'.
(Hon); 9. Noriyasu Numata (Suz); 10. Naoki Matsudo
(Yam); 11. Lor;" Cap;rossi (Apr); 12 Sebastian Porto (Apr);
13. aoto Ogura (Yam); 14. Jamie Robinson (Suz); 15.
Choujun Karneya (Suz); 16. jeremy McWilliams (Hon); 17.
Luis d' Antin (Yam); 18. Oliv~ Petrucciani (Apr); 19. l..uca
Ilosroscwo (lion); 20. lose LuUo Cardoso (Yam); 21. Franco
Battaini (Yam); 22. Cristiano Migliorati (Hon).
Time: 41 minutes, 42.226 sees.
OUotance 19 laps, 69.23 miles.
Average spe'rd: 99.6aJ mph.
Ma,rgin 01 vidory: 0.208 sees.
Fastest lap: Tetsuya Harada. 2oIO.253/loo.m mph, lap 16
250cc WORLD CHAMPtONSHIP POINT STANDINGS
ergh (2021.244); 22. Jurgen Fuchs
(H2.258); 23. Alessandro GranUgru (2013.414); 24. Lucio
Pedeergh (Hon); 16. IGrI: McCarthy (Yam); 17.
Fergh (2).
Honda rules, Alex Criville, Michael
Doohan and Tadayuki Okada celebrate
their accomplishments on the Suzuka
podium,
Upcoming rounds:
Round 3 - Jerez, Spain, May 4
Round 4 - Mugello, Italy, May 18
Brieflv.·..
-
Lucky Strike Suzuki's Anthony Gobert was noticeably absent
from Suzuka amid a swirl of rumors, the best of which were that
he'd contacted Ducati about a World Superbike ride and that his dismissal from the Suzuki team was imminent. Team -Lucky Strike
Suzuki team manager Gany Taylor 'did his best to squelch the sec·
and rumor, saying: 'In Malaysia, Anthony decided not to ride.
TholLgh he was fit from a doctor's perspective, he decjded his collar·
bone was giving him too much trouble.' Gobert first broke his collar·
bone at a Suzuki test at the end of last year, the.n rebroka it testing
just before the season started, after which he had it surgically plated,
then again in practice in Malaysia. "He agreed he should rest for this
one as well and come back to Jerez (site of the Spanish GP) fully
fit. ' "The truth may be somewhat different. According to a Lucky
Strike insider, Gobert had proved to be more of a discipline problem
than the team had thought and was told to stay home as. a way of
putting him in his place. It is believed that he was forced to undergo
a urine test in Malaysia. This year Lucky Strike Suzuki hired fanner
500<;c rider Stu Avant of New Zealand as the 'rider liaison.' In lay·
man's tenns he was hired to babY·sit G9bert.
'We're kinda. surprised Jean·Michel (Bayle) made the finish,' Kenny
Roberts said after Jean·Michel Bayle finished 14th and earned the
Modenas KRV3 its first two World Championship. points. "We
raced today with the same parts we left the factory with a couple of
weeks ago and with the same parts we ran in Malaysia. Of course
we still need more time and the bike should be a lot better in Spain,
but today's result was really good. It's one more step forward.'
'The race was okay: .Jean·Michel Bayle said. "We didn't take
any risks with the bika. We chose soft tires because we <;Iidn't really
expect to finish. The bike behaved pretty well and for sure a four·
cylinder would haye destroyed the tires We ran, Towards the end the
engine did start to vibrate and I knew we might have a problem on
fuel, so I slowed a Uttle. '
Kenny Roberts has said all along that they started behind the
eight ball and they hope to do some catching up when the GP trail
returns to ELLrope in two weeks time for the Spanish GP at Jerez.
Roberts has said the Modenas KRV3 will have a new seat assembly, new crankshafts assembled differently, a new, stiffer and lighter
chassis, several new piston designs, and new cylinders. Roberts
said the Modenas is cU{Tently about 20 pounds over the weight limit
and be hopes to be down to the minimum weight by the Dutch TT at
Assen in late June.
Fresh off his win in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Australian Peter
Goddard jetted to Japan to fill in for Gobert. Goddard said there
was a message from team manager Garry Taylor when he arrived
back from the victory celebration asking him to come straight to
Suzuka. Goddard is familiar with the new RGV·Suzuki after having
tested it with Daryl Beattie at Phillip Island in Australia. "Ifs going to
take me all this practice until I can get comfortable on the bike,'
Goddard silid, then went out in the wet and high-sided. He qualified
18th and finished the. race in 13th place.
negotiations for months. It started at the Brands Hatch World Super·
bike race last year. We have tried to get a stronger position with
Y
