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/127939
was getting quicker and quicker, but problems with tires and brakes stopped me from really getting up front within the first half of the second race. In the final part, it finally worked out all right. 1 am glad to have won for the fans, so they can go back home with a smile on their faces after a long and cold day." Slight felt he could ha ve done better than fourth: "1 had third place in the bag, but the bike slowed for the last four laps," he said. "The rear tire let me down again, but. overall, things just didn't go my way in either of today's races. 1 was lucky to finish, so 1 should take what points I can." His teammate Edwards ended up seventh. "With the race being split in two like that, it gave us an option to use a softercompound tire," Edwards said. "We may have made a mistake, as 1 felt a vibration for most of the race - 1 assume (Above) Suzuki teammates Peter Goddard and Jamie Whitham battle in the first race. (Right) Scott Russell (44) had a miserable day, finishing 13th and 11th in the two races. it was the tire. I'm not happy at all with my results and 1 need to get down'to business in Monza and win." 0 Donington Park Donington, England Results: April 13, 1998 (Round 2 of 14) QUALlFYING: 1. Troy Corser (1 :33.707); 2. Akira Yanagawa (1 :34.364); 3. Aaron Slight 0:34.451); 4. Gregorio Lavilla (1:34.506); 5. Colin Edwards [I (1:34.553); 6. Pier-Francesco Chili (1:34.647); 7. Niall Mackenzie (1:34.725); 8. Peter Goddard (1:34.752); 9. Noriyuki Haga (1:34.756); 10. Steve Hislop (1:34.7S7); 11. Chris Walker (1:34.817); 12. James Whitham (1:34.870); 13. James Haydon (1:35.052); 14. Carl Fogarty (1:35.091); 15. Sean Emmett (1:35.172); 16. Neil Hodgson (1:35.308); 17. Scotl Russell (l:3S.49U; 18. Michael Rutter (1:35.831); 19. Piergiorgio Bontempi (1:36.067); 20. Troy Bayliss (1 :36.082); 21. Terry Rymer (1 :36.190); 22. Lucio Pedercini (1:3q.230); 23. Alessandro Cramigni (1;36.852); Corser, the oldfashioned way _ That former World Superbike Champion Troy Corser ended up-with pole position at DoningtOll Park was no big surprise - Corser is one 01 the best in the world here, proved by his hot lap in 1996, the one that took him under Kevin Scllwantz's GP lap record at the circuit. The surprise was how he ended up staying there; snow. Four riders into the Superpole session, when Noriyuki H.aga took to the track lor his warmup lap and. run for the pole, snow began to fall at the technical English circuit and it sud.denly became very unelear as tQ what would happell next. According to race official Claude Danis, the Superpole starters would be split into two equal groups if the weather conditions changed during...Superpo[e, with one group fighting over first through eighth. on the grid, and the second group for places eighth through 16th. Not long after, though, Superpole was canceled altogether and it was decided that the grid would be based 011 times from the previous qualifying sessions, just like in the good old days. That was good news for most of the riders - especially the eight fastest quaJifiers, who hadn't . even had to go out in the wet. . For CaTI Fogarty it was a disaster. After the Brit had struggled ali through regular qualifying only to set the 14th-fastest time, Fogarty, third out for Superpole, had managed to crank off a time good enough lor the front row at that point. But he waS destined to start near the back of the grid, along with the even-less-lucky Scott Russell, who would take to the track for race one in 17th. "I'm glad I don't have to go out there in the co[d," Russell joked. "On the other hand, I need some more quality time to get the bike going how [ like it. The last session was the first tinle this weekend we've got some good stuff together. At;ld during the free practice session before the Superpole, we found some other things that migllt come in handy." At the front 01 the field, Corser, lor obvious reasons, was quite happy not to have to get his leet wet on Sunday for the Superpole session. "I am still convinced that the Superpole lormat needs a bit of a ellange," Corser said. "We're glad to do it for television and the fans, but the traditional qualifying session is a much lairer way 01 establishing the grid positions. I'm not glad that the Superpole session was canceled, but it shows that this is a risky formula. Apart from that, the Dueati and the Miellelins seem to work really well here. For tomorrow, I hope to make a repeat of the second race in 1996, running away from the very start and keeping a comfortable lead until the finish." AkiTa Yanagawa qualified second. "1 think all the riders will be happy that they didn't have to risk a fast lap in these conditionsand I'm no exception," Yanagawa said. "The times are very dose, so it is importaJ1t for me to get a good start." Castrol Honda's Aaron Slight was third fastest. "That was the easiest Superpole we will have.all year!" t.he New Zealander sajd with a smile. "But I'm happy to be on the front row after being in seventh place on Saturday night after opening qualifying. I always knew I could go quicker, but I just ran OUt of time on Saturday. With the cold weather, the tire snaps away. It's just a matter of knowing how much you would like to put on the line." . Gregorio Lavilla was a surprise fourth, filling out the front row, but the Spaniard admitted . that he had recorded his two lastest lap times following Slight. Colin Edwards IT and his RC45 led off row two, as he begins to come to terms wjth his new bike aJld tires. "It's taken me a little time to get used to the bike, but I'm really into it now and am enjoying the circuit here," the Texan said. "My biggest problem is still why I don't go faster on a qualifying tire. I simpJy don't seem to be able to pull my brain out for one [ap." Pier-Francesco Chili, Neill Mackenzie and Peter Goddard joined him on the second row. Russell's Yamaha teammate Haga led off the third row, once again performing better than his teammate to qualify ninth - despite two crashes during free 'practice sessions on Thursday and Saturday. Steve Hislop, Chris Walker and]ames Whitham completed the third row. '18 tj ~