front of me and all four of us were right
there together at the end."
Seventh-place Crafar also thought
things would have been somewhat differen t if he had been on different tires.
"With Hockenheim and Monza coming up as Honda-friendly tracks, we had
hoped to make points on the RC45s in
these races:' the Kiwi said. "Akira and
me felt really confident last night, but
when we got up this morning and
looked out of the window, we knew that
we were going to be in trouble and that
the Michelin guys were going to have a
good day."
Hale finished 12th, in the process
scoring his first World Superbike points
aboard the Suzuki. "That was real hard
work but worth it for my first Suzuki
points:' the Texan said. "I was determined to make the finish no matter
what."
Average speed: 79.085 mph.
Margin of victory: 31.863 sec.
Fastest lap: John Kocinski, l:52.706/BO.403mpK
WORLD SUPERBIKE C'SHIP SERIES POINT
STANDINGS ounds-pf vegetables, 175 Rounds of fruit, 140'pouryds
.team knew when to exp~Cl Russell at the Bologna airport, When
Superbike. rounqs. '"We feel confident 'that a manufacturer might' of cheese. and' 136() pounds of bread, all of which should have
· the former World Champion arrived just:in time for the sec'ond
step in (rom.' 998' onward .with .so-called replica-ra·cers. which, 'been eno.ugh {or over 1000 meals."
·free practi.ce on Saturday morning. the te'am jssueo a press
should fill the gap between the inaccessible factOf)"racers and the'
release stating: "The American was placed under police custody . affordable kit bikes that lack cOmpetitiveness.· AccorDing to
The 'first round of the Supersport World Series offered about
for a traffic violation in the Uriited States and missed his flight. He
Whitelock, it isn't yet clear whether the manufacturer will use a V-. ·the same ingredients as both superbike heats"" Ducati ·riders had'
was c.aught speeding 'excessively io his Porsche 91" .Twin Tufho. '. four, an in·line four, or a V-twin fOr this· replica-racer.: But Honda
a hard time and several title"candidates wenl down. After an early
'The '1993 Superbike ~orld Champio" no"'! wants to put the inci: . ·and Suz.uk/·are the ~ost likely manufactiJrersto'have plans'itl that. lead by former European 'Supersport champion Michael Paquay."
deot behin.d him and cO~\,ehtrate on the. important second round
direction. The technical specialists .also stated that the homologa- .reigning' champion Fabrizio Pirovano took over. but 'his lead was
·of. the championship .here in Misano. Italy." According to the tion threshold for. the manufacturers .is unlikely to be lowered" in
short-lived, One lap later. he crashed hisDucati on oil. Paqu.y got'
.t.eam .. Russell had been cllughl doing" 65 mph: On Saturday, the
the' next couple of years. "as a p~riod of ·regul"tory stability' is ·the lead back, but also went down half a lap later. The Belgian
Yamaha ri'der was again 'drawing lines on the' tarmac, but this time . needed in any ·co~petition. "Thi,s might prevent Harley-Davidson" suqceeded in getting hiS nearly 1,"scathed Honda CBR 'back onto
aboard hi~.facto& Vamaha:
. ' .
for in,stanc<: from entering the ~orld. sC1loe, but Aprilia and Cagiva. the track; but coyld not·prevent.Mass·imo Meregalli from getting in
. have theirsuperbi.kes ",nniQg and will. more than. probably get into
front. Meregatli would take the 'checkered flag, in'front of fOl1T)er'
Honda Castrol team manager Neil Tuxwortti.ls getting 'more . the'championship from next year onward_"
"superbike rider Stephane Mertens. who had conie from 35th on
'ang more i~pressed by the performance of his new' rider John' .
.'.
'.
. '
the starting grid. Pacjuay finished third. Unlike the superbike field,
Kocinski. - evef'·tho.ugh h" admits that tie had be~n pretty skepti. . Of the 27 riders On the. g.rid, sev,:,al' ~o-called fixed .~.. ". the grid for superport was filled to the limit. w,th seyeral. hotshots
not finishing the. race. Paolo Casali,' Mauro. Lucchiar.i. Fred
cal.about the collaboration when the possibility ca(T1e up at the .... Wf;!re absent. In the begl.nnlng of the season,. '18 nders had Signed
a contract with Flamini. fordng them to take paft in every 'race of .' Bayens', Fabrizio. pirovano and Yves .Briguet all retired before the.
end of 1996.."It .turf's out to. be easier to .work with John than
·expectl'd.· T.uxwqrth said. '"He gives .very clear indications as to
the series, a~d at the ·same time granting them participation and . race was·over.
.'. .
.
.
.what the bike does. and .to wbat could be done to 'rem~ it: This
tr.avel allo;vanc!",. The cq~tract also' stipulated that riders who fail.
makes life a·l.ot easier for the mechanics than it'was the case with' . to show.up at any:race. without a valid' excuse wili lose their right : .Ac?ording to Nell· tfodlillOl!: he owed "his e~cellerit four:th place
in race two to Oiancarlo Falappa.. fhe flambpyant Itaiian, whose
.some other rider~ .we have been working with: in' recent times: ·10. those altow!'nce.s. and vvill incur an: FIM sanction, At Phillip
John arso worlrI< right'From the start of pur partiqipetiOf' in World .World Soperflike racing: is getting. bigger every. tim~, judging from .' cuit. :as the grip is very precllrious ·there. And that is 'exactly what
the ,,",~d numbers aroune! the track and the number of hosp':" .. he did,. Hodgs~nfinished ~eventhaDd ~~urth.·:,
.
Superbike raCing, ~ut it.is only'this year.that we can :-vorl< this ~ffi~
f'
