv Mamola (Bl); 3. Eddie Lawson 164); 4. Ron Haslam 160); 5. Pier·Francesco Chili (37); 6. (TIE) Tadahiko Taira/Rob McElnea (28); 8. Niall Mackenzie 127~ 9. Christian Sarron (25); 10. Roger 8urnett (16). 250cc WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STAND· INGS: ,. Reinhold Roth (82); 2. Anton Mang (6n 3. Sito Pons (53}; 4. Jacques Cornu (42); 5. Dominique Sarron (39); 6. Carlos Cardus (36); 7. Manin Wimmer 135); 8. Carlos Lavado 130); 9. Loris Reggiani (28); 10. Juan Garriga (23).