Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

explained later. "It wasn't a bad tire choice; it was about the best compound I could get. But 1'd hoped to get away in the beginning of the race. It didn't all quite work out as I'd planned, and when I exited the last cOmer before the start of the last lap but five, I knew that was going to bemy last lap. The rear tire., was just dead." ./ . That put Corser and Slight in the posi tions they'd dreamed about prior to the sta,rt. With Fogarty dropping back a bit in the final laps and Crafar just holding on behind the two rivals, it was clear that the battle for second place in the championship would take a decisive turn. Corser started the last lap in front, but he wouldn't have it all his way. Outbraked by Slight before the hairpin, the Australian would claw back in the following comer when the rear end of the Honda got sideways under acceleration. Corser got in front agaln and he . wouldn't be headed. Crafar took third, followed by Fogarty, Reynolds, Chili and Spencer. Local boy Kirk McCarthy finished eighth - the best of those who compete in the Australian Championship - with Hale coming home 14th. "My start wasn't too good," Corser said. ""Fortunately, I wasn't too far behind. The first couple of laps I sat behind Anthony (Gobert) and Carl (Fogarty), waiting to see where I' could get past th.em. As soon as I gof the impression that they were holding me up, I made my move and got in front. Unfortunately, I couldn't pull away, so I knew that th.e race would be decided only in the last two or three laps. I wasn't surprised to see Aaron get past me on the brakes, but I was qillte fortunate to get by again a comer later." Slight, who saw Corser's lead extended to 13 points in their battIe for second, said: "Anthony held us up a little, but he burnt his tires in the process. I thought I had it good on the last lap, but I went sideways in the Siberia corner, and that allowed Troy to get underneath and past me." Crafar was very happy with third. "What a race," he said. "All the leading men were on the same tires and had also about the same speed on the straights. Right from the start I knew it was going to be very difficult for anyone to get away. I was happy to hold on until the very end; I cOl+ldn't go any faster. I lacked some power accelerating from the corners." Fogarty got home third after a pretty difficul t race. "I was working overtime keeping the bike upright," he explained. "The thing was moving around qillte a Jot. Apart from suspension and tire problems, we discovered too late this weekend that the new gearbox that we've been using this year doesn't work . too well on this track. For the second race we'll change the gear ratios, the tires and the suspension settings." Freddie Spencer was seventh. "I had a bad start because it's somewhat different than at home," he said. "I sat there on the grid and mistimed the start. Anyway, I'm pretty happy because it's definitely a better· race than I had in Ihdonesia. I just wished that I had got Chili at the end." RACE TWO For the second race, things wouid go exactly as planned for Gobert. He got away first as the lights turned to green, and he was determined to stay there until the bitter end. It wasn't long before Spencer parked his factory Ducati agalnst the pit wall: "My helmet didn't close properly and I lost my (contact) lens," the disappointed former World Champion said. As in the first race, a handful of riders had their minds set on winning this final event of the year. As the field started to stretch a bit after SOlJ:le seven laps, a leading group of six was formed. Gobert looked secure at the front, even though his lead was never more than a few bike lengths, with Fogarty, Corser, Reynolds, Slight and Crafar within striking distance. At one point, Fogarty even took his turn at the front. At the halfway stage, the same sixsome was still in command, even though Reynolds had started to drop back a little due to a sudden lack of grip. Dunlop had advised him not to use the same tire he had chosen for the first heat, the same one that Gobert was using in his charge for victory in the second race. A few laps later, Hale managed to move past the British Kawasaki (Right) Gobert ended up winning the second leg after suffering tire failure in tile first race. (Below) If there's a more scenic race track in the world that· Phillip Island, we've never seenll rider. Five laps from the end, it was obvious that victory would go to one of the five leading men. Gobert had been leading most of the time, with Crafar desperately holding on aboard his Honda. In between, all hell broke loose with Fogarty, Corser and Slight changing positions in nearly every comer. In the end, it was some backmarkers who would allow Gobert to get the necessary advantage over his rivals. Gobert ended up taking his home victory in front of Fogarty, Corser and Slight. Gobert's win also propelled him to fourth in the championship. Gobert quick throu hout E ven before the World Superbike riders set foot on Australian soil for the last confrontation of the season, it was dear that the weekend would be dominated by the local heroes. Fitst of alL Anthony Gobert was expected to show what he had \eamed in his first year abroad after he had made such an impIessive debut on a works Kawasaki 12 months earIieI: at this same venue. On top of that, Troy Corser and Aaron Slight stilI had their own F.iV* fight for second place in the WQrld Champiooship to settle, and finally " unlike in Indonesia - some local heroes were expected to mix it up with the big boys m front oi their home crowd - most notably Mat Mladin (on his 0WIt bite again), Hoada-ric:ler Kirlt McCarthy and Ducatista S1Iavm GiiI!s. Some of these riders started the Wotld Superbike weeb.nd with a advantagIe" having done some testiRg oe week bebe 0l'I tae_ circuit. SHgbt. Simon Czabtt, Gobert.}odIen. SChIni.d mel_'of tbe ioc:aIs were expected to have their cIIaIfd in COlledi) right from. the get-go. It sbowed iDOl!It deuiy with Gobst..AI.ter SIigbt had ended the tint Dee pactice 0I111Op of the 1eadedIoIn'd. the "'Go Show" got underway With a best time durittg the first and second timed sessions. Only in the final se5lIion did Gobert have his work cut out for him. with Corser putting up some resistance to make the battle inferesting enough right to the end. But CorBer muldn't p.revent Gobert from taking his first pole poIlitiOn of the aelISOIL HI tried to bepatien.t," Gobert explained. "I had to get a dear lap to take pole position. Everybody finally got out of my way in the last c:ouple of minutes, and I was able to clodc a 1.35.583. Wrth less riders on the track. I feel a high 34 would have been sIi. possible." Corser had to settle for second on the grid. "I only had one ·fast motor," he said. "And my mechanics told me not to use it too much during today'~ practice; I will ~ the thing even more tomorrow. I took the bike out for some five or six laps and made my best time then. But we spent most of the time getting a good setup and choosing the right tires for tomorrow." Carl Fogarty and John Reynolds battled it out for third spot on·the starting grid until the final minutes. World Champion Fogarty finally got it his way. "Owing last week's test, we noticed that the bike had to be set up completely differently from last year," Foggy explained. "We still looked for the perfect solution today, in order to get enough grip. Given a little more time, I could've gone faster. And I got stw:k behind traffic in the last couple of minutes. The serond row was made up of Aaron Slight, Simon Crafar, Mat MIadin and Shawn Giles. "We tried some suspension settings on the bike which didn't work OUt,N Sliltht said. "We'd found a good setup on Friday, judging froni tl\at day's session times- and now we tried s0mething radically dUi"enllt in order to ride the bumps bettier. For ~ s race. we will use the setup which WOI:ked cat alI ~ yestftday.... Pier- .-:eilX) 0IiIi 10th delIpite a crasR due to a _ ~ in tile llI!COQd placlice I!IeSlIion. Hi. 'tIeaJ!Ilmate Gianmaria LiveraJli had crashltci on Friday, N sear- =z:- _and palling a ~tohislteCOnd_1lClIl W&idd SupabW! ell_piailsbip. Freddie SperKIer looked _ COIi&clent thaa in Jnaonesia md set die 12th fastest time. "We had a similar pEObiem lIII in Iadonesia: A damp came off 1ft the fuel tank, but forbmateIy we bad ant:lCher tank ready, so we lost only 90IIle 10 minutes in the-final pr.ICtioe -wn. After that we put 01\ some new tires, but with only four minutes left there was no more time to better my time." Nilce Hale ended up 13th, after having looked set few a top G . ~ r- ~ 0\ '""" 10~ 00' ~ day. .g l=< But on his 12th lap the ~ broi;e and since he is using the (only) spare bike of Andreas Meklau" that was the end of his "I don't laIow what has ~ppened," the Texan said. after having pushed his bike back to"the pit. "'The bike just stopped. when I was on the gas. Too bad, because I'd beeIl imptOVDig my lap times c:onatantly. CU ~ 0 Z N 7

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