Jerez IRTA tire tests
ig cat Michael Doohan did not.
attend the first European tests at
Jerez in the second week in February, but the tunes the mice played in his
absence wo uld not have been music to
the ears of the defending World Champion.
Earlier, his mighty V-four Hond a had
been beaten at Sha h Alam by Ho nda 's
own upstart V-twin. At Jerez, his fellow
Honda riders - and his own previous lap
times - took a pasti ng fro m the other
ligh tweight V-twin, the Aprilia.
.
Aprilia's new rider Doriano Romboni
took the 400cc machine, now in its third
year, to an unofficial 1:43.6, half a second inside Schwantz's 1994 lap record
and good enough for po le position in
1995.
The fast times came in private IRTA
"Testing Club" sessions, open on ly to
th e fac tory te am s, in the th ree days
directly after the open-to-all sessions
where the privateers had their first compa rative shakedown runs of the 1996
season.
'
Six other works 50 Os tested, with
Loris Capirossi (Mar lboro Rainey Yama ha) second at 1:44.20, followed by Piler i-
B
(Above) Tets uya Harada' s Marlboro Rainey Yamaha featured a new
fairing/seat design. Harada was a disappointing 15th-fastest of the 18
250cc riders who participated In the Jerez test.
,
(Above) Alberto Pulg
crashed at Jerez, further
slowing his rehabilitat ion
from the broken leg he
suffered In 1995.
(Left)Jean-Michel Bayle
clicked off the secondfas test 500cc time, despite
cras hing twice In one day.
Honda rider Alex Barro s at 1:44.29 and
Ca r lo s Ch eca (Fo r tu n a H ond a ) a t
1:44.52.
Only Ca pirossi had a 1996 Yamaha.
Team Marlbor o Roberts ride rs Norifumi
Abe and Jean-Michel Bayle were rid ing
updated 1995 m ach in es in w ha t so me
see as a deliberate snub to th e for mer
exclusive factory team manager.
Abe was fifth overall at 1:44.89, continuing his impressively consisten t testin g program, wi th 500cc-c1ass learner
Bayle next at 1:45.10 after crashing twice
on the Monday.
Alber to Pu ig was slowest of the factory men at 1:45.53. The Spaniard was
badly injured mid-'95, and his recovery
p ro g r am -w a s slowed after crashing
heavil y during the open IRTA sessions.
Puig injured his left leg, and is now rid-
