Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

"With all the trouble I had during qualifying it worked out well," Crafar said. "I was happy with the setup and the lap times 1 did. I was riding behind Hodgson and Lindholm and those leaky little bastards sprayed oil all over my visor, which didn't make things much easier." Texan Mike Hale finished 11th. "I didn't get a good start and 1 had some rear tire problems," he explained. "So' we're going to make some suspension adjustments and put a harder tire The opposition would be even stiffer for Fogarty in the second race. The holeshot this time was grabbed by Hodgson, but the Brit would only lead for a few hundred yards. After a few comers, Fogarty took command, hoping was giving it all he had - once again was passed at exactly the same place in exactly the same manner. And again the Honda rider succeeded in getting back in front at the start of the very last lap. Having taken their positions at the back of the circuit, the trio stormed back to the last chicane almost side by side. As expected, Kocinski tried again to outbrake Fogarty and dive into the inside of the comer. Fogarty saw it all happen, but chose a different line which enabled him to get back at the same on Kocinski a lot earlier than he did in the previous laps. Kocinski and Fogarty gassed it up almost at exactly the same time, with Corser joining the lead duo. One of the most exciting dashes to the finish of the last couple of years finally saw Fogarty taking his second win of the day, with only five hundredths of a second lead over Corser and seven hundredths over Kocinski.. ''I'm very happy for this weekend," Fogarty said. "1 really wanted to win both races, also because nobody else has had a double win before on an RC45. Toward the end of the race, 1 was in agony because of my broken rib. And I also had problems tearing my visor off, which was full of flies and blurred my view. l.knew that John (Kocinski) would try to get past in the chicane, and that 1 to get a more comfortable cushion between himself and his colleagues. It was not to be. After five laps, Fogarty was still leading, but Corser, Chili and Kocinski were in very hot pursuit. Everybody had a go at leading at one time or another, and things got a bit less complicated only around half distance, when Chili slowly but surely lost ground on the three others. All hell really broke close some four laps before the end when Kocinski got on the inside of Corser on the last comer before the start and finish, and gave Fogarty the same treatment one lap later. The World Champion wasn't going down without a fight, and he got the American back at the end of the straight. One lap later, however, Fogarty - who would have to run wide coming out in order to try to lose him. 1 did not, however, realize that Troy (Corser) was that dose." Corser was happy to take second: "It was obvious that John would try to pass Carl in the chicane on the last lap. 1 drew back a bit and hoped that they ~ would slow each other up. I'd hoped to 0\ get both of them, but I'm happy to finish r l where 1 did." ' For Kocinski, there was another story. "1 definitely had a problem," he explained. "1 only got passed on the straight, but I could get back in the corners. So 1 knew that 1 had to try something. It didn't work out." Chili finished a lonely fourth, with Slight passing Hodgson after a race-long battle. on." Suzuki-mounted Kirk McCarthy lost out on a race-long duel with DUtchman Jeffry De Vries on a borrowed factory Yamaha YZF750 and had to be happy with 14th and only two points. "Things went better than qualifying," the Australian McCarthy said. "1 did have some setup problems and the bike wasn't really stable and felt a bit nervous. I had two good tires on, but that didn't help too much." RACE TWO (Opposite page) Carl Fogarty (1), PierFrancesco Chili (hidden), Jamie Whitham (69), Troy Corser (2), John Kocinski (hidden) and Aaron Slight (3) blast off the line in the first of two World Superbike races at Assen. (Above) Carl Fogarty rode his Castrol Honda to two convincing wins In Holland. (Right) John Kocinski (11), Fogarty (1) and Troy Corser (2) battle in the second race. 'slightly, the American finally got past Slight and he started his attack on Corser, who was holding down third place. With five laps to go, Kocinski got into the slipstream of his Australian rival, and that was the beginning of some ba hing among Slight, Corser and Kocinski. All three managed to stay on two wheels, even though Kocinski went onto the grass in the infamous Geert Timmerchicane before start and finish in an effort to take third position. At the end, Fogarty took the checkered flag, in &ont of Chili and the fearsome trio of Slight, Corser and Kocinski. "Fortunately, I had a good start," Fogarty said. "And actually, I was only worried about ChilL He was staying very close and he was obviously faster than me at the end of the straight. In the dosing stages I was lucky to pull away and to secure victory." Chili was happy, especially so since he'd beaten Kocinski. " "In Italy, they only talk about John Kocinski instead of giving some credit to the Italian riders," he said. "Let me tell you, he is only a man just like us. He is not God." Slight would have preferred to have finished in a better position than third, though it didn't do too much damage to his title chances. "I thought I was catching the front guys, but my problem was the block racing by other riders," the Kiwi said. "I was held up pretty much and couldn't do any better. Corser and Kocinski were as bad as each other. Kocinski was bloc.k-passing me everywhere. He would come in hard on the brakes and then run wide, which did nothing but mess up my lap. Maybe that's what Kocinski has picked up at Kenny Roberts' training ranch." Corser and his Promotor Ducati crossed the line fourth, just ahead of· Kocinski. "I really had a hard time with my rear tire, which proved to be too soft," the AuStralian said. "At halfway distance 1 started sliding all over the place. My mechanics had to build ~n engine from different parts, which was pretty much okay; top-end wasn't too good, though. If this afternoon we have the same temperatures, I'll put on another tire. Actually, 1 hope it'll rain." Whitham came home sixth, with Crafar a lonely eighth. 5

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