Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

make a mistake. I've extended my points lead and that was more important." As for Smets, the defending champion was in trouble again. After quickly lI\Pving up to fifth place, his first mistake came on the second lap. "It was just a stupid little fall in a slow comer, but it put me down to 10th," Smets said. Remounted and quickly working his way back up through the field, Smets then lost more ground when he stalled the bike, and then feU again. "The bike felt strange," Srnets said, "but perhaps I was just imagining it." Boonen, who ultimately followed Smets across the line to take seventh place, had plenty of time to watch him. ") don't think Joel is nervous," said Boonen. "He is just riding badly at the wrong time of the season. He couldn't find any lines until I passed him and he (Left) Honda-mounted Dietmar Lacher took fourth overall. (Below) Darryll King put together 4"7 moto finishes for fifth in Germany. (Hbg); 11. Rupert Walkner (KTM); U. James Marsh (KTM); 13. Marcus Carlsson (Kaw); 14. Chris Jacobs (Hon); 15. Franco Rossi (K1M). a/A; 1. Peter Johansson (Hus~ 2- Bernd Eclcenbach (Kaw); 3. Shayne King (K1M~ 4. Dietmar Lacher (Hon); 5. DarrylJ King (Hon); 6. Joel Sme'> (Hbg); 7. Erwin Machtlinger (Han); 8. Dirk Geukens (Hbg); 9. James. Marsh (K1M); 10. Johan Boonen (Hus~ WORLD SOOcc MX SERIES POINTS STANDINCS (After 10 of U rounds): 1. Shayne King (295/6 wins); 2Joel Smet> (Z63/1); 3. Peler Johansson (219/1); 4. Dietmar Lacher (2OB); 5. Darryll King (173/1); 6. Gert Jan Van Doom (152); 7. Rupert Wallener (126); 8. Jaclcy Martens (122); 9. Danny Theybers (t19); 10. Bemd Eckenbach (91); 11. Erwin Mac:hUinger (7S); 12. Johan Boonen (75); 13. Franco Rossi (64); 14. Mikkel Caprani (55); 15. Dirk Geukens (53); 16. Ronny Weustenraed (52); 17. Burnham (51); lB. Attilio Pignotti (SO); 19. James Mar.;h (42); 20. Peter Dirlo, (41). oms Upcoming Rounds: Round 11 - Saxtorpsbanan, Sweden, August 25 Final Round - Gaildorl, Germany, September 8 saw mine." Martens slumped to sixth from an early third and eventually took a ONF. ") could hear noises from the motor and tried to nurse it home, but with 10 minutes to go, it blew up," said MartenS. Johansson motored to third place and proved that the track suited four-strokes just fine. ") might have been able to challenge for the win," said Johansson. "1 got a good start, but Martens drove hard under me in the second turn and pushed me ollt. Dirk and Smets got through then as well; and by the time they were out of the way) had lost contact to the leaders. Darryll King and Lacher were never a threat behind me." At the start of moto two, Johansson muscled Austrian Erwin Machtlinger .aside to take over the lead from the second turn. He only looked in danger of losing his position when Eckenbach challenged early on. The German even got his nose out in front 0'£ Johansson temporarily on lap four, but his charge was too optimistic. "1 couldn't stop in the turn, went straight on over the berm and over the bars," explained Eckenbach. "It took me a long time to settle again after that and 1 had to be content with keeping Smets behind me for fourth." Johansson had little to report once Eckenbach crashed while chasing him for the lead. ") never had any problems controlling the race after that," said Johansson. "It sounds boring, but those 'are the nicest races. I've waited five years for this win, and it goes some way to making up for France and Ireland." Machtlinger, a surprise but superb second at the flag, confirmed Johansson's superiority. '1 tried to close a couple of times," Machtlinger said, "but he was always in control. ) was just wasting my time, and it was more sensible to accept second." It was the Austrian's best GP result ever. Smets got close to Johansson as he tried to regain some lost points, but he was riding at or over his limit, at least according to King. "He was over (his limit)," claimed King. "He ran straight into my leg and) lost all feeling for some time. That's why 1 dropped to seventh. I only got going again when I saw him getting up off the ground with 20 minutes to go. Still, I increased my (championship) lead again today." Smets' performance was indeed erratic. From an initial seventh, he was second to Johansson by the halfway point, having already survived one particularly hairy off-track landing from the fast jump on the top straight. The Belgian was looking to pull back a good number of points, but his chase of Johansson ended with a vicious downhill crash which dropped him to a fifth place, from which he was never to recover. £N Luxembourg SOOcc GP Rell, Germany Results: August 11, 1996 (Round 10 of 12) MOTO 1: 1. Bernd Eckenbach (Kaw); 2. Sh~y'ne King (KTM); 3. Peter Johansson (Hus); 4. Darryll King (Hon); 5, Dietmar Lacher (Hon); 6. Joel Smets (Hbg); 7. Johan Boonen (Hus); B. Dirk Geukens (Hbg~ 9. Ronny Weustenraed (Hon); 10. James Marsh (K1M); 11. aui. Burnham (Hon); 12. Rupert Wallener (K1M); 13. Franco Rossi (KTM); 14. Erwin MachtIinger (Hon); 15. Peter Hehmann (}(aw). MOTO 2: 1. Peter Johansson (Hus); 2. Erwin Machtlinger (Hon); 3. Dietmar Lacher (Hon); 4. Bernd Eclcenbach (Kawl; s. Joel Sme'" (Hbg); 6. Shayne King (KTM); 7. Darryll King (Hon); B. Gerf Jan Van Doom (Hon); 9. Jochen Jasinski (Yam); 10. Dirk Geukens :~ :~~----.,....-...,.--.- tus fro(Tl the 125cc and 500cc classes,' and she is also a member or" the' marketing working grou'p. "I was most i'!1pressed by' ihe aig~ments' which Hieriders pUt forward'" Bastedo said, 'It was Smets'who pointed out B Y-----,-----:-. that ihere would be an immediate Job loss. among the riders beca'use . Shayne King claimed that' he' has noY'! been approached by one of the there'would remain 'a Iimit!\d number of team places in a 'single class, 250cc qP fa.ctory, tea'lls of the Japanese Big Four: "1 don't want tp say while potential ,sponsors.would not be, interested in a 500cc ~erie's with which one. but I· got a phone call this week to ask if Iwas still available for , 'European' status. On top C!f that. there is the'trickle:down effect throu'ghnegotiations." said King. The team'in question is probably the Rinaldi out the entire industry which would compress the whole sport. From. my Yamaha team which 'currently has only Yves Demaria lined up "for '97. own personal point of view as a CM~ member, I have to look at the quesKing also confirmed that a major factor in all negotiations will be his deter.- tion from a ,global standpoint. and Ifrankly do not see that it would serve a mination to retain Hendrik Nolting as mechanic: "1 don't want to lose Hen- . positive'result to take away 'world' status from -any of ihe three classes. drik, A good mechanic with whom you can get on so well both on a per- Even' if we have one class which is premier,. the effective elimination of sonal and working level is worth his weight in gold. ~ This 1s unlikely to the·other classes would mean that th,ere was no'stepping stone for riders make King a suitable choice for Team Rinaldi with its hierarchical setup. 'in from' countries which are .trying to establish themselVes at a higher level. which only chief mechanic lIIier Aldin! is .allowed to tune the engines while A series with .continental" or 'inter-continental" title would possibly be the individual riders' me9hanics are given little more than a "fitters" role. acceptable in Asia or South America. but I am convinced that this would King's contact to Husqvama remain~ open, but Ii does not seem likely not be a mar1 status from,the 125s and 5qos 'would do just that. " nums, as intended for general sale in 1997. during free practice in Rei!. He Support for the retention of world status fur the tjlreatened classes reverted to the current 48mm diameter forks for qualification ,arid racing: "The forks had good s\ability. but we didn't have enough time to test, also would seem to' come from the Asia'1-Pacific region. A report of a meeting to discuss the d.evelopnient and-future of motocross in the region , them here and they were a little hard at the bollom. " in the' latest issue .ofthe FIM's own magazine concludes that "the organiThe World SX Championship' has b~en resurrected at the last zation of a successful world champion'ship r

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