Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Cycle News 1999 05 12

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/127993

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 21 of 88

Round 3: Donington Park R IKE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES By Gordon Ritchie Photos by Gold & Goose OONINGTON PARK, ENGLAND,MAY2 claimed crowd of 60,000 watched their hero Carl Fogarty extend his lead at the head of the championship table after first- and econd-place finishes at the third round of the World Superbike ChampIOnship at Donington Park. The home crowd proved to be the inspiration for Fogarty in race one, as Troy Corser, Pier-Francesco Chili and Fogarty got the holeshot on the pack into the first comer. "That first race was for the fans," Fogarty said. '1 wa having. a couple of problems, and anywhere else I would maybe have relaxed a little bit, maybe had to settle for third or fourth, but I could seeĀ· and hear the crowd, so I kept pushing for the win. My automatic gearchange packed up halfway through SO I had to change manually, something I haven't done for about five years. My clutch hand is bloody sore!" Only the forceful riding of Colin Edwards II, the first non-Ducati winner of the year, prevented Fogarty from taking a second double of the season. 'Tm so pleased to get my first race win of the year," the Texan said. '1 never thought it was coming. I felt a bit dow." this weekend, maybe because the Ducatis A (Above) Colin Edwards II threw a monkey wrench into Carl Fogarty's plans for a perfect day at his home race at Donington Park with a race-two victory. (left) Fogarty, however, did manage to win the first 01 the two rounds. had dominated so much at Kyalami and Phillip Island, but now I feel great, like I've had a weight lifted from my shoulders." Even Fogarty had to acknowledge the display Edwards put on in the second race. "Colin rode well," the reigning World Champion said. "He had to, because he beat me." Corser was the disappointment of the day, finishing the first race in a lowly sixth place, and salvaging a third in the second. "It was all down to tires," Corser said. "Carl and I chose the same tire for the first race but because we run a different setup from each other, mine were finished very early on." His second-race performance was more like the Phillip Island Corser we aw three weeks ago, heading up a determined Akira Yanagawa on the EckJ Kawasaki. It looked like Corser's race all the way as he lead until half distance, when his tires intervened again and he dropped back to third. Possibly the most significant development of the day was the return of the Hondas to the fore once again. After Aaron Slight and Edwards' previous statements about the unfair advantages offered to any Ducati rider, the Hondas seemed as fast as anything out there at Donington. With Paolo Flamrnini publicly stating that there are no plans to alter the technical regulations for this season, perhaps we have seen the last of the notion. Slight made good u e of his Honda in race one to record a fine second after pressuring Fogarty from lap seven onward. ''I'm very disappointed with second

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's - Cycle News 1999 05 12