Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

to get through the group up to third, and it took a while to get my rhythm back and settle in to my practice lines. I'm just happy to leave here in one piece, with some good points," said Schwantz, who had never before even started in a Malaysian GP. Doohan finished three seconds behind Schwantz, but only seven-tenths ahead of Criville. Both were far from fully fit, and Doohan said later: 'The left wrist was a bit sore going into turns, then my right arm started to pump up, probably because 1 haven't ridden much for a while. At least we got a finish this time." ltoh had fallen back out of touch, and so had Barros, only still pushing on because "I hoped some of the others would be slowed by backmarkers so I might still have a chance." His bike would go onto three cylinders whenever he required full power - something of a drawback. Even so, he was far enough ahead of Niall Mackenzie's ROC Yamaha to hold on to seventh. Mackenzie also had a lonely race. 'That's fine by me," he said. "We're still basically testing, and we've got the chassis pretty good now. To beat the other privateers and get among the factory bikes is really all I can hope for." Chandler rode steadily, his injured hand taped up, and earned the promise of a Ferrari Testarossa from watching Cagiva boss Claudio Castiglioni. Teammate Mat Mladin had been ahead of him when he suddenly slowed on the corner onto the pit straight "The bike just stopped," he said. "One of the many computers on the bike - the one that controls the semi-automatic gearshift - went wrong. 1 had an idea that was the problem and 1 was able to click one of the switches across. From then on 1 had to switch back to riding it like a manual gearbox, using the clutch and throttle." The always conspicuously detecmined Rainey moved into what could prove a significant early lead in the World Championship. Kevin Schwantz (34) fought through from a bad start to finish second. Alex Barros (9) finished seventh on the second Suzuki 2SOcc Grand Prix The first start was a shambles. Riders said the green light had been left on since the warm-up lap, and that the red light was switched on later. Either way, some riders left the line as soon as the flag man walked off to signal a clear grid, with Cardus setting the pace and leading by miles. Alas for the Spanish opportunist, the red flags were promptly displayed, and the race was stopped. That was already enough for both Gileras, retired from the second restart with ignition failure; the rest lined up 20 minutes later for a race cut by two laps. This start appeared to have gone well except to the judges who later studied video evidence. But it took many hours Second strai ht ole for Schwantz A for any decision to be made, and the race -proceeded without anyone knowing about the problems that were to come. This time the first one away was Harada, but Dorlano Romboni on the HB Honda outbraked the Yamaha at the end of the straight, and led for the first two laps as the others sorted themselves out Then Harada burst through again, and managed to get a lead of about a second over pole starter Aoki's Honda, Romboni and Okada, with Capirossi tagging on behind and working his way through into second place by lap six. It was a brilliant race, with the first four gradually outdistancing the pursuit Aoki displaced Harada on lap 14, then Capirossi started to attack, and seemed ready to go further. But he was on the limit, and a slip at the comer after the straight saw him go to the back of the group again. In fact, his tires were shot and sliding badly, ruined by his early charge, and in the closing stages he could do nothing as Aoki and Harada rontinued their private battle, finishing in that order separated by just three-tenths of a second. By then, Capirossi was three seconds adrift, with Okada tw~tenthsbehind him. Aoki was thrilled with his first GP win. saying: '1 had no real problems, but I tried to keep the pace down so Harada would pass me, and I could attack him at the end." His rival didn't fall for it, but Aoki had enough in reserve for the last lap. Harada confirmed that Aoki had been able to block him successfully at the "There's one comer on the track where I can take the line I want," the tw~time 250cc World Champion said., "The rest of the time, 1 have to go where the bike takes me." Niall Mackenzie's ROC-Yamaha was next, another four-tenths down and heading dverse camber is one problem at Shah Alam, adverse climate the other. The r~w three as top privateer; then came the Cagivas side by side. relentless heat and humidity saps not only rider energy but also tire performance, Doug Chandler would surely have been faster but for a heavy crash in the first leaving rears scrabbling for grip on the difficult comer exits, ensuring that tire "untimed" practice. "I'd been following Rainey, and I was getting peppered pretty wear and endurance were likely to be as crucial a factor as rider fitness. good by grit and rocks. One of them must have snagged the throttle cable or someAmid the endurance testing for the rubber a fierce battle for pole position in the thing:' Soon afterwards, running into the fast third-gear Tum 12, the throttle jammed 500cc class ensued, with Rothmans Honda's Daryl Beattie taking it on day one open, and he went piling more or less straight into the barrier. He was lucky to escape (although Kevin Schwantz actually recorded a faster time, it was after the flag had with nothing worse than a gashed left hand with a chipped bone. already been shown). The second afternoon was hotter still, but such was the pace that Hondas were rampant in 250cc qualifying, talcing three out of four front row posiall the top 20 improved except for Beattie. tions, and the same on the second row. Thus John Kocinski's Suzuki, which had led the first morning's "untimed" session, Most notably Schwantz, still crowing about his user-friendly new bike. "It started good, then we made some adjustments and it got better. We're only at 80 or 90 percent was pushed down to the far end of row two; while even Australian GP winner Tetsuya of its potential," he said, also admitting wryly: "I don't think 1 have much in reserve." Harada could manage no better than fourth-fastest on the factory Yamaha. Loris Capirossi took pole for the second race in succession on his Honda NSR250, in Beattie had no explanation for failing to improve his time. "It just didn't happen," he said. Like teammate Michael Doohan he had the benefit of engine modifications a batch of times so close that a mere half-second made the difference between the front (presumed by all to be the deletion of fuel-injection equipment) that made the bike eas- row and the third. Chastened by his race crash in Australia, the Marlboro-Pileri rider promised more cautious tactics in the race, which took place on his 20th birthday. "[ ier to ride. Marlboro Yamaha's Wayne Rainey was a little surprised at being so close. He am still very inexperienced at works-level 250 racing," he said. His time came on the first day, most of the rest went faster despite the greater heat improved by more than half-a-second on Saturday, and said: "My bike felt bad, but then 1 followed Kevin (Schwantz) and saw how loose he was on the comer exits, then I on the second day. thought maybe it wasn't so far off." He still found the bike ultra-sensitive, easily upset Second fastest was Carlos Cardus, and delighted that at the age of 33 he could still by even minor changes, and another big question concerned the endurance of his shove up among the youngsters. Then came Nobuatsu Aoki, taking his tum to head the Japanese invasion on his Kanemot~Honda; with Harada's Yamaha next, and Dunlop tires. Marlboro Honda Pons' Alex Criville took fourth and the last place on the front row, Rothmans Honda's Max Biaggi on the second row of the grid, narrowly ahead of but not before he had crashed once each day. Already ill and bruised from Australia, Tadayuki Okada and Doriano Rornboni, with Kocinski eighth by the end of the day. he was sadly knocked about by the end of practice, and was resting in bed between Kocinski had promised to find extra speed from the Suzuki, but was disappointed, sessions. 'The trouble is I'm still weak and struggling to concentrate 100 percent," he even though he was flying through the comers (Romboni spoke of trying and failing to keep up with him). Kocinski had expected that the constant twists here would serve said ruefully. Doohan led row two, only four-tenths off pole and running closer to a full comple- him well, but was inexplicably a full second off his own preseason test times. Circumstances have forced him to assume a different role. "The other guys have the ment of practice laps as his wrist recovers (16 to 22 each by Schwantz and Beattie in the final session). "I can finish - I'd haveIinished in Australia if the bike hadn't stopped:' pressure on them because they should win. My job is to develop the Suzuki into a bike he said. ' capable of winning, and until it gets there I'll just do the best 1can." Dutchman Wileo Zeelenberg was the best of the Aprilias, leading the third row from But the 2.3-mile Shah Alam is a track with much hard braking, and he still could not Helmut Bradl's Honda, J.P Ruggia's factory-team Aprilia, and Jochen Schmid's use the rear brake to steady the bike. The third Rothmans Honda of Japan's Shinichi [toh was next, followed by Alex Yamaha. Pier-Francesco Chili's Telkor Yamaha led row four, the Italian two-time GP winner Barros on the second Lucky Suzuki. In fact their times were identical, but Itoh did it first. Both were less than three-quarters of a second down on pole; but Luca Cadjllora from a season ago still adapting to the Japanese bike from the Aprilia. All 36 entrants in eighth position was more than 15 seconds adrift, and still far from aggressive on the qualified, with the best Gilera (paolo Casali's) 17th, just behind Alberto Puig on the Ducados Honda Pons NSR25O. second Marlboro Yamaha. 7

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