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/127739
respectively, in the two races; Fast By Ferracci's Freddie Spencer battled through to finish seventh in the first race after a lackluster start, but his Ducati broke a transmission early in the second race; Vance & Hines Yamaha's Tom Kipp also had a bad start to the first race, but finished 13th and then improved a spot in the second race despite an off-track excursion; Fast By Ferracci Ducati's Mike Smith finished 11th in the first race, but was out of the second race early when his Ducat[ struck mechanical problems; Muzzy Kawasaki's Pascal Picotte ended the day with a 15-10 tally; and teammate Steve Crevier closed out with 17-12 finishes; AI Salaverria rode a borrowed Ducati to 19-17 finishes; and Cycle World-backed Doug Toland failed to finish either race. RACE ONE The majority of an announced threeday crowd of 32,000 spectators lined the race track for the High-Noon start of the first-ever World Superbike race at Laguna Seca, and it was the quick-starting Edwards who led the field off the line. That lead was short-lived as both DuHamel and Gobert streaked past before the completion of lap one. Gobert didn't waste any time in proving his bravado as he- shot up the inside of DuHamel entering turn five on the secOnd lap, with Corser also moving past Edwards to take over third. That second lap would prove to be Gobert's quickest of the race, a 1:27.787 - a time that would remain the best until the 26th lap when Corser cut a lap just one-thousandth of a second better. (Right) Mike Hale (123) led the field at the start of the second race. (Below) Aaron Slight and John Reynolds crashed after colliding on the entrance to turn two in the second race. also grappled with the 2.196-mile race track, but be didn't have much to shew for it at daY's end; a hard ride in the first leg netted him a ninth-place finish, but things only got worse. In the second race, the Kiwi crashed only two comers into the race. Thus, it is now Corser who takes over second place in the World Championship, but his threat at this point is minimal. Fogarty, who for the first time in the last 12 races failed to stand on the rostrum, leads his Ducati mate by 116 points, 295-179, with five rounds left to run. Slight holds on to third with 168 points with Fabrizio Pirovano, who crashed in race one and ended up eighth in race two, fourth with 126 points. Japan's Yasutomo Nagai is fifth in the standings with 119 points; Nagai turned in a 10-5 tally at Laguna Seca. As for the other Americans taking part... World Superbike regular Colin Edwards II had the most consistent outing, though he struggled with tire and handling woes to finish eighth and ninth, (Left) The start of the first race saw Colin Edwards \I (45) leading the way over Gobert (1), Yasutomo Nagai (25) and the rest. (Above) Gobert (17), Corser (11) and Hale (123) negotiate the Corkscrew In the second race.