Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

volatile weather conditions Stizuka ,encounters this time of the year, it was imperative to maximize one's track time. Three of the top four qualifiers, Rainey, Schwantz and Gardner, all set, their fastest times in the first session., But' it wasn't until the closing minutes of the final 40minute session on Saturday that the record pole' posi'tion was decided and when it was, it belonged to Japanese ace Tadahiko Taira on the factory. Yamaha YZR500 sponsored by the Tech 21 line of men's' products from Shiseido, a leading Japanese ~osmet ics company. With about five minutes left in qualifying,Taira clocked his new record of 2:11.866 minutes (99.402 mph) eclipsing Niall Mackenzie's 1987 mark of 2: 14.43 minutes. "During the winter Dunlop made many tires and we did a lot of testing," the taciturn' Taira said. "Through practice we kept sorting out the tires and the machine until it came right in the last session. I saw that there were 10 minutes left and I went out to tty and get the pole. I almost did it on the second lap, then tried a little harder. Two minutes, I I seconds is a little faster than I thought Possible. It 'wasn't that hard to do and I think I can do it in the race." Since Taira will only be contestinl?; , nine or 10 GPs and not the entire World Championship, there was some belief that the full-timers - would let Taira go if he tried to make a break in the race. But not Rainey. "If he's ~oing to go banzai, I've got to go WIth him," Rainey said. Rainey quatified second" a 2: 12.444 his best from the first session. Like Taira he'd been testing Dunlops and came to a decision late in the fourth session. We've been-going through a lot of tires looking for grip," he said. "The tire I chose wasn't supposed to work at all. It was one that I broke pistons in with. I didn't like the tire I had on and when I came in they put that one on." About the pace, Rainey disagreed with Taira. "I would think 12s and 13s, depending on the weather. I still think it's Schwantz I'm going to be racing with." .schwantz 'would sit in the middle of the front row with a best clocking of 2: 12.658 minutes, averaging 98.808 mph. Although no one was .surprised by Schwantz's time, they were somewhat stunned by the straight line speed of the new Suzuki. After injuring himself repeatedly in the 1988 season trying to make up for the bike's deficiencies, this year's RGV-Gamma Suzuki seems to have plenty of power. A radar gun set up near the end of the front 'straight clocked Schwartz at 180.827 mph. Rainey was second fastest at 180.206 ' mph with Lawson third with the fastest Honda at 178.347 mph. "It seems as fast as everything out there," Schwantz believed. "It seems to be as' good as anything out there anywhere. But we're still trying to sort things out. It just seems like fast corners with bumps seem to upset it. I want to try some suspension changes in the warm-up tomorrow morning, but we're very close to getting it right." Not as close to getting it right was Gardner. His top speed was down 10 kilometers ( .2 mph) from Rainey and there were no easy answers. Eventually, his team would decide to ask HRC for a new engine which would be installed overnight. "I thought we'd be in the 12s," Gardner, whose 2:12.988 minutes just made it, said. "I don't know how hard the others are trying: I just. know how hard I'm trying. My times Australian Kevin Magee (5) holds off the returning Freddie Spencer (19) and pole sitter Tadahiko Taira (21). are good. I'm getting out of the corners all right be'cause the lap times are good. We've got a little bit of a lack of speed, but I'm sure Honda can rectify it. The harder you go the more you find out is wrong with the bike." Filling out the front row was Kevin Magee, his third session 2:13.251 minutes (98.369 mph) good for fifth best. Even though both Magee and Rainey tested several times over the winter, Magee was still trying to get comfortable with the ' new machine. "I've been trying to work up to, it, pressing along and going faster each time," the 26-year-old Australian said. "Then on the fourth session I had some engine trouble. I was really cheesed. "I feel right on the edge of it now," he continued. "Since I haven't been riding, I'm not comfortable, but I really can't tell why." From the left, the second row was GP newcomer Australian Michael' Doohan on the Rothmans Honda, Italian Pier-Francesco Chili on the Pirelli-shod HB Gallina Honda, and the new Marlboro Yamaha Agostini team of Spencer and Scotsman Niall Mackenzie. Doohan's time of 2:13.989 was especially impressive considering thIS was his first race on a 500cc twostroke and he found it considerably different from the Yamaha superbikes he'd ridden in previous years in Australia. "It comes in fairly sharp and I'm learning how it reacts when it goes sideways," the 23-year-old Doohan 'said. "I wouldn't say I'm real comfortable. I'm sure Bubba feels the same way. I had some frights when I first started riding." His goal for the race was to finish in the top 10, "If I'm in the top five you'll see a big grin on my face." Chili was seventh fastest in the dry, but third fastest in Friday afternoon's rainy session. However, he crashed on both Friday and Saturday, although both times were stupid mistakes, he admitted. "At the bottom of the straight I was a little late on braking and went off my line," the 24-year-old Chili said. "When I did, I touched the white line. Neither crash was a tire problem. " , ' Somewhere between the third and Defendi'ng World Champion Eddie Lawso'n (1) finished third despite , injuring his wrist in a pre-season crash. Christian Sarron (4) was seventh. fourth sessions, Mackenzie found almost a second dropping to 2: 14.271 minutes. One of the reasons he went so well on the Honda which he previously ,rode, he felt, was the amount of testing he was able to do at Suzuka, a track which Honda owns. The Marlboro'Yamaha needs some fine tuning of the gearbox and suspension for Sunday's race, but he felt certain he was close. "Mine seems as good as any of the Yamahas," the 27-year-old Macken· zie said in a thick Scottish broque. "The team says to get through the race, get some points, and go on to the next one. Ago's not saying this is a do-or-die race." Neither was team owner Giacomo Agostini putting any press,ure on ninth-fastest Spencer (2: 14.311 min, utes) in his first GP in over a year a-nd a half ' ''I'm building up my speed and riding approach," the 27-year-old Louisianan said. "I don't want to make any mistakes. Championships aren't won on the first race. A lot depends on the circui t and this is not my strongest race track. Never has, - been. Realistically, it's going to take a race or two to get going. The Yamaha's a lot smoother than the Honda and it has a lot to do with engine design. Anything would be smoother than what I was used to riding. The only thing I prefer in ar;t engine is overrev capabilities. I don't like short-shifting engines," Starting the third row, in 10th place, was the injured World Champion Lawson at 2: 14.436. The 30year-old had broken a bone in his 'right wrist testing at Suzuka in the rain less than two weeks before the race and, added,to that, was a freak muscle pull in his back he suffered while doing stretching exercises the week before the race. "For four or five days I couldn't sit back in a chair," Lawson said. "It hurts in braking and leaning off the bike. In some slow corners it's holding me back. If I went through the chicane and hairpin like normal, that's a second. If I'm feeling good I can pick it up and flick it to the other direction. The bike's a lot better than I am right now. I have the fastest bike and I can'tTide it." Four spots behind Lawson, Shobert qualified 14th, still learning the machine and the track. The h'ardest part of Suzuka, he felt, was "getting through the S-turns and finding the limit on the fast turns. Find'ing how far you can drift the thing." He was also changing his riding position to use the front wheel more, a decision that would affect his finishing position. 7

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