Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ROAD RACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROAD RACE SERIES By Michael Scott Photos by Gold & Goose 18 MADRID, SPAIN, JUNE 14 ovistar Honda rider Carlos "Chubby" Checa became the fourth 500cc rider to win a GP this season, driving a capacity crowd of compatriots wild as he led from start to finish. He also helped Honda break MY Agusta's record, taking the Japanese company's 21st consecutive win. But the 55,000-plus people who thronged to the classic Jarama circuit outside Madrid could hardly have complained if another of the pack of five leaders had won, even if he wasn't Spanish, after an incident-packed and consistently thrilling sixth round of the vintage 1998 season. "I think the keJ( factor was my determination," Checa said. But he was helped by at least one prominent absentee. In the first lap alone, two World Champions were eliminated in crashes. The second of them was Checa's teammate John Kocinski, who had the misfortune of being hit by Alex Barros running into the down-and-up hairpin Round 6: Grand Prix of the Community of Madrid near the end of the twisty and bumpy 2.39-mile course. Kocinski suffered a nasty fracture to his left little finger. Even more sensational was the first crash - it was none other than defending champion Mick Doohan. Sandwiched between Simon Crafar's Red Bull Yamaha on the outside and !Jy wild charger Max Biaggi's Marlboro Honda on the inside, pole starter Doohan was sent looping into the gravel. Unhurt except for a minor fracture in his left wrist, the Repsol Honda rider leaped to his feet, brandishing his fists at Crafar. The arguments over who was at fault will rage for a long time. Jt looked from every TV camera angle that Biaggi was the culprit. He had run in too fast, bounced off Doohan, and as a result made it around the comer himself. But he'd sent the Australian cannonballing into Crafar on the outside. The impact broke Doohan's left handlebar, and he was down. Crafar stayed on board but went across the gravel to rejoin dead last, behind the safety cars. After the race, Doohan and Biaggi shared an aircraft back home to Monaco. Perhaps that was why Doohan so firmly blamed Crafar. "Max ran wide, and I had to run wide with him. That was okay, until someone came past me using my line and broke my handlebar," Doohan said. "I really don't understand why people tacing at this level want to try and win the race in the first comer." Biaggi admitted to having hit Doohan. "There was another rider outside me who I touched, and that helped me make the comer," Biaggi said. "1 just got hit and went off," Crafar said, "I didn't even know it was Doohan that hit me, but if he is blaming me, it's a bit surprising." None of these men were to play any part in the race. The glory was left to Checa, who fought off a fierce challenge from Rainey Yamaha rider Luca Cadalora, in his second race in place of JeanMichel Bayle. It was all the more fearsome because the Italian was short of brakes and came close to hitting Checa several times. Cadalora actually did get his front wheel ahead more than once, but the drama did not go the distance. With four laps left, Cadalora suddenly lowed, coasting back to the pit with "something broken in the engine," according to team bos Wayne Rainey. Second Rainey Yamaha rider orick Abe was ready to take his place, however, catching up after almost losing touch midrace to take a close second, ahead of inspired V-twin Honda rider Sete Gibernau, in the race of his life. obuat u Aoki was fourth in the Suzuki's be t race in more than a year. He had also been challenging for the lead but lost a little ground at the finish with a badly sliding rear tire. A little way back came Alex Criville, heading Biaggi and Regis Laconi by inches. Criville had been another frontrunner, but he took the lead only to run straight at the first corner, rejoining for a frantic recovery ride. Crafar was eighth. A second nonfinish this year dropped Doohan to fourth in the championship, bu t CriviUe clung on to the lead in spite of his error. Jurgen van den Goorbergh was one of five who retired, in his case due to gearbox trouble. Kenny Roberts Jr. did not start; he broke a bone in his foot during practice. Aprilia's Tetsuya Harada took a start-to-finish win in an incident-packed but ultimately processional 250cc race, extending ~ championship lead over third-placed teammate Loris Capirossi. Benetton Honda's Tohru Ukawa was a steadfast second. Early leader Valentino Ros i crashed out, while Capirossi had come through from behind after ramming Chesterfield Honda rider Olivier Jacque on the second lap. Jacque went down, but Capirossi survived to come through the pack. Lucky Luchio Cecchinello won a typically exciting 125cc race after his two remaining rivals crashed into each other . with two laps remaining. The Italian had just taken the lead when UGT Honda's Tomomi Manako spun through 180 degrees just inches behind him, and Matteoni Honda's Mirko Giansanti collided head on with him. either rider was hurt. This left a distant second place to 15-year-old Marco Melandri on the Playlife Honda, fighting off Hiroyuki Kikuchi's Givi Honda. Kikuchi was riding as a replacement for the injured Noboru Ueda. Fourth-placed Kazuto Sakata of the UGT Aprilia squad retained the championship lead. SOOCc GRAND PRIX Checa was alread y in fron t for the first-corner incident, with Criville right behind him, then Abe, Cadalora and Gibernau right up behind. Gibemau dropped away slightly, but the others stayed in this ordet for the first six laps. Bu t it was anything but processional. Although the pace was not particularly fa t, with track temperatures edging up toward 104 degrees, it was high-quality racing, with plenty of close action. Abe was starting to fade, however, while Aoki was moving forward, the fastest man on the track, passing van den Goorbergh and Gibernau, then gaining on the leaders. Then Cadalora moved past Abe into third on lap seven, with Aoki following him t'.'!" l~os later. "1'd chosen soft tires, and I COUl

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