ROAD RACE
W RLD C
O
HAMPIONSH
IP
ROAD RACE SERIES
"It felt like the back and front w hee ls
weren ' t connected ," he sai d . Af ter th e
race, he stopped to in ves tigat e, an d 'he
di scovered tha t the steering damper had
tem p orar ily seized . " I wa s sca red," he
ad mitt ed . Bu t h e h a d e noug h of an
advantage to finish almost thr ee seconds
ahead of Haruchika Aoki's similar bike,
th e japanes e rider battling to hold off
th e produ ction H ond a s ' of Luca
Boscoscu ro and Roberto Rolfo , with
Takeshi Tsuji mura 's Yamaha close
be hind .
Th en came Ha ra da, w ith the two
Spanish Yama has of Lu is d' Antin a nd
Jose Ca rdoso a no the r 14 seco nds back,
in ches apa rt. Fra nco Batta in i's Yama ha
was a dista nt 13th, two seco nds clea r of
No riyasu N urna ta's Su zu ki. Jaso n Vincent took th e last point.
One man missed the fun . Fast Honda
privateer Jerem y McWilliams had sta rted in stormi ng fashion, well up with the
leaders, only to cras h o u t on the six th
lap .
Harad a sa ved his d windlin g cha mpi o nsh ip lead , which no w s ta n ds a t
180 po in ts to Ca pi rossi's 168. Rossi has
126, Ukawa 110, Aok i 95 and Perugini
82.
125cc GRAND PRIX
Th is tim e, th e 12Scc race was m ore
like a SOOcc race of recent years. Manak o ·
took off in th e lead and stayed there for
al most the full d istance. Melandri stuck
to his back wheel as though he was bolted on.
Th e on ly change came on the last tri p
through the fina l chica ne. Melandri left
his bra ki ng ultral at e and d ived inside
Man ak o to lead . Bu t it was too lat e and
he was slow on the exit , an d the Jap anese Honda rider ou taccelerated him to
lead across the line by less than a tenth.
"I kn ew that I had braked as late as
pos si b le , and w hen h e p a s se d m e I
though t it was a m istake," th e hap p y
Manako said .
A relatively desultory group be~nd
had shru nk to three rid ers after half-dis ta nc e , a n d th en two w h en Mirko
Gia nsanti crashed his Malt eoni Ho nda.
This left Azuma and Saka ta battlin g it
out, finishing in th a t ord er, also inches
apart.
Masaki Tok udome had been wit h the
group, too, b u t he dropped bac k a fter
half-d istan ce, safe in fif th . So me way
ba ck , You ich i Ui' s Kurz Yamaha led
Roberto Locatelli and Yoshi Kat oh ove r
the line.
Lucio Ch eccinello ha d been with the
lead ers, bu t h e s li d o ff w it h 17 laps
rem ainin g . Ap rilia rid er G in o Borsoi
also fell heavily and he was taken away
with a fractu red w rist.
Sakata's title lead shru nk aga in, bu t it
is s t ill s u bs ta ntial, 198 poi n ts to
Mel and ris 158 . Man ak o h as 14 7,
Cecc h ine llo 92, To kudom e 86 a nd
Azuma 81.
l~
Monza Circuit
Monza, Italy
Results: September 6, 1998
12Sec Q UALI FYIN G: 1. Marco Mela ndri 0 :59.795);
2. Tomom i Manak o (2:00 .239 ); 3. Rob e r to Loca te lli
(2:01.004); 4. Ma saki To k udo mc (2:0 1.016) ; 5. Luci o
Cecc hinel lo (2:01.247); 6. Hiroyu ki Kiku chi (2:01.295); 7.
Mir ko Cla nsa n ti (2:01.308); 8. Kazu to Sakata (2:01.344);
9 . Ma sao A zuma (2 :01. 465 ); 10 . Ma nue l Poggia li
(2 :0 1.479 ); 11. G ino Bo rs o! (2 :0 1.49 1); 8 , G ia n lu ig i
Scal vini (2:0 1.510) ; 13. Steve je nkn er (2 :01.53 2); 14.
Yosh ia ki Kat ob (2 :0 1.719); 15 . Em ili o Ale z a m o r e
(2:01.885 ); 16. Iva n Go i (2:02.167); 17. Ia rosfa v Hu les
(2:02.189); 18. Riccardo Ch iarello (2:02.497); 19. Frederic
Peti t (2:02.62 1); 20. And rea Za PPt:'
Luis Ca rdoso (Ya m) ; 13. Fran co Batt ai n i (Yam ); 14.
Noriyasu N u ma ta (5 uz); 15. Jason v ince nt (Ha n); 16.
Dav ide Bulega (H o n); 17, Dit:go Gi ug ova z (A pr); 18.
Oo.lm u Miya7.aki (Yam); 19. Igor Antone lli (A pr) ; 20.
Yas u Ha tak eya ma (Ho n); 21. Joh.m Stis d d t (5uz ); 22.
Ma tth ieu Lag r ive (Hon); 23. Fili ppo CUlli (Ho n); 24.
Federico Ga rtner .
.
T ime: 43 min .• 43.815 !'ot'C
D~ sl3.n c e: 23 laps, 70.302 mill.
,,:,
Average speed: % .472 m ph
Margin of victory: 2,687 ~;·c.
Fas tes t lap: Te tsuya Hara da , la p 21. 1:52.533
250« WOR LD CSH IP POINT ST ANDINGS (Af '" 11
of 15 rounds ): 1. Te tsuya H ~rnd a (181/ 5 wi ns); 2. Lori s
Ca priossi 0 66 / 2); 3. Vall'n tmu Rossi (126 / 2); 4. Toh ru
U k a w a (110) ; 5 . Ha ru c h ika Ao ki (95); 6. S tefa n o
Perugini (82); 7. j er em y McWil liams (77 ); 8. Ta kes hi
Tsu jim u ra (76); 9. O livie r Jacq ue (67); to . Lu is d 'Anti n
(65); 11. J
ose Luis Ca rd oso (61); 12. Jaso n Vincen t (55);
13. Ma rcel lino Lucch i (52); 14. Iurgen Fuch:-. (45); 15.
Lu ca Boscc scu ro (42); l b. Rob erto Rolfo (3Y/l); 17 .
No riyasu Nu ma ta (33); 18. Daijiro Katoh (25); 19. m E)
Shinya Naka no / Fra nco Battaini (20).
50 0cc QU ALIFYINC : 1. Iean - Mi c bel B.ly le
0 :49.345); 2. A lex Ba rro s 0 :49.752 ); 3. Mick Dooha n
0 :49.828); 4. Ma x Bia ggi (1:49 ,944 ); 5. N oric k Ab e
0 ~ . 24 9) ; 6. Ale x Cri vil lc 0 :50 .352 ); 7. Regi s Laco ni
0 :50.623); 8. John Kocinsk i 0 :50 .658 ); 9. Ta d a yu ki
O ka d a (10 .872 ); 10. Kenny Roberts Jr . 0:50.963); 11.
50
Nobua tsu Aoki (1:51.267); 12. Ca rlos Checa 0 :51.317);
13. Sete G ibe mau 0 :51.410); 14. E..kil Su ter 0 :51.547);
.
15 . Si m on C rafiU. 0 :5 1.659 ); l b . Ralf W aldmann
0 :52.296); 17. Ju rgen van den Coorbergh 0 :52.b22) 18.
Juan Borja 0 :52.643); 19. Katsu ak i Fu jiwa ra (1;53.000);
20 , Matt Wa it ( 1-': 54 .84 1); 21. Se ba s tie n G im be r t
(1:55.14 8); 22. Be rn ard Garcia 0 :5 5.66 5); 23. Fab io
Ca rpani 0 :55.769); 24. Scott Sma rt 0056.728).
500 cc G RAN D PRI X: 1. Mid: Dooha n (Ho n); 2.
Alex Crivi lle (Ho n): 3. Max Biaggi (Hen), 4. Alex Barros
(Ho n): 5. Jea n-M ichel Bayle (Yam) ; 6. Nori d Abe (Yam);
7. Tadavuki Okada (Ho n): 8. Sete Gibemau (Ha n); 9.
NobuatS u Aoki (Suz ); 10. Carlos Checa (Hon); 11. 5imon
Cra fa r (Yam ); 12. Regi s Laroni (Yam); 13. John Kociru.ki
(Ho n): 14. Ken ny Roberts Jr . (Mod); 15. Ralf WaJdmaim
(Mo d ); 16. Ka tsu ak i Fu jiwara (5 uz); 17. Jua n Borja
(Ho n): 18. Ma tt Wait (Ho n); 19. Fabio Ca rpa ni (Ho n).
Time: 46 min.• 0.092 S('('.
Dis tan ce:
Average speed: 99 .696 m ph.
Ma rgin of victory: 6564 ~'C.
F.asI~ I I .ilp: Ma x BiaW . la p 22.1 :49.556
500ce WOR LD C SH IP POINT STANDINGS (Aft" 11
of 15 roun ds): 1. Max Bia ggi (189 /2 wins); 2. MF
ck
Doo ha n (185 / 5 ); 3. A Il.'x Criv ill,.. 0 82 / 2) ; 4 . C a rto~
Ch eea (121/ 1); 5. Alex Bal'TO!' (100); 6. No rid Abe \.o!i8);
7. Simo n C rafar (85 /1 ); 8 . Nobu., ts u Aok i (82f;~9 .
Tad ayu ki Okad a (5 Q); 10, Rt"g i !'> Laco ni (59); p . Sett>
Gibt.-rna u (52); 12. John Kucinsk i (47); 13. Kl·nn y ROMts
Jr . H2); 14. Ralf W.t1d ma nn (41); 15. Ju rgl>n va n d t.'n
Goo rbe rg h (30 ); 16. G u t}' McCo y (23); 17. Kyoji Nan ba
(22 ); 18.]t'd n-Mic hd Bayll. (19); 19. Nu riyuk i H,lga (16);
·
20. (TIE) Scott Sm.u t / M.l tt Wait (12).
Olivier Jacque may switc h to Ap rilia or Yamaha next year . after. a formula. But it must bed one if we are to co ntinue thinking about '. Wh y are Dunlop's latest tires so ' shiny? It' s not bec ause their
this po ss ibility . "
.
a fru st rati ng ye ar ·0 0. the to o· slow new wo rks 25 0 cc Honda.
sta ff spe nt do w ntime bet w een race s poli shing up the rubber.
- Our late st .molds are c hronie.plated." said racing chief Jeremy
" Eve ry race. we ge t new part s ' - new cylind ers. new exhausts.
Ferguson . "It gives the tire s a shiny finish. but it also means they
new airboxe s. It is a beautiful bike - jus t too slow . " he said afte r . Spanish manufacturer Derbi - which has won a string of manucan be re l~as ed more easily from the molds...
fact urers' and riders' title s in the 50/8 0cc and 125cc classe s - is
qualifying a season·best second fas test in the. rain-hit. practices.
to ret urn to GP racing next ye ar, They have recruite d top German
The latest parts had impro ved th e bike con side rably . thou gh it
The Brazi l ian GP will go ahead . in spite of the fact that the cir·
engineer Harald Bart ol. curren tly associated with Ya·maha, for-r.he
was still well short of the Ap rilla' s speed. he Said .. - , have had to
cuit has not yet been homologa ted. acco rding to IRTA' s Paul But·
planned retu rn to the 125cc clas s.
chang e my ridi ng sty le to ge t th e be st out of it . which is no t
ler. The sta tement fro m the A M described how their representagood. "
tive. Claude Danis , and riders' representative Franco Uncini had
Suzuki rider 'N o b u a t s u A oki was using a new re ar brake at
ju st returned from inspecting the track. and ano ther inspec tion
Aprilia . meanwhile. is kee n to enlist bot h a strong French and a
Imola . after his unusual style stret ched existing equipment beyond
wou ld take place th ree w eeks b efore the race . sc hedu led fot
r
strong Ger man · ider. to j'mp ro ve market pe netra ti on in th o se
its limits in recent races. A oki uses the rear brake with the throttle
Oct ober 18. - It' s no rmal bure aucr ati c procedure : said Butler .
cou nt ries . an d is kn owri to have app ro ache d Jacqu e' s tea m
open . bo th to tighten the co rnering line and - to improve tract ion .-The track has been resurfa ced followin g the Indy car race on the
owner. Herv e Po nc haral. He has also bee n having talks wi t h
At the last two races in Germany and the C zech Republic. he ran
ova l that cuts across the N elson Piquet road -raci ng circuit. and
into rear-brake problems that hampered his performance . - We
Yamaha, who are keen to return to the -250 cc class with their fac that automatically req uires re inspection for homologation . The
tory 250 . currently making hay in the A ll-Japan Championship.
had the same problem last year on the 500 Honda .- he said. It
date has bee n chose n because they have a national race meet ing
They are thought to have proposed a two -rider team. with Jacque
was solved WIt h speci al pad-mate na/s. and he was try ing a similar
that wee kend. But even if there are prob lems with the new sur·
and their Own ride r. Shinya Nakano . second at the season -open·
solution at Imola. " Anyw ay. this track is not so hard on the rear
face . we have the tech nology now to repair tracks very quickl
ing Japane se GP_
brake.· he said.
The race will go ahead . "
'
Yet ano ther teenager skipped school to race in the Imola GP - but
he went back home to mommy in an amb ulance. fueling doubt s
over the wisdom of ope ning a W orld 'Championship ser ies in ·a
dange rous sport to beardless boys . M anuel Poggiali . 15. rode
a 125cc Honda. He crashed only once on the first day of p ractice .
but on the' secon d morning he crashed twice in one practice ses sion . breaking his co llarbone and sufferi ng a co ncuss ion' the second time. The rules were changed last year ·to dro p the minimum
age from 16 to 15. allow ing Marco M elandri to jo in in full time, He
has wo n two GP s· and is a ·co niende r for th e W orld Ch ampionship.
.
34
The move to bring four-strok e s into GP racing appears to have
slo we d d own so mew hat . .wi t h the Gra nd Prix M anufac turers
A ssociation having go tten no further than agreeing to discuss the
matter at their latest meeting at Imola - a similar resolution to that
passed at the start of the seaso n. Yamaha' s M r_ lio said: -W e
agree that it is time to' consider ·the matt er . and the members wi ll
work on their own proposals. which we will consider at the gener al asse mbly at the end of the y ear. M y own fee ling is that we
need to hav e a tr an sit ion perio d wit h tw o -st rok e s and fourstro kes . It will be very hard to Inte grate the tw o - very hard to find
New superbike ru les requiring manufacturers to make thei r
works -bike kits available to all com peti tors at a co ntrolled price
were welcomed by G P authonties . - It is the first ti me the FIM has
made it comp letely clear that the superbikes are fundamenta lly a
prod uction class. and G Ps a prototype class ." said Paul Butler.
chie f executive of IRTA.
The Mk2 M odena s made a second appearance after its pro •
lems at Brno . With one each for riders Kenny Roberts Jr . and R f
Waldmann. -W e jus t had to resize one of the cranksha ft bearing",
W e expec t ii wi ll be fine now . " said Kenny Robert s Sr.
The big summer b r ea k in the middle of the G P season could
become entrenched. in spite of opposItion from a handful of riders.
Butler also conhrmed. "The best thing was that it gave a chance for
injured riders to recover." he said. "When we came back. we had full
grids again." Doohan is one person who did not appreciate the break. '
preferring to get on with the job of racing for the championship.
Australian V·twi n Honda rider Garry McCoy. w ho bro ke his I •
in a pre-race crash at Sma , .will not be fit to race until. the Australian GP on O ctob er 4 . He had been expec te d back for t
Cata lunya n G P in two weeks' time , but co mpiications wit h the
injury . at the bo ttom end of the t ibia. have delayed ' his return.
Foo tno te: The boss of the Shell Advance team. Geoff Hardwic
impressed the paddo ck by arriving at Imola in a spanking.new Fer·
rari 355 . registered in ~ri d orra ..
L u ca Cada lora f o r Wor l d S upe rbi kes ? A fter ' fouling the
nest w it h all t hree J apane se manufact urers in GP racing. and
declining an offe r to race the M uZ in Barce /ona. the forme r 250
and 125 cc W orl d C ham p io n has bee n o ffere d a place in the
Yamaha team fo r next year. according to strong rumor s at Imola.
He is marked dow n to take the place of Sc ott Russell. who is in
tu rn expected to re turn to AMA Superbike rac ing wit h Harl eyDavidson next season .
M uZ rider Do naRo Romboni will not ret urn this season. T
Italian rider. dropp ed by Ap rilia af\ er they withdrew their V·twi
co mpeted in on ly one GP . the first round in Japan (he crash
heavily in pract ice), befo re brea king his wris t in pract ice for t
sec ond round . A t Imola. as a tour ist . he said, " It was the six
time I'v e brok en th at scaphoid bone. " It required surgery , a
though at first he hoped to return befo re the end of the seaso
the chance has now pass ed .
