Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ROAD RACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROAD RACE SERIES Aprilia rider's hands full with Stefano Perugini's works Honda in sixth. Another three second down came QUB Team Optimum Honda's Jeremy McWilliams after a fine race for the Ulsterman. All weekend he'd been fighting a flu, but by Sunday he'd led this four-strong group for much of the race, only fading at the end in the exhausting heat. Pole starter Jurgen Fuchs and his Docshop Aprilia lost his big chance by choosing too hard a rear tire. Cautious at the start, he'd thought his fast practice lap time would allow him to make up the time. Not so, as he slid every time he opened the throttle hard, and he soldiered home in eighth. Aprilia-mounted Sebastian Porto was also out of luck. He'd been one of the first away, only to be knocked off the track on the first lap, and he too had been obliged to battle his way through to finish ninth. Jose-Luis Cardoso's Yamaha was 10th, with Takeshi Tsujimura's imilar machine 11th, and Noriyasu Numata's Suzuki only 13th, behind new privateer Roberto Rolfo's Honda. Harada took the title lead, with 38 points to Jacque's 27. Japan's wild cards Katoh (25) and Nakano (20) come next, with Ukawa and Capirossi tied for fifth (20). 125cc GRAND PRIX Front-row starter Roberto Locatelli and his Polini Honda got the break and led for the first two laps, but third qualifier Mirko Giansanti and pole-sitter oboru Veda were right there with him. Giansanti took over on lap three, with Veda on his back wheel. As Locatelli gradually dropped back, a five-way banle moved away ahead. Masao Azuma and Tomomi Manako made it four Hondas, with Aprilia rider Kazuto Sakata hanging on grimly behind. By the finish, the Hondas had escaped, and they were set for a bitter battle on the last lap. The first to drop off was Manako, running wide and los...... ing touch out on the back section. Veda and Azuma were battling hard, with 0.. Giansanti just hanging on. ~ The pushing and shoving through the chicane changed the order, with Veda ahead and Giansanti second. The ..... ... 8 final drama came on the last corner, when Azuma tried too hard to regain second and went flying. In spite of him and his motorcycle both completing several ground-loops, he stood up and climbed back on board to cross the line in ninth. 11)i.s handed third back to Manako. Twelve seconds behind, Docshop Aprilia's Masaki Tokudome prevailed after a long battle with Locatelli. A disappointed Sakata faded to sixth. Then came Fred Petit, heading Angel Nieto Jr. Aprilia rider Gino Borsoi crashed out in the first corners. Andrea Ballerini was disqualified after failing to come into the pit for a stop-and-go penalty after jumping the start. Manako takes the title lead with 36 points, with earlier leader Sakata second with 35; then comes Veda (25), Azuma (23) and Tokudome (21). The first nonJapanese rider is Giansanti, with 20 points. t.· Circuit Johor Bahru Johor Bahru, Malaysia Results: April 19, 1998 us QUALIFYING, 1. Noboru Ueda (1,34.S16); 2. Roberto Locatelli (1:34.715); 3. Mirko Giansanti (1:35.004); 4. Youichi Ui 0:35.015); 5. Kazuto Sakata 0:35,020); 6. Mas..lki Tokudome 0:35.103); 7. Tomomi Manako (1:35.276); 8. Gianluigi Scalvini (1:35.367); 9. Marco Melandri (1;35.407); 10. Masao Azuma (l:35.559); 11. Frederic Petit 0:35.895); 12. Lucio Cecchinello (US.934); 13. Gino eo"",i 0,35.940); 14. Angel Nieto),. The master's turn O nce again, practice became a battle between the old master and the new up tart. This time it was won by four-time SOOcc World Champion Mick Doohan from four-time 2SOcc World Champion Max Biaggi, though.it was closely fought. Biaggi had been fastest after the first day and was quickest again two minutes before the end of the final session. Then he feU off for a second time while Doohan hunkered down to reclaim his own by less than two-tenths of a second. Like all riders, Doohan was v,'orried about tire wear. "It's mainly the front," he said. "It will be a battle of endurance tomorrow." Biaggi escaped unhurt from his tumbles, both of them front-end washouts on the downhill section that closes the lap. The first had been through excess speed, the second because he went off line to pass a slower rider. '1t w;U be difficult to overtake tomorrow," he said. Third went to Carlos Checa, less than three-tenths down in another race of very close times - the first nine within the same second. The Honda rider was confident. '1 like this track, and I have found a good rhythm," he S

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