Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

r .ROADRACE.. ·. . * /" . Round 2: Misano, Italy ..W orldChampionshipSuperbike Road Race Series (Left) Mauro Luc chiari stands atop the podium with Tro y Corser (ri ght) and Carl Fogarty (left) as the top three cel ebrate following the first race. The picture was the same after race two . (Right) Making a surprise return to World Superbike racing, Doug Polen rode a semi-official Ducali 916, been speaking io several top Superbike rid' erS about a Lucky Strike .Suzuki ride. Doug Polen might ·not be .the first name on his list '(despite his impressive past. resu lts, with It ain't over until the fat lady sings•...Still: the . Buzuki Superbikes) .' but you ' never know .. future .doesn't look too bright for Bimota 's 'John Kocin ski also seems not to be a possiprestigious Superbike project.Atter.tne disap bility - mainly because of his. "un-qentlernanpointing results in their first race" factory rider 'like" departurefrom the 250cc Suzuki squad Terry Rymer informed the Italians that he . a couple ·of years .ago . 'Troy· Co rser and ' would not show up in Misano and at Doning-' . Anthony Gobert are among the riders Taylor talked 'to. Corser admitted that"he had been ton. He said that trying to develop a racing offered a test ride with the Suzuki 500, but his,' . bike in racing conditions is nota good idea. · contract prevented him. from accept ing the He should know. After all, tie wasn't able to qualify the bike in its rnaioen trip in Hocken offer. Taylor had 'the .following.to say abou1 heim . "Acceleration was .the biggest probScott Russell; "We have not spoken to him ' tern," project leader Marconi admitted -, "S!iII, ' yet, but of course we would be interested." Terry was able to point out some specific The Muzzy Kawasaki rider ·might be one of points we could work on from Hockenhe im the few top' Superbike riders available, as his'· contract seems to leave the option open to ' onward. The problem seems to be caused by. . the ignition and the irijection system that do quit the Kawasaki team if 'a good 500cc deal · comes along . Gobert is likely to have the not react swiftly enough on the position of the same written In10 his contract 'but declined throttle. On 'the test bench , we made .sorne . progress , but we still. need to check on .the , .taylor'S otterearner in the week because tie track if the modifications also have a positive is "not a quitter: I want to have some' very effect on lap times. As you might know, most . good results in Superbikes first.before I move bench tests are done at full throttle, but that is on toGrands Prix:" . not a very realistic situation." Since'Hocken - . · Another top .spotrematnsopen with the heim, a complete engine had been undergoHonda castro ] team ,"but no further news ing tests for about 40 hours. The team was.' was officially released in Misa no as to the ' obviously not very happy about Rymer's deciidentity of Aaron Slight's ne w teammate . sion. In Misimo and Donington, the bikes will . Team manager NeU Tuxwortn did, however, . 'tie ridden by test rider Giaruuca .G alasso-. confirm that John Kocinski would definitely After the .British round, a private test session ' · not be the man, and tnataceclslon would be will be orgEmized with Rymer, after which a taken on Tuesday or Wednesday after. the decision might be taken about their fu1urecol- . Misano race. England-based .team sponsor laboration . A 'p remature end of the partner- . Castrol is very anxious to get a two-bike team' ship would riot only. be anrioying for Rymer, . at the Donington round. With one of the two but would also hurt Biniota. The Italians had "Potenblkes" off to Japan to perform tests in , signed ' the Englishrrian because , am ong preparation for the ' Suzuka a-Hour, different other t!1ings, his 10th place i.n last year's names turned up as possible replacement . .championship guaranteed him travel payment riders in the team. "Kirk McCarthy and some for me overseas races. Still, Bimota says they other Australiaririders are riding the bikes · will enter. all the World Superbike races this ·only as a preparation for the Suzuka 'race: year, with orwithout Rymer. Tuxwoi1h said. "Besides, most of those guys · . . have gofa .contract already. And 'Honda Dou g Pol en made .~ . surprise comebac k at . doesn 't want to put existing .top teams in . Mlsan~, ndmg a sem,-offic,al Ducat, 916. Just difficult spot by luring .their best riders away." after hIS separation from Honda, the Texan · . had contacted Ducati to ask them if there was any possibility of renewing their collaboration : The German DN L Team has entered a (ended pretty abruptly atthe end of 1993j ", , 1000cc vers ion of the 916 in .the German Unfortunately, the Italians didn '! have the ' Open Superbike charnplonshlpIor Edw in 'manpower or the equi pme nt ava ilable to . Wei bel. Despite several rumors, this was not allow Polen' to. ride a factory Ducati again. the bike used by' Doug Polen in Misano. "We Due to the racing department's busy"sched- .would have liked to enter the bike on this ute, no solution could be found for the ·first : twisty track: the team manager said in Italy." round at Hockennelm. One week before Mis- "The engine . is especially very strong as to . .ano , however.. anot her solution presented . thetorque low down. The difference with the itself. The German importer DNL .- who enters standard 916 is some 12 horsepower at one . Edwin Weibel in the German Open Superbike . point. Unfortunately; the deal with Doug came Cha mpio nsh ip -. di d ' have a ' se mi-offici a l ' about so late that we did not have the time to' .Ducan 916 available. "For the time being. we . revi se and prepare tha t en'gine prope rly : have only planned one event with this team, Mor eover, ' we 'do' not have eno ugh spare ': . but it' is obvious that I'm interested in 'doing . parts'to putthe bike to the test in' real World the whole series 'again this year... with' this' Sup erbik e circumstances ." Ducati is ·also·: -tearn or with another one. Apa rt -from that,:I working on ? bfgger'iacing version'of the 916, also.have s ome otters ,in Grand Prix. As you · but according to Cari Fogarty this.bike will not .know; Suzuki is lockinqfor a replacement for. . beusedbetore the .end of the season, "is KevinSchwantz," saidPolen. . assumed that the 916 with a 955cc engine ' will do the job easHy enough this Season. Speaking .0f· SuzUki, Garry Tayl or admitted · Judging from the results in .Misano, Foggy .. .. .. 'at ttie begin,;in!! of the week .that he:had · might be right:.: · • •• th e offset an d fro n t sus pension se tti ngs of Slight's H onda, an d new tires were m ounted u n de r neat h Gobert's Kawasaki. Th e changes put Russell into the top 10, and Sligh t into th e points. U p front, however , nothing cha nged . As a m atter of fact, the second heat l ooked like a car bo n-copy. of th e first on e, with Lucchiari, Foga rty and Corser setting th e pace and Chili cruisi ng around a lon esome fourth - wi th a heavy battle for fifth place. This time, Pi rov an o was up against a d et ermined Bont empi. Ju st w he n Pi rova no seem ed to be w ell on his w ay to another fi ft h place, Bontempi charged p ast him two l aps from th e end - taking th at pos ition for the " Japanese Brigade." Russell went much better this time with th e sm oother 'engine, taking eighth p lace - behind Andreas Meklau, but in front of John R eynolds and Simon Crafar. By thi s time, Lucchiari had crossed the line, taking th e second victory o f his career. " I did not change an ything o n the bike," h e explained afterward . " I knew that I had been slid i ng a lot duri ng the first heat, bu t that w en t f or ev erybody . A n d I ha ve al so become a l ittle bit su persti tious abou t ch an g ing tires here. In 1993, I had taken second place i n the fi rs t h eat an d tried so m e oth er tires i n th e second heat, in order to clinch that fir st v i ct ory. But the choice w as all wrong, and I d idn't even ge t close to the top three..." Fogarty, w ho had used his spare bike (w ith a smooth er engine) in r ace tw o, com p l ai ned on ly about some front-end cha tter problems , but w as quite h appy abou t the r esult. C orser h ad the same problems as in h eat one, struggling to k eep up wit h his fellow Ducatisti, and un able t o co m pe nsa t e f or the lost ground on th e straights by braking late. Edwards retired once again fo r th e sam e reason as in the first h eat, whereas Polen pulled in after three l ap s. " T h e t ires seemed not to fit exactly on the rims," the T exan said . "That made the bike unrideable: going 'i nt o th e corners and accelerating was a big problem, and in mid corner the front-end chattered." I~ Circuit de Adrlalico Mlsano, Italy Resu lts: May 21, 1995 QUAUFYING, 1. Ca rl Fogarty (1:34.934); 2. Mauro Lucchiari 0 :35.(21): 3. Pierfrancesco Chili (1:35527); 4. Troy Co rse r 0 :35.561); 5. Co lin Edw ar ds 0:36.268); 6. John Reynolds (1:36 .286); 7. Pie rgtorgio Bon tempi (1 :36.390); 8. Luca Pasi n i (1 :36.454) ; 9. Gianmaria Liverani 0:36.534); 10. Fabrizio Pirovano 0:36.6(2); 11. Joche n Sch mid 0 :36 .652) ; 12. Massimo Meregalli 0:36.655); 13. Anthony Gobert 0 :36.767); 14. Andreas Meklau (1:36.775); 15. Scott Russell (1:36.792); 16. Simon Crafar (l:36 .85H; 17. Steve Hislop (1:36.918); 18. Paolo Casoli (1 :37 .013); 19. Aaron Slight (1 :37.140); 20 . Yas utomo Nagai 0:37.489); 21. Adrien Mari llas (1:37539); 22. Doug Polen U:37.6i8); 23. Bruno Cirafici (1:37.984); 24 . Mich ele Gallina (1:38 .185); 25. Roberto Panichi (1:38.188); 26. Fernando OJ Maso (1:38.760); Zl . Andrea Perselli 0;38.872); 28. David Jefferies (1:38.908); 29. Hu gu es Bla nc (1 :39 .047); 30 . Nick Ho p ki n s (1:39.267); 31. Aldeo Presci utti 0:39.324); 32. Gianl uca Galasso (1:40.312); 33. Vittorio Scatola (1;40.763); 34. Eric Maillard (1:40.93l); 35. An ders Rasmussen (1:42.808); 36. Dario Marchetti (1 :42.880~ 37. Lorincz (1:58.304). RACE ON E: 1. Maur o Lucchia ri (Due): 2. Ca rl Fogarty (Due); 3. Troy Corser (Dud; 4. Pierfrancesco Chili (Dud; 5. Fabrizio Pirovano {Dud; 6. An th on y Gobert IKaw) : 7. John Reyn old s IKaw) : 8. Piergtorgio Bonte mpi (Kaw): 9. Simon Crafar (Hon); 10. Gia nmaria Liverani (Due); 11. Andreas Meklau (Due); 12. Adrien Manilas (Du d ; 13. Yasutom o Nagai (Yam); 14. Sco tt Rus sell (Ka w): 15. Ioch en Sch m id (Kaw): 16. Aa ro n Slig ht (H a n); 17. Dou g Pole n (Due); 18. Lu ca Pasi ni (Due); 19. Robert o Panichi (Hen): 20. David Jeff eries (Ka w): 21. A lde o Pre sci utti (Due) ; 22. Nick Hop kin s (Du c)f 23. Fernan do OJ Maso (Due); 24. Eric Maill a rd (He n): 25. Hu gues Blan c (Due); 26. Gia nluca Galasso (Bim); 27. Anders Rasmussen (Yam); 28. Andr ea Perse llt . (Due). Tim e: 39 mln ., 59.269 sec. D istance: 25 laps/ 62.9 miles Average speed: 94.46 mph Margin of victo ry: 2.862 sec. Fastest lap : Lucchia ri 1:35.084/95.303 mp h. RACE TWO: 1. Ma u ro Luechiari (Duel; 2. Ca rl Foga rty (Du e); 3. Tr oy Corser (Due); 4. Pierfrancesco Ch ili (bue); 5. Piergiorgio Bontempi IKaw): 6. Fab rizio Pir o va no (Due); 7. An dreas Me kla u (Due); 8. Sco tt Ru s sell (K aw ): 9. John Re yn o ld s (K aw): 10. Si mon Crafar (Ho n); 11. Gianmaria Liverani (Due); 12. Jochen Schmid (Kaw): 13. Aaron Slight (Honk 14. Adrien Mori llas (Due); 15. Steve Hislop (Due); 16. Ant hony Gobert ( Ka w): 17. Luea Pasini (Due); 18. Yasutomo Nagai (Yam); 19. Paolo Casali (Yam); 20. Nick Hop1cin.. (Due); 21. Fernand o OJ Maso (Due); 22. Andrea Perse lli (Due); 23. Bruno Cira fici (Suz); 24. Aldeo PresciuUi (Due); 25. Mich ele Gallina (Due); 26. David Jefferies U

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