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/127736
Superbike World Championship) defected and joined the ranks of the Thunderbikes. World Superbike racing was definitely making its mark. And that's one reason why the news that the official Honda team had parted company with Doug Polen only two weeks before the first race was both unexpected and unfathomable. Honda, which had invested a lot of money into the World Superbike program, was ready to have a go at the title after a rookie season of feeling their way around... but with only one rider. The official reason for the decision was never given, but Polen's performance on the banks of Daytona International Speedway had been his last aboard·a factory Honda. This was definitely one of the pieces that was missing from th.e 1995 World Superbike jigsaw puzzle. Even more puzzling was the fact that Honda didn't seem to have anybody limbering up to take over the second bike in the Honda Castrol team. At every race, Honda announced that a final decision would be made "in a few days." After Japanese test rider Satoshi Tsujimoto showed up in Monza and Albacete, valiantly trying (mostly in vain) to get into the top 15, HRC had to admit that they still had not found a worthy replacement for Polen. John Kocinski and Eddie Lawson's names were thrown into magazine headlines but, according to Honda, this was the fruit of some journalists' wild imaginations. At the time of this writing (just after the Albacete round), it is still unknown who may end up .helping Slight in his struggle for a title. But maybe at the Salzburgring... Polen, on the other hand, bad contacted his former employers at Bologna only a few days after his parting with Honda. Unfortunately, no factory bikes were available. But just before the German round at Hockenheim, the Texan finally found a olution in the German ONL team. It was a wonderful time for Superbike reporters and, among the pen' pushers, the word "whodunnit" got a future tense: "Who'll replace him?" After the Polen ~tory, another drama unfolded with Bimota. After the first race in Oonington, factory Bimota rider Terry Rymer decided to end his collaboration with the Italian team, saying that he was deeply disappointed by their lack of preparation of the fuel-injected SB7. The project, which had only gotten the green light in the month of February, seemed well on its way to being still-born as the Brit failed to qualify in Germany. For the following races, Bimota hired the services of test rider Gianluca Galasso and South African motorcycle (and now also ca r) racer Russell Wood. The biggest surprise, however, came a few days after the Donington round, when Lucky Strike Suzuki announced tha t they had signed Scott Russell as a replacement rider for the retiring Kevin Schwantz. The 1993 World Champion had tested the Suzuki a few days before the Oonington round, and had crashed the bike, injuring his foot. In the Oonington paddock, he told everyone that he had hurt himself in a mountain biking accident. Superb ike team {)wner Rob Muzzy didn't intend to go down without a struggle, but his efforts only prevented Russell from participating in the first day of practice for the Italian GP. Still, according to Muzzy, the matter is in the hands of a ttorneys and he is now watching his team try to survive the loss of their flag-bearer. (Above) Close racing Is World SUperblke's forte. (Left) ltallen Meuro Lucchlerl (center) won both legs In his home receet Mluno. Russell's teammate Anthony Gobert was thrown into the deep end (after having been contacted himself by Lucky Strike before the Russell deal was inked). According to team manager Steve Johnson, the team will concentrate on the young Australian and won't look for a second rider until after the Japanese round at Sugo. Russell and Gobert weren't the only names which had circulated in the Grand Prix paddocks over the last few months. Other candidates were also checked out by the Lucky Strike camp and also by Marlboro Yamaha as their relationship with Luca Cadalora began to sour. One might wonder if these attempts to purge talent from World Superbike racing should be viewed as a good thing or a bad thing for superbike racing. Until recently, World Superbike racing was viewed as the end of the line for former Grand Prix riders like Raymond Roche, Marco Lucchinelli or Stephane Mertens. But things have definitely changed with the arrival of some angry young men A tJ e 23