Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127854
ROAD RACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROAD RACE SERIES Bounil11: British Grand Prix tie for third, won in the end by Alex Barros on the Gresini Honda, making him the first privateer Honda V-twin ride r to make it to the rostrum. He'd batted Rainey Yamaha ri der No rifumi Abe off across the grass mid race to keep the place, then seen off a cha lle nge fro m Red Bull Yamaha's Luca Cadalora only when the Italian rider dropped away with ignition problems on the pen ultimate lap. FCC Honda's Nobua tsu Aoki was a close fourth; Cada lor a retai ned fifth by only o ne seco nd fro m Lu cky Strike Suzu ki rid er Dary l Beattie , in the Au stra lian rider's second -bes t finish of a bad year. Tea mmate Anthony Go bert did no t finish after suffering ha nd cramps after just four la ps. Ea rlie r, Marlboro Honda 's Ralf (Lett) How does "four-tlme World Cham pi on Michael Doohan " sound? The Australian wrapped up his fourth crown with a victory at Oon lngton Park, despite pre ssure fr om Tadayuki Oka da. (Below) The second lap of the SOOcc Bri ti sh Grand Prix - an d Alex Barros (4) leads the way. · . By Michael Sco tt P ho tos by Go ld & Goose OONlNGTON PARK. ENGl.AND, AUG. 17 ich a el Doo han has n' t wo n e ve ry ra ce this year - in Sp a in he was second after h is p o w e r· va l ve li n kage failed. But he has put up a superb performance at eve ry race. H is o p p os i ti o n ha s n ot b ee n th e stro nges t or most numerous, es pecia lly since his Rep sol Hon da team mate Alex Criv ille cras he d o u t in H olland - bu t Doohan ha s never slackene d off. H e rides as man y laps as anyo ne in practice, and sta rts every race as if he means to win it. The reward came at the British GP at Donington Park. In front of a good crowd of 30,000, Doohan fought hard with anothe r Repsol Honda team mate, Tadayuki Okada , fo r victo ry. H e smashed Kevin Schwantz's lap record dating back to 1991 - on his 30th and final lap to make sure of the win. And only then did he think of the championship. "What I enjoy is the instant gratification of winning races," he said later. "To win the race and the Championship on the same day really is a big high." For'the victory - the 44th in his career and 10th this year - meant that Doohan cannot now be beaten . He is 500cc Wor ld Champion for the fourth time in succession, joining Giacomo Agostini and Mike Hailwood in this distinction, a nd ou ts tri pping all his contem porary rivals. "The bike worke d perfect ly tod ay, just the way it has all year. Every credit for this fourth title is to Jeremy Burgess and the res t of the crew," Doohan said . "They have to put up with me when I gn into the pits shouting and screaming, and if I was to dedicate this championship to anyone, it would be them." Beaming and talkative afte r the race, he continued: "When I started in 1989, I never dr eamed that this wo uld happen. I ha d thought that a t the a ge o f 32 I might have got racing ou t of my system. But that's not the case. I'm enjoying it more now than when 1 was 23." ~ The race at Doni ngto n Par k too k place in heat-wave co nd itions. with Sunday slightly cooler than the tw o days of practice. Doo ha n and Okada were we ll away up front; but there wa s a good bat- Waldmann took a win to be proud of in yet another breath taki ngly dose 250cc race. The lead changed hands four times on the last lap alo ne, wi th second-placed Tet su ya Harad a on th e Ap rilia losin g victory with yards to go when he braked too late fo r th e fin a l hair p in, ru nning wide and narrowly escaping cras hing.