(Left) The top three in the
- 500cc Grand PriJ!: Michael Doohan, Alex
Crlvllle and Scott Russell
- listen to the Spanish
national anthem for the
second successive race.
(Below) Rolf Biland won a
wet Sidecar Grand Prix,
but fourth-place finisher
Darren Dixon won the
World Championship for
the second straight year.
Time: 45 min. 38.884 sec.
Distance: 221aps, 73.700 miles.
Average Speed: 96.868 mph.
Margin of Victory: 0.002 sec.
Fastest Lap: Alex eriville, 2:02.791/98.212 mph, lap 22
12see WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After
11 of 15 rounds): 1. Haruchika Aoki (164/1 win); 2.
Masaki Tokudome (136/3); 3. Tomomi Manako (125); 4.
Stefano Perugini (121/3); 5. Emilio Alzamora (lOS/l); 6.
(TIE) Valentino Rossi (98/I)/Noburu Ueda (98); 8. Peter
Qettl (97); 9. Kazuto Sakata (88); 10. Ivan Goi (83); 11.
Jorge Martinez (81); 12. Dirk Raudies (62); 13. Manfred
Geissler (47); 14. Lucio Cecchinello (40); 15. Akira Saito
(37); 16. Yoshlaki Ka'bh (31); 17. (TIE) Youlchi Ui/
Garry McCoy (18); 19. Frederic Petit (16); 20. Andrea
Ball~rini (14): 21. (TIE) Darren Barton/Herri
Torrontegui (12); 23. Masao Azuma (10); 24. Shigeru
lbaraki (6); 25. (TIE) josep-5arda/JaToslav Hules (5); 27.
(TIE) Leek Bodelier/Paolo Tessari (4); 29. (TIE) Shinichi
Sugaya/Jose Ramon Ramirez/Gabriele Debbia (1). 2SOcc WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After
11 of 15 rounds), 1. Max Biaggi (224/7 wins); 2. Ralf
Waldmann (187/3); 3. Jurgen Fuchs (123): 4. Olivier
Jacque (112); 5. Luis d'Antin (108); 6. Tetsuya Harada
(104/1): 7. (TIE) Tohru Ukawa/Nobuatsu Aoki (87); 9.
Jean PhiUppe Ruggia (70): 10. Luca Boscoscur.o (53); 11.
Eskil Suter (47); 12. Christiano Migliorati (42); 13. JUTgen
van der Goorberg (38); 14. Regis Laconi (33); 15. Takeshi
Tsujimura (30); 16. Osamu Miyazaki (21); 17. Noriyasa
Numata/Marcellino Lucchi/Roberto Locatelli (20); 20.
Jamie Robinson (19); 21. Daijiro Kato (16); 22. Sebastian
Porco (14); 23. Sete Bigemau (12); 24. Olivier Petrucciani
(11); 25. Kensuke Haga (9); 26. (TIE) Davide
Bulega/Yasumasa Hatakeyama (8)i 28. Alessandro
Antonello (7); 29. Massimo Ottobre (6); 30. (TIE)
Christophe .cogan / Christian Boudinot (2).
500ee WORLD C'SHlP POINTS STANDINGS ,
'first to "Sir" Michael D"oohan or vice versa di.d not arise.'
Injury-stricke'n former
GP winner Albert'; Puig is to .. Transfe~ news: the who-goes-where picture w~s little clearer 'in .
Elf's. all-Ewopean GP 500 took a stE;p closer to Japanes"e tecl)·
have more surgery on his badly.injured left leg after the season.
Bmo, as teams shuffle contracts and. riders about. In the 500cc
nology at Bmo with the arrival 'of a new version of the ex-side·
Puig crashed in practice for .the French GP iast year,. and nar- · class, a rumor linking Luca Cadillora to Lucky Strike Suzuki
car V-four motor, now with a'balance shaft. The ·next stage will
rowly escaped lOsing his lower left leg. He returned this year
was gathering strength, though the Italian also is said to be
be "Big. Bang" firing order, though problems the' week before
with the limb' skeletal below the knee and the ankle locked in. "arrging on. to see if he can secure berth with the proposed
.the race prevented them from introducing the close·firing-order
Benellon-Honda team. Suzuki boss Garry Tayior was absent
version ,at Bmo. ROC boss and team manager Serge 'Rosset · position, and havln'g severe problems on le'ft-hand corners. "I
)lave no feeling, so i do.not know where my foot is on the peg..' (his fjrst child, a daughter, was born on the first day' of pracexplaioed the changes. "The new balance shaft is obViously to
Also I cannot move around on the bike as I need to," he said.
tice), but has spo.ken .of his wish to field a three-rider team.
reauce .vibration. This has no\.been a problem so 'far, but it
He w.a.s a heroic third at this y'ear's French GP at Paul.flicard - a · B'eattie is IIIready signed lJP: Scott Russell has yet to be con·
.could be with the Big Bang ehglne. The casings. are 'Compietely
track with only two left-hand cornerS, but hilS struggled else- · firmed for next year, but his growing strength after compl.eting
different, so we had to ccange the chassis to accommodate
where. Now he plans further surgery at the Mayo Clinic in the'
ooe full year on a 500 would seem to make him an obvious'
'new mounting points. We are experimenting with the fully floatUnited States, to reset his ankle to'a more niotorcycle~friendly choice to stay on as Beattie's running mate. The former Super-·
ing 'engine tall six fT)ountings via rubber Silentbloc bushings)·or
position (similar to work Michael Doohan had done), and to try
bike World Champion discounted rumors of a return to 'fourwith the rear pair of mountings rigid. It se<:>ms ~he're Is I.ess
and restore nerves and some feeling in his foot,
.
strokes with Alfred Inzinger's Power Horse-backed' Ducati
vibration with t~'e semi-rigid mounting. Our target was tq bring
team. "I've ~poken with them: but I'd rather go' back and race
the Big Bang motor.here, but in' our dyno tests we found a
The Grand' 'Prix of Brazil on' October 6 will go ahead as · In the USA," he said.
probl'i'm. With the lighte~-mass balance shaft used for the 180scheduled, after fears that it would have to be canceled. There
degree. motor, there. is 'no problem: but with the heavier mass
The real maelstrom is the. 250cc class, with Max Biaggi. still
required for the. Big Bang, the. shaft was flexing and overheating · were' several' proble",s', inciuding the la9k 'of a race sponsor '. it
was backed last year by" Lucky Strik", :but the biggest question
not. settled. He also" is .a caodidate for the .Benetton 500 ride,.or
the needle bearings. We have already changed tl)e design to a
mark concerned the track its.elf. A L86·mile oval. track buil.t for
may stay in the 250cc class. Tetsuya Harada is tipped for a
stiffer shaft with barrel-needle bearings 'which ca'n accommothe Indy-car .series crossed the GP track. and extensive works
switch-from Yamaha to the factory Aprilia' squad,. possibly as
date some flex. We hope to' have the Big Bang engine for the
were. required to reope~ the. Nelson' Piquet .circuit: On August
Bjaggi's teammate· though this would make an -unlikely
next race. (in Italy in a fortnight). "
.
6, FiM roadrace commiss.ion boss Ciaude DaniS and IRTA rid'
aliiance.. Oefendiog 125cc champioo and .current points leader
ers' representative F.ranco Unci"i visited the track to establish. Harachuki Aoki will switch to .the 250c·c. class, having' already'
Footnote; there maY b·e.a s~cond Swiss sidecar-derived '500ccthe work 'was under way: At Brno,. an· official announcement .' .signed up' with' Team pileri Honda. Th'e Italian ieam also may
class mptor n.ext year. It is the ADM, with 199.5 'and i 996' Sidefield both' other' Aokl; brothers, if they po not reach agreement
car World' Ch.ampion Darr"n Dixon'ridihg - he is a former said "there ';"as no' more doubt that works. at the circuit cao
enqanger the realization of the race." Another inspe,tion on · with Alex Barros, their ourreni 500cc rider. If he goes, they plan'
British national solo champion. The current ADM motor' is ao inAugust'21 is eXr>ected to-give the. all-clear for the·race.
.
to ruo·current 250 rider Nobuatsu Aokl on a 500cc Honda Vline hur derived from the long·serving Yamaha motor. The solo
ver.sion may be similar: or may'be a hew three~.cylindermotot.
twin, and middle .brother Takuma Aoki' (domestic' Japanese
The hunchback look seems to be Qatching on. The snail tail:was
champion) on a 500cc V-four.. :
a'iant tracksiae TV 'screens are a boon, but not only for·.spectafirst seen on Tetsuya.Harada's works Marlboro Yamaha'250,
.tors - as 250cc-class i.\.prilia· privateer Olivier: Petrucciani
and is. supposedly an aerodynamic aid. At Brno: 125 ·prlv.at,,!er Vama'ha i's expected t6 increase'. Its· ·250cc-.ciass presence;
Lucio Cecchinello's Team GP3 Honda almos.t .was 'dwarfed by a' '. with a two-rider team run by fanner champion' Christian Sarron.
discovered on the first day of practice. 'Circulatin'g in h'is usuai
oear carbon-fiber rea. end.
.
.
.
fielding French 'riders .Regis· Laconl (current 250cc' privateer)
·high·te.ens position, he sp,otted on the screen that· HI? Honda
rider Jurgen· Fuchs was closing up behind. He was ready to
and William Costes IThunclerbike slarl. Ii. third Yamaha is ear.tu,k ;"n' behind' for a t.ow: and pr.omptly iook almost. a 'se"orid off
Daryl Elea"ie Is expeote,t back for the final round .of the Eurarnarkeil for H.B.Hqnda rider Jurgen.Fuchs CHB IS pulling' qui next..
his best tirpe so far·for a.best-e"e~sixth-fastest.time. ·
.
.
. · pean season after mjssiog seven ra~es. The Luoky Strike' Suzuki.
year). There are expected to be four works Hondas, for Ralf
rider hopes to be fit in tim.e for the .Caialunya GP,. and the last
Wa.ldm'mn, Olivier Jacque, Toliru Ukawa and ·H.arachuki Aoki.
The fuIl".3.34-mile·length o!the Brno circuit ':Vas r.esur!a·ced nihe
t'(>/o rounds of lhe·se~son.in" Brazil and his home QP'in Aostralia..
'weeks bef.ore tbe GP.· Some sections including the .plt lane
"I'm 'fully 'recovered from the concu.ssioo: The. problem nOW is
Desperate 'to find a' sorutio,; to. Tetsuya Harada's c~ntin~ing
were widenei:L an-d the·.last corher sligblfy changed. The.green.
getting my left 'arm back to strength," he sai<;l. He. broke his arm .. malaise, ·team boss .Waynl' .RaineY is to put SpaniSh rider
.surface led to the. usual complain!s of a .lad': of grip - in spite of
an_d sustllined' a small skull fracture w~en' he crashed at the
S.ete Gibe.nau on the Michelin-shod works Marlboro Yamaha
French GP, the. third round 6f.the European season.
.
a World Superbfke race here six 'weeks 'ago, ·there was not .
250. "We .nee·d to'hawe ~ome. other. inpu.t to helpTets~ya'," said.
'.
'
. .
.
'mu9h rubber laid .down'on the racing iine.·More suprising w~s
Rai'ney diplomatically, thOUgh off the record.ne is a lot harsher- in
the assertion. that SOrTJE! corners were actually· bumpfer .than · P';fnce' Albert of· Monaco ;""as' Jirsf-.time. visitor to 'th",
his comments on the foqner Wod? Champion, iN.ho 'dislikes ih,,!
before. Bo~h Lucky Strike S.uzuKi riders; Sc,?" .Russ.ell and
Czech Republic QP, flo';",,· in as the 'g'uest of t-Aarlboro' as. p~rt' tires so much that·.he s"ems t6 have given .uP trying.
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