Marcel Van Drunen (Hon); 8. Philippe Dupasquier
(Left) Belgian Joel Smets'
championship hopes
suffered a serious blow at
his home Grand Prix. He
crashed In both motos to
finish fourth t;lverall,
losing valuable points to
leader Shayne King.
(Below) Currently running
third In the championship,.
Peter Johansson went 3-2
to score third overall
behind King and Martens.
Wor1d Championship 125cc MX Series Update
Rounds 10/11 . Siovenian &Czech GPs
TOTltelli
CTlOWne~
ebastien Tortelli became the
youngest-ever world motocross
champion last month after extending his record win streak to 10, though
that run may yet be reduced to seven if
his eighth win - in Belgium - is removed
from the records because his fuel there
did not meet FIM regulations.
Tortelli had initially been crowned
champion in Slovenia July 14, but the
celebrations had to be put on ice a few
days later when the results of the Belgian fuel tests were announced. Victory
in the Czech Republic confirmed the
-title win even if he is eventually excluded from the Belgian GP.
Should he have clinched the title in
Slovenia, he was champion with 17
years and 329 days, if not add 14 to
make that 343 days. The previous
youngest champion was Stefan Everts in
1991 at the age of 18 years and 265 days.
Paul Malin, Tortelli's only remaining
rival for the crown, knew he had to finish second twice in Slovenia if TortelJi
won. After a poor start, which left him a
lowly first-lap 11th, he- narrowly failed
to catch American Bob Moore in the
opener, but he bounced back in race two
to lead TortelJi until the silencer broke at
half distance. After a stop to replace the
defective muffler, Malin charged back
up-the field for another third-place flnish.
His title hopes rekindled by the fuel
question, Malin then finilly beat Tortel1i
for the very first time ill season to score
a narrow win in the first moto of the
Czech GP, but a defective Bib mousse
tire lost him two places late in moto two
and pushed him back to fourth, while
Tortelli claimed the win to confirm his
title.
Moore's injuries continue to restrict
his points-scoring activities to first
motos.
S
Siovenian 125 GP
Marlbor, Sioveriia
Results: July 14, 1996 (Round 10 of 12)
MOTO 1, 1. Sebastien Tortelli (! pairts' table
incl).lded in ttjiS "r~ort ~oes. nbt reffecrthe Pos~ible.excl~sicins:from the
• • ill
..
Belgian GP..:.
. '.'
.....'...
'. .:
F""~ 'contin~e to cast a'clo~d~ovei the ';'ortd·.motocros~.charnpi~
'.'
.... "
.... .
.
onships, and hav~ en'sured that in' atl\>ast \h"125 and 250cc 'clas~s ih e TJ:>e situation i~ the .2.50cc .title race is 'm,?re .complicated: ~fter the exclu· '
.final".ohampi,!nship standings will r~main ·truly. provisional until 'well into the .. sioos. from th.e B[i1ish. Gral}d Prix: .where Mamlcq. Berv~ sc.ared a
winter.. QoubJe winner Stefan Everts ll,nd 'F-cenchman Frederic' Ejolley have c1ass:recot;i 'sixth consec~t"'e ",in, Stefa.. ·Everts DOW trails his fellow '
·.both been excluded from the' results 'of the Bntish :250cc Grand
Belgian. by 45 .points with two r,!unds. remaining: Should Everts.eventually
while series· top three Sebastien Tortelli. Paul Malin and F.rederic Vialle, as . be reinsiated, he would trail Bet'(oe\s by jU'st a" single poirit:·The standings·
.well as "South African Collin Pugmore, all face exclusion from the Belgian . top..three. would· read :Bervciets .323, Everts' 322, Vdhland 30.1, AI) other
· 125cc Grand p.rix. In each case: fuel "ample's taken by FIM testerS·lhchriderS mov~ up acc(lt;iingly in·the results. of t~e British .250qc Grand p'rix
·.cape have shown mbtor .octane 'raiing aoove the regulation limit- of 89. In '. follOWing the exclusion. of dou!;>le winner Everts. from both motes and Bol~
each. case, the figu.re has' ·been below gO. TM 125 factory Hie team 'and ..Michael Gouve""eu~,"now 15th.
..'
.
.
their suppliers, Bardahl. In the case qf the riders excludecj ort;.cing exelu" .
sion. all 'using Elf or Howell'race fuel .. the 'counter-tests also have'giYer! ·Pit Bel,:,,'r is outio': the.re~t·of the seaso~ wi.lh a broken scaphoid. .
·results. fractionally above the FIM 'limit: At. an eml\rge~cy ~beijng·. of FIM .
· Motocross. and. Technical. Commrs~ions With. the ,ace .tearT]s 'and repre:
French t~ena~er Stephane RQilcada 'mis'sed the Czech: 125cc round'
senta.lives of tl)e 'fuel companies' on July'27': it :was ·.admitted by' fi,Jel' . to go to Al)1erica. 'where he' is repprtediy"to join the Honda of 'I"roy -team
exp.ertsthatit waS now apparennhatch.emical :reactions when' the fuel is . for .;997: His ·trip.had a due·l· p:urpos\>: Roncada was ·ru~ning. 'perilously'
mjxed with two·.stroke oil could cesu!.t in v.a,yihg test values: .Indeed,..even . .clOSe to' a top-fiVe finish in tl)e 'wortd series - which woulej exclude him.'
samples' from .the same. mix could apparently give. differenl.n;;sults, thus
from contesting the t:?5cc ·supercrOssse.ries. i,n 'America: He is due to '
.confirming the Team Kawasaki insistence. that· the .fuel·used ·i" 'racing at .cdntesi the ~l"\al Grana Prix in Germany, liut m'u'st take care not.to' score
the Britisl) GP by bqHi Bolley and Tallon Vohland (the American '.s fuel was' . too well there 'a& he is. still 'only"23 points 'shy of~fth in th.e .champi'also'tested-and was declared legail was 'mixed in.·a single can.' "A1I·ortins·· onship.. .
....
'.
."
.
....
.has.noHling t~.do with sport'" fumeifKawa~aki team·.mahager:Jal"\ .De>'
.
.
· G' prefer'to stay with the Siient sport team:" Team'
the .same' fuel 'is ·Ulegal." The decision to ~se punip. fuel from roun~ 1{) in '. boss Johannes Goertz admitted thai the' tearr; woulQ definitely not
Slovenia .w.as based bn .~he test" results of teammate' Pred",ric Bolley in . switching to the 250·class. "We .can put together a bUdget 6f$200,000,
.England. 'We 'found oUt about his'test fallure'when we arrived in Belgium' cut. with. thfee.overseas GPs ne~ year,. we would '"",ed halra million to .
arid it.was too lale to consider switcliing to altematiVe fuel. "·Tortelli con: 'tac~le the 250 "GPs' competitively," Goertz said: "I expect the ie.ading .
ti~ued . ."We did .not know thai we 'too had fa'iled in Belgium 'until'the week' . teams are working with.a cudget doUble that-" Goertz. was· seen deep in
after Slovenia.. We did 'not mix our fUel iogether in E~gia"cI, but" our fUel
discusSion witli Vaiese. race boss :Signor Macchi "Sat.urday', ·ilnd.wi\h
cal)1e fr:om the;same supply as Bolley .and. VOhl....nd. ':
.
.
.
Husq"am.a; desperate to reach an agreement to. provide the techni9al
support 'to '! team with a genuif\e chanc'''.of success after its ,embarrass~ .
·'The eventual .medal' placings in the 1~5' wo~d senes.~..e only' likely. to ~
i~g s~ason With. Martens & ~oonen, .
"
.~ffected if ·eit~er Pjlul Malin, currently·32.ppints ahead. in ·his· cattle. for ..
sil'!er, or Frederic' Vialle is eventually excluded 'while the .other Danish Husky rjder Milcklll ·CaPran!"· missed' Na.mUr .after.cracking· .the
·.escapes penaity. Whatever happef\s, the two Ya~ha riders cannot lose. calf bone in hiS lower left leg while practicing one week eartier.· He.hqpeS"
second and third in the.final standjngs..Tortelli, \/vith a. lead'of 41. even if he
to return fo acticin in the Swedish GP Atigusl"25.
.
.
Briefl
Prix:
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Jb.1
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