Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

eMorDeR0.. . -55--=__ W.. . .----o.. ,---rld_Ch_am 500_cC----,MX ~ I.p' w find >h. ~~~~~~~~ Johan Boonen (6) finished second in all three matos, and leads the series point standings. Jeremy Whatley (8) and DanyllGng (34) finished third and second overall, respectively. Boonen takes points lead with Austrian win By Alex Hodgkinson SmENDORF, AUSTRIA, MAY 9 nyone who believed that the absence of last year's top three from the current season's 500cc MX GP line-up would be detrimental to the series, must be choking on his thoughts . now that the first two GPs have been run. The first six motos of the young campaign have seen five different winners, but it is Belgian Johan B.oonen who is now leading the points chase. Consistency earned the 24-year-old his first-ever overall GP win at the classic A 30 Seri~::~~~~.:& Sittendorf track in the Vienna Woods on Sunday, and the 51 points he accumulated from three runner-up moto finishes behind Swede Jorgen Nilsson, Italian Franco Rossi and New Zealander Danyl King· took the Kawasaki rider to the head of the point standings, two points clear of first-round winner Nilsson. Mervyn Angie's glory ride at the front in race one lasted just one lap before Nilsson stormed past along the main straight. and by then 1 was already down to fifth," explained the Englishman. Nilsson, who then led to the flag, was jubilant: "Now 1 know 1 can win anywhere. 1bis is my worst type of track and 1 have beaten the opposition fair and square." Boonen chased him throughout but was never a serious threat, while a fifth lap slip by Whatley lost him contact: "1 tried to stay with King when he came past me after that, but 1 made a few mistakes and lost him." The New Zealander, the fastest in training for the second GP in succession, was the man on a charge from -lOth on lap one: "1 went too far down the gate and they all came across me. 1 could have had Boonen on the last downhill, but 1 would have had to block pass him on the camber and it is too early in the season to start making enemies unnecessarily. "When 1 get a start, I'll win one," he added prophetically. Thorpe had ridden a subdued race: "1 tried to anticipate the start and had to grab the brakes just before the' gate dropped. It was pretty hectic in the pack for the first few laps and 1 just concentrated on staying out of trouble. But once Smets came past me 1 ta~ on behind him." The Husaberg rider was charging in style after an early error. '1 missed a gear change on the big hill and then found top as 1 tried to get it back in second." Moving forward even faster for half the race was Jacky Martens. Into the top 10 from near last in less than 15 minutes, the Husqvarna ace was struck full in the face by an enormous rock on the hill and rode out of the race with his clothing and bike sp.lattered with blood. "This time my nose is smashed up really bad," gasped the Belgian as he breathed through his mouth. A host of riders were taken down by an errant Pekka Vehkonen in the second turn of race two as Anstie once again sprinted to the front. Franco Rossi, who had surrendered sixth on the last lap of race one to Jo Martens after being struck on the hand by a rock, and Boonen were soon on Anstie's rear wheel but it took them half ~e race to get past. "They went through together when 1 made a mistake and 1 lost contact when 1 had a couple of bad laps," explained a sober Anstie as sponsors Gavin Linscott and Tony Nichol emptied the bottle of champagne which went with third place. Boonen had just ousted Rossi, thus moving from third to first within a few hundred yards, and immediately raced clear: "1 high-sided and got thrown off the track. 1 got plastic tape caught up in my rear brake so 1 couldn't push Rossi again." Jeremy Whatley looked good for at least fourth place in the early stages, but had to be content with an eventual 10th after the K1M ~ a chain. Nilsson was up to fourth from an initial eighth at one stage but already sensed trouble. "1 thought it was the gearbox at first. The rear wheel was loose, but 1 was still sixth until the chain came off on the last lap." Smets was again on a charge from 13th to fourth, while Martens, with his Roll-0ffs screwed onto the outside of his full-face helmet, progressed nearly as fast to sixth. Thorpe had a difficult ride. "1 got pushed into a fence on the first lap and my gear lever got bent at right angles. 1 couldn't stand on the footrests or 1 would catch it, and 1 only changed up to third along the main straight each lap." King had tried unsuccessfully to move forward from another poor start at the start of ~ last moto, but it was third time lucky for the New Zealander out of the gate. He quickly followed Boonen past Pignotti at ~ front, and it was only a matter of time before he took the lead. Moving ahead with two laps to go, King, 24, scored the first-ever success in GP MX for New Zealand. . Second place was enough to secure the overall win for Boonen, however, as first moto winner Nilsson hit trouble. "1 hit the ga te so 1 was well down, then the front wheel washed out as 1 tried to ride around Cavatorta, who had fallen on a downhill Someone ran into my back." grimaced the Swede as he lay on the floor of his camper after racing back to an unrewarding 16th. After the race, fifth place finisher Whatley went immediately to see Thorpe to apologize. "1 missed a gear at the bottom of the hill and David caught my rear wheel," Whatley said. "1 hit them midships and not only went flying over the bars, 1 ended up on the other side of the snow fence. 1 could have had a good score there." Smets and Martens were hauling in the leaders for much of the race, but once again the checkered flag came out too early for the Husaberg man as he crossed the line just four seconds down on King. Martens, struggling for breath, lost concentration momentarily and slipped off a couple of laps from the end and had to pass the fading Pignotti for the second time to make the top six at the finish. Each of the first two GPs have seen moto wins divided between Honda, KTM and Kawasaki, but the four-stroke challenge is looking ever more menacing. The third round in Sweden could see the first GP moto success for a thum~ since Aberg in 1977 - or even the first overall win since Dave Nicoll in 1%9. 0' Results 01 A: 1. lohan Boonen (Kaw); 2. Danyl King (Kaw) ; 3. joel Smets (Hus); 4. jeremy Whadey (KTM); 5. Franco Rossi (KTM) 6. jo Martens (Hon); 7. Mervyn Anstie (Hon); 8. lorgen Nilsson (Hon); 9. ladey Martens (Hus); 10. jared Smith (Kaw); 11. jan Mrauk (J(aw); 12 David Thorpe (Hon); 13. Attilio Pignotli (Hon); 14. Brian Wheeler (Kaw); IS. Siggi Bauer (Kaw); 16. Gerald Oelepine (Hon); 17. Loris Gatti (Hon); 18. Soren Mortensen (Kaw); 19. Dirk Geuleens (KTM); 20. Pekka Vehkonen (Hon); 21. Simone Girolami (Hon); 22. Roland Schier (Hon); 23. Michele 0.1 8ooco (Hon); 24. Kurt Bieber (Hon). WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SOO MX SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 2 of U rounds): 1. Tohan 800nen (12/1 win); 2. Torgen Nilsson (70/1) 3. Danyl King (62); 4. joel Smets (57); S. jared Smith (49); 6. jo Martens (49); 7. ladey Martens (45); 8. jeremy Whadey (44); 9. Ronny Weustenraed (37); 10. Dirk Goukens (37); 11. Carlo Hulsen (33); 12. Franco Rossi (29); 13. Soren Mortensen (29); 14. David Thorpe (28); 15. Mervyn Anstie (26). World Championship 250cc MX Series: Round 6 Schmit perfect in Hungary KAPOSV All, HUNGARY, MAY 9 efending World Champion Donny Schmit moved to within 14 points of this year's pacesetter Greg Albertyn after six rounds of the 250cc GP series with a stunning 60 point maximum score, the first of the current campaign, at the Hungarian GP at Kaposvar. The three moto sweep was a great psychological boost for the 26-year-old Chesterfield Yamaha team leader, for it - was at the very same track 24 months previously that he had surrendered his 125cc GP crown with a crash which left him with a broken collarbone and thumb. It was also exactly 12 months since Schmit scored the first of two successive maximum scores which mentally destroyed the opposition in last year's 250cc GP series. D

• Cover