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
Randy Mamola (3) leads Wayne Gardner (2). P.F. Chili (10). Eddie Lawson (1) and the rest of the 500cc pack through the first chicane. Chili (10) powered his three-cylinder Honda NS500 to a second place finish at Le Mans for his best-ever Grand Prix finish; here he leads third place finisher Christian Sarron on the Gauloises Yamaha. ' World Cbampionship Road Race Series: RoundS Mamola's the master at Le Mans By Paul Carruthers Photos by Patrick Gosling and Carruthers LE MANS, FRANCE, JULY 17 Rain master Randy Mamola won his second wet Grand Prix of the season in dominating fashion while closing to near striking distance of series point leader Wayne 10 Gardner at the Circuit Bugatti of his Dunlop .rain tires to top J:IB . h F Honda's surpnse second place fmIn non ern ranee: , i s h e r Pier-Francesco Chili by 34 Team Lucky Strike Ro~er.ts seconds. Local hero and fastquaLiLiyr Mamola used the supenonty Christian Sarron finished third on the Gauloises Blondes Yamaha. A ' cautious Gardner, who now leads Mamola by only 12 points, and England's Ron Haslam rounded out the top five. Defending World Champion Eddie Lawson and the Marlboro Yamaha squad suffered through a terrible weekend at Le Mans; both Lawson and teammate Rob McElnea crashed during the rain-sodden event after Japan's Tadahiko Taira eliminated himself with a practic~ crash on Thursday. Taira su££ered a' broken collarbone when his YZR500 seized in the ultra-fast tum one. While Mamola showed his rainriding strength, the American hero in France proved to be Suzuki's. Kevin Schwantz. The Texan qualified on the front row (a first for both he and the new V-four Suzuki), crashed in the final corner of the first lap in the GP and remounted without a right footpeg to charge through the 36-rider field for a ninth place finish. The 250cc battle was also held in the rain, and West German Reinhold Roth powered his Honda NSR250 to a convincing, Mamol'a-like win over the other Sarron, Dominique. Third place fell to Carlos Cardus with fellow Spaniard Sito Pons and West. Germany's Manfred Herweh finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. HB Honda's Roth moved clear from Rothmans Honda's Anton Mang in the title chase. Mang, who was tied going into the French round with Roth, was involved in a crash with Jacques Cornu that eliminated both of them from the race. The blonde Roth now leads Mang in the championship by 15 points, 82-67. The also rain-sodden l25cc race was won by Italy's Fausto Gresini on the invincible Garelli; it was the Italian's sixth win in six attempts in 1987. Gresini beat the single-cylinder Honda of Ezio Gianola by 42 seconds on the 2.48-mile track. Third placefell to Gresini's Garelli teammate Bruno Casanova. Austrian Mike Leimer and Paolo Casoli rounded out the top five. Sidecar action saw former World Champion Rolf Biland and Kurt Waltisperg taking their LCR Krauser to an easy win over the team of StTeuerlSchilieders. Championship leaders Steve Webster and Toni Hewitt maintained their point lead with. a third place finish on the Fowler Yamaha. The Yamaha 500cc V-fours received the new carburetors, exhaust pipes and cylinders that Lawson debuted at Assen for practice at Le Mans. This, however, would all go out the window come race day because of the horrendous conditions; Lawson would even switch 'back to the old-style exhaust pipes in an effort to squelch power. The constant Yamaha effort to match the speed of the NSR500 Hondas seemed to be working as Sarron dominated all the practice sessions, both wet and dry. The Frenchman was the only legitimate contender that had tested and raced on the slightly-altered Bugatti circuit; a layout with two new chicanes described by Lawson as a "go-kart track." The extra track time and encouragmem from the partisan crowd added up to a Sarron pole position, his first-ever on a 500. Sarron had