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/127251
eTESTSESSION . e Honda GP Ieams at Laguna Sea Aussie Wayne Gardner returned to Laguna Seca for testing after breaking his leg there 10 months ago . G nerback on track ard to gain confidence. It will be better tomo rrow." Pons was short-shifting the NSR500 between the left-right combination in th e Corkscrew, using a higher gear on the exi t than Gardner. " He's still riding it like a 250," an observ ing Gardner said. By the third da y, Pons had lowered his times from the 1:31 range to a fastest lap of 1:28.4. Honda 's 250cc riders, Roth and Cardus, were both turning lap times By Paul Carruthers MONTEREY, CA,FEB. 20-21 o th m a ns H onda 's Wayne Gardner return ed to Laguna Seca Intern ational Raceway today, 10 months after shatte ring his lower left leg in the April running 9 f th e U.S. GP. TheAustralianwas here for three days of testing on Honda's 1990 NSR500 al ong with 250cc World Champion Sito Pons, who will con test the 500cc GPs in 1990. Also on hand were two of Honda 's 250cc cha mpi on ship hop efuls, West German Reinhold Roth and Spa in 's Carlos Cardus. "The leg 's okay," Gardner said prior to h is first out ing a t Lagu na on T ues day , Febru ary 20. " I've been ridin g mot ocross out in Austra lia and it's (the leg) good. It 's h istory now. I' ve put the accident behind me and I' m read y for the new season." , Cold wea ther gree ted th e Honda group in northern California, and it had an effect on early lap times. The fiist day saw Gardner circulating in the low I:30s, some two seconds off his fastest lap in last year's GP. By the third day, however, Gardner was up to speed, turning a very respectable 1:27.8. Wayne Ra iney qualified on the pole for last year's GP with a time of 1:27.120 . " It's reall y too co ld," Gardner said on Wedn esday morning. " We can't get a tire to work. Three-quarter lean is about all you can do." Watching Gardner exi t the Corkscrew showed observers that he is indeed hi s old - pr e-Laguna in jury - self. The hard -charging Aussie was leaving black marks on th e exi t of the left-right combina tion as the Honda bucked and bullied its way toward turn nine. Pon s, on the other hand, is still comi ng to grips with th e power of the NSR500, and admi ts that he's still relu ct ant to g ra b a h andful, a la Ga rdner, on the exit of corne rs. " Everywhere else is no problem," Pons said. "T he brakin g and cornering spe j is okay, bu t the exi t is very difficult for me right now. I just have R 42 Sito Pons will contest the 500cc GPs in '90; he used the test to get acquainted with the NSR500's power. (Left) Carlos Cardus and his wife Silvia. (Below) Cardus lapped under John Kocinski 's pole-setting time of a year ago.