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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127943
(Left) Suzuki teammates Peter Goddard
(6) and Jamie Whitham (8) battle.
(Above) A happy Colin Edwards II won
the first two races of. his World
Superbike career -. in his fourth season
on the circuit.
"This morning, 1 hoped for it third
place," Fogarty said. "During the first
race, 1 struggled with brake and rearsh.ock problems, but for the second race it
worked out a little better. It all boiled
down to the last comer; Troy came down
on the outside, but 1 was already wide.
After Aaron's retirement, second place
was better than what 1 hoped for, but
expect us to be back there at Albacete."
Chili, meanwhile, complained, about
many riders jumping the start.
"1 tried to catch these people again in
the opening stages, but that cost a lot of
energy and tires," the Italian said. "At
the end of the race, the tires were sliding
around a lot. I decided it was better to
close the throttle a bi t instead of risking
a crash."
Corser 'was lucky to be on two
wheels, let alone in fourth.
"The bike felt a bit slower even
though it was the same and had the
same engine," he said. "I outbraked Carl
(Fogarty) at the Parabolica but lost the
front end .and just managed to stay
upright. It has not· been a bad weekend
because I have scored my best result
here so far, and we are virtually baCk to
square one in the championship."
Goddard ended up eighth, despite
the brake scare.
"T-oward the end of the race I
grabbed the lever going into the first
chicane, and nothing happened," said
the Australian Suzuki rider. '1 'shot past
James (Whitham) and over the gravel
trap at over 250 kilometers per hour. It
was one of the most terrifying moments
of my racing career. But for that incident,1 feel sure I could have been a couple of places higher."
Brieflv..;,
Two-time European Supersport Champion Michael Paquay
died from the injuries he sustained in a terrible crash on Saturday
morning on the approach to the fi,st chicane. Leading a group of
three, the Castrol Honda rider got into the slipstream of a slower
!ider and was caught out when the rider braked earlier than
expected. Paquay was run over by Ferdinanda di Masso and
Sebastien Charpentier. neither of whom could do anything to
avoid the fallen rider. Paquay 'eceived heart massage for about
45 minutes before he could be taken to a hospital in Monza. He
died at the hospital a few hours later. Just the day before.
Paquais younger teammate. James Toseland. had afso crashed
heavily and suffered a broken lower leg.
.A scheduled meeting between Maurizio Flammini. FIM and
the manufacturers in Monza was canceled at the last moment. It
is understood that the manufacturers still have not worked out a
common position as to technical and homologation rules to be
adapted. It is believed that the manufacturers are against stricter
rules - except maybe for some vital components such as crankshafts and connecting rods. Another big issue concerns the introduction' of special racing kits. which would actually do away with.
the current homologation rules. As things look now, the common
set of propositions to be made to FIM to deliberate does not
seem to oppose so 'much the -iapanese vs. the European manufactu,ers, but more the two·cylinder builders vs. the four-cylinder
-manufacturers. A cbmmon position is expected to be presented
to the FIM at the Brands Hatch 'round 'in a few months. According
to Paolo Flammlni. a new set of rules will be introduced in 2000 or
200t. aiming at lowering the costs ol'Worid Superbike racing and
.making competitive bikes more a~ailable lo~ priv~teers.
'According to Paolo Flammini. th'e Malaysian round of the
championship will be canceled and the season will end in Sugo.
Japan. Tl)e Johor circuit lost its international homologation afte'
the Malaysian Grand Prix, when the asphalt was thoroughly dam·
Haga had to settle for 10th. "It was
hard today for me," said Haga, who
only just managed to keep his championship lead. "It was also frustrating and
hard to bear. It was hard to bear going
around in 10th position and also hard to
bear the pain. I am happy it is all over.
Braking was not so bad, but changing
direction was the real problem for me
here. The fast chicanes where you have
to really force the bike was very bad for
me."
l'N
Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Monza, Italy
Results: May 10, 1998 (Round 3 of 15)
QUALIFYING, 1. Aaron Slight H:46.651); 2, T,oy
Corser 0:47.252); 3. Colin Edwards n (1:47.494); 4. Carl
Fogarty 0:47.727); 5. Pier-Francesco Chili 0:47.862); 6.
Akira Yanagawa 0:4.7.987); 7. Neil Hodgson 0:48.134);
8. James Whitham (1 :48.317); 9. GregoriO Lavilla
(1:48.583); 10. Piergiorgio 60ntempi 0:48.737); 11. Scott
Russell (1:48.897); 12. Andreas Meklau 0:49.250); 13.
Igor Jerman (1 :49.741); 14. Alessandro Cramigni
(1:50.904); 15. oriyuki Haga 0:52.660); 16. Pete.r
Godd..d 0:48.806); 17. LucioPedercini (1 :50.230); 18.
F,-ederic Protat(I:SI.167); 19. E'kiol Ko'l'iaho (1:51.168);
20. Paolo Blora (1 :52.700); 21. Jean-M.arc Deletang
(1:52.949); 22. Gio'gio Cantalupo (1:52.962); 23. ji,i
M'kyvka (1 :53.590); 24, And..w Stroud (1 :53,626); 25.
Ivo Mnoldi (1:54.262); 26, Micha] Bu.... (1:54.531); 27,
F.. usto Poyer (1 :54.873); 28. Bruno 5C'atol.. (1 :55.155); 29.
Paolo Malvini (1 :55.262); 30. Vladimir Karban (1 :55.606);
aged. The Kyalami. Souih Africa, round will surely take place. as
SBK International has. a five-yea, contract with the organizers
the'e. A s",!itch to the new (still-to-be puilt) circuit of Welkom .near
Johannesburg is not being considered.
Neil Hodgson finally started to look good on the Ka",!?saki at
Monza. "Since the second race in Donington Park. Neil has found
a new motivation," said team manage' Harald Eckl. "Mer the
Suzuka 8 Hours practice a week ago. he said that he finally had
cracked the code to ride the Kawasaki hatd." The Brit confim\ed
this. "The last two years. I had been bitten too often by the
Ducatis." he said. - But to have good lap times. you have to ride.
the Kawasaki really aggressively, just like Anthony Gobert did,
Now I've reached the point where I can convince myself to keep
the gas on it. even if it starts to slide. With the Ducati, that would
have not been the cleverest thing, to do." Hodgson was also
reported to use- old tires On purpose during practice. in order to
get the feel 'of the bike moving around a lot underneath him.
Hodgson (as well as James Whitham) also used for the first time
the Japanese Dunlop tires that Haga has been using for the whole
'season. They offer a different characteristic and allow the riders
to slide more.
31. Gianni Valtulini 0:56.194); 32. Jesus Rodriguez
(1 :57.000).
RACE ONE: 1. Colin Edwards fI (Hon); 2. Aaron
Slight (Hon); 3. Troy Corser (Dud; 4. Neil Hodgson
(Kaw); 5. Pier~Francesco Chili (Due); 6. Carl Fogarty
{Dud; 7. Peter Goddard (5uz); 8. James Whitham (502);
9. Noriyuki Haga (Yam); 10. Gregorio Lavilla (Due); 11.
Andreas Meklau (Due); 12. Alessandro Gramigni (Due);
13. Igor Jerman (Kaw); 14. Lucio Pedercini (Due:); 15.
Erkka Korpiaho (Kaw); 16. Frederic Protat (Hon); 17.
Paolo Blara (Due); 18. Giorgio Cantalupo (Due); 19.
Jean·Marc Deletang (Yam); 20. Jiri Mrkyvka (Hon),
Time: 32 min., 24.648 sec.
Di.stance: 18 laps, 64.39 miles.
Average speed: 119.2] mph.
Mugin of victory: 0.083 sec.
Fastest lap: Aaron Slight. 1:46.856/120.52 mph.
RACE TWO: 1. Colin Edwards Il (Hon); 2. Carl
Fogarty (Due); 3. Pier-Francesco Chili (Due); 4. Troy
Corser (Due); 5. James Whitham (5uz); 6. Akira
Yanagawa (Kaw); 7. Neil Hodgson (Kaw); 8. Peter
Goddard (Suz); 9. Andreas Mcklau (Due); 10. Noriyuki
Haga (Yam); 11. Piergiorgio Bontempi (Kaw); 12. Igor
Jerman (Kaw); 13. Alessandro Gramigni (Due); 14. Ludo
Pedercini (Due); 15. Erkka Korpiaho (Kaw); 16. Frederic
Protat (Hon); 17. Paolo Blora (Due); 18. Giorgio
Cantalupo (Due); 19. Jean-Marc Deletang (Yam); 20.
Paolo Malvini