Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

u~~" ",' ,~4~ "' -,.,.. " ...-~ ~ ' ,f'~"l"l~;, ~ :..:(.~~ "'._ _ ~_. lowed by a runner-up finish in the second race behind his teammate and this time in front of Fogarty. The former World Superbike Champion's pair of thirds solidified his second in the championship points ahead of new third-place rider Slight, but the Brit trails leader Kocinski by 14 points. Kawasaki factory pilots Akira Yanagawa and Simon Crafar continue to impress, with Yanagawa taking pole in dry conditions and Crafar third-fastest. Unfortunately, the auspicious start to their weekend's efforts ended with the teamma tes trading fifth in the two wet races with Yanagawa crashing in the first and Crafar landing seventh in race two. Still, Crafar sits fourth in the championship with his 52 points. Yanagawa is eighth with 24. As for the American dream team of Colin Edwards II and Scott Russell, both factory Yamaha riders themselves struggling in the wet, with Edwards getting the better result for his efforts in the form of a sixth and eighth, while Russell hit the pavement in race one and could only muster a seventh on his spare bike in race two. Edwards is fifth in the championship with 38 points while Russell nine points behind in sixth. RACE ONE With the rain pouring down on the circuit and only some 10,000 spectators opting to sit in the stands rather that watch the race live from their armchairs at home, the 27 starters of the second World Superbike round of the year knew that this was going to be a completely different ball game than what they had been playing during dry practice and qualifying in the days leading up to the event. The rain did not temper pole-sitter Yanagawa's enthusiasm, however. The Japanese stormed to the front as the lights went to green and seemed bent on showing the rest of the field the way around the circuit. The tour lasted until the first ~cane. Then the Japanese went down ana had to retire. "The rear tire had no grip at all on the new surface," Yanagawa said. "I could not can trol the bike and down I went. Maybe my start had been a bit too good." The lead stayed within the Kawasaki camp for another few turns, when Italian veteran Piergiorgio B.ontempi took over, profiting fully from the excellent starting position his qualifying Dunlops had procured him. On the second lap, Bontempi moved from first to third in three comers' time, when Fogarty stormed past Russell to take second and immediately afterward went on to take the lead, with Russell in his slipstream after passing Bontempi. An extremely determined Russell then forced his way next to Fogarty, moved in front of him and successfully fended off a counterattack by the Ducati rider down the long straight at the back of the circuit. Another lap later, things were getting a bit clearer at the front of the field. Russell was still leading, but this time he had Chili all over his back, with Fogarty, Slight, Whitham and Kocinski already losing some ground on the two top men. A few laps later, Chili started charging and pushed Russell back to second, arid looked ready to walk away with his first victory of the season. At that time (only some eight laps into the race), the first slower riders were in sight and a bit later being lapped. Russell was better at this game, and got back on Chili's tail. At the same time somewhere down the field, Mike Hale crashed his Suzuki. "I just gassed it a fraction too quick and slid to the ground," said Hale, who had only ridden in the wet twice before. At that time, the Texan was riding in 11th spot. Hale's teammate James Whitham was doing even better, battling it out with Kocinski, Fogarty and Slight over third position. As Chili once again seemed to get everything under control and able to move away from Russell, the focus centered on the group of riders running behind the Georgian. First, Kocinski succeeded in getting away and now had his sights set at getting by Russell in second. Then Whitham lost the front end under braking for the right-hander before the start and finish line, thus ending all hopes of a good result for Suzuki. At the halfway stage, everything seemed to settle at the front. Chili was leading with a small margin over Russell, with Kocinski trying to get back on the Yamaha rider's tail but without too much success at first. Former teammates Fogarty and Slight also seemed to have come to some kind of a truce, with the Honda rider in fourth and Fogarty behind. But just as it seemed Kockinski might find his way up to Russell, the former World Superbike Champion started to claw his way back up to Chili, and actually got in front of him again after diving inside the Italian in the first lefthand comer after the start/finish line. Almost at the same time, Fogarty launched a successful attack on Slight for fourth place. Russell's lead was not long-lived however, and despite some huge slides Chili took first back again, with Russell finally seeming to settle for second. But with three more laps to go, things really started to heat up. First, Kocinski seemed to get really close to Russell, who then got faster again and looked to be catching up with leader Chili once more. The suspense ended a few corners before the checkered flag. Just as Edwards was being lapped, one of the Yamahas went down - in a very fast corner. Russell had gone down in these final stages, losing second place and knocking himself out of the race. . "I could have won that race easy," the Georgian said. "When I had the lead on lap 16 there was a slow rider who almost took me out in turn one. I followed Chili for most of the race but I was so frustrated - I couldn't see. I was making small mistakes, then I calmed down. Toward the end I was reeling Chili in again. [ knew I could catch him but just as I had settled for second I went down. The rear end slid out just as in Australia. I couldn't feel my hands, I couldn't see - it was miserable out there It's easy to make a mistake. In those conditions you have to be smooth." Sliding through the gravel pit at a high speed, Russell finally hit his head against a hay bale and then the wall. His visor was ripped off his helmet, but he was uninjured. As the American was escorted in.to the ambulance, Chili took his first victory of the year in front of Kocinski and Fogarty. "I couldn't feel my hands anymore a t the end of the race because of the cold," Chili said. "Also, one cylinder hadn't been working very well on the last laps. I think Russell made a mistake pushing too hard. I saw him crash in the corner, because I was just looking over my shoulder to see where he was. j would have stayed in front of him anyhow, because I'd shown that [could get away from him when j started to push harder when the rain started to fall harder." Kocinski finished second thanks to Russell's misfortune, though it appeared as though he might have caught the factory Yamaha rider. "j was catching Russell at the end." Kocinski said. "Maybe I used up my rear tire in the beginning of the race, when I had to come back from a long way back. I think the engine had gotten some water in it, because it didn't run too well." Fogarty, until recently a poor bet in wet races, explained his strategy very simply. "It was very slippery out there," Fogarty said. "Just a lottery. The only thing Pier-Francesco Chili won the opening leg in his home race, but mechanical problems forced him out of the second race. I could think about was to stay upright until the end." Slight ended the race in a lonely fourth place after being involved in the hectic four-way battle earlier in the 25lap race "I just didn't feel that comfortable, and after crashing in the wet race in Australia I had to be certain I did not repeat that," Slight said. Crafar finished fifth after a pass on Edwards, who didn't feel he could stick with Crafar and settled for sixth. "The bike wasn't quite right," the Texan said. "I couldn't feel the front and I'm going to have to go for some softer springs in the next race. I've got to get it more evenly balanced next time out. I eased off in the last six or seven laps. Once Simon got passed me and I saw how good he was going I thought, 'No way.' The tires felt good - the only problem was the setup, which was way off." Sevenfeen riders finished, with only five ending the race on the same lap as winner Chili. RACE TWO After the many crashes in the first race, everyone seemed to have one plan for race number two: Get to the finish in one piece. These intentions made for some tepid racing performances, with the suspense quickly lost in the early laps. Russell led the pack for two laps, but was then passed by Chili, who hoped to repeat his performance of a couple of hours earlier. It wasn't to be; From the fourth lap onward, the Ducati started to run on one cylinder, and from that moment on Chili knew that he would have to settle for one race victory for the day. Chili held on to first until lap 11, with early leader Russell quickly losing ground and places as the race wore on. On lap 12, Kocinski took command and stretched his lead over the second

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