Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Lucchl 0:45.669); 8. Jeremy McWilliams (1;45.818); 9. RalJ Waldmann (1:45.889); 10. Stefano Perugini (1 :46.094); 11. Jason Vincent (1 :46.222); 12. Luea Boscoscuro (1:46.315); 13. Roberto Rollo 0:46.587); 14. Johan Stigefelt (t :46.593); 15. Masaki Tokudome (1:46.722.); 16. Alex Hoffman 0:47.248); 17. Sebastian Porto 0:47.346);1 . Julien Allemand 0:47.541); 19. DavId Card.;) (1:47.686); 20. Jamo Janssen (1:47.869); 21. Tomomi Manako (1 :48.065); 22. Anthony West (1:48.454); 23. Matias Rios 0:48.646); 24. Alvaro Molina 0:48.758); 25. aohuo NeglShl O:48.n4); 26. Alfonso N,eto (1:48.799); 27. Yuzy Shahrol (1:48.961); 28. Jesus Perez (1:49.520); 29. Mdnucl Luque (1:49.729); 30. Alex Deban (1,so.042); 31. Lucas Oliver (I,so.241). 2.SOcc CRAND PRJX: 1. Valentino Rossi (Apr); 2. Tohnt Ukawa (Hon); 3. Loris Capirossi (Hon); 4. Franco Battaini (Apr); 5. Marcellino Lucchi (Apr); 6. Ralf Waldmann (Apr); 7. Jeremy McWilliams (Apr); 8. Stefano Perugini (Han); 9. Roberto RoLfo (Apr); 10. Luea Boscoscuro (Hon); 11. Jason Vincent (Han); 12. Sebastian Porto (Yam); 13. Masaki Tokudome (Han); 14. Tomomi Manako (Yam); 15. Alex Hoffman (Han); 16. David Garcia (Yam); 17. Anthony West (Han); 18, Alfonso Nieto (Yam); 19. Jamo Janssen (Han); 20. Yuzy Shahrol (Han); 21. Alvaro Molina (Hon); 22. Lucas Oliver (Yam); 23. Jesus Perez (Hon); 24. Naohiro Negishi (Han); 25. Alex Debon (Han). Time: 46 min., 4.289 sec. Distoillnce: 26 laps, 71.46 miles Average speed: 93.063 mph Margin of victory: 4.439 sec. fasresllap: Shinya Nakano, 1:44.875/94.468 mph, 1..ap 4 250cc WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINCS (Afler 3 of 16 r.ounds): 1. Tohru Ukawa (60); 2. Loris Capirossi (5711 win); 3. Valentino Rossi (45/1); 4. Shinyo Nakano (41 II); 5. Marcellino Lucchi (28); 6. Franco Batrolni (26); 7. Jeremy McWilliams (18); 8. Roberto Rolfo (17); 9. Stefano Perugini (15); 10. (TIE) Olivier Jacquc/Naoki Matsuda (13); 12. (TIE) Daijiro Katoh/Luca Boscoscuro (11); 14. (TIE) Tatsuya Yamaguchi/RaIf Waldmann/Tomomi Manako (10); 17. Jason Vincent (9); 18. Anthony West (8); 19. Masaki Tokudome (6); 20. Sebastian Porto (5). USee QUAUFYING: 1. Mas.,o Azwna (1:48.983); 2Roberto Localelll (J :49.04 I); 3. Emilio Alzamora (1:49.151); 4. LUCIO CecchineUo (1:49.225); 5. Arnaud Vincent (1:49.581); 6. Gianluigi Scalvini (1:49.664): 7. Jeronimo Vidal (l :49.693); 8. Simone Sanna 0:50.(69); 9. Noboru Ueda (1,so.185); 10. Manuel Poggiali 0,so.318); 11. Marco Melandri (1:50.456); 12. Frederic Petit (1:50.567); 13. Ka.wto Sakata (1:50.586); 14. Max Sabbatani 0:50.652); 15. Steve Jenkner (1;50.838); 16. Alessandro Brnnnetii 0:50.966); 17. Mirko Ciansanli (l:51.1b8); 18. Youichi Vi (1:5t.239); 19. Ivan Goi (1:51520); 20. Angel Nieto Jr. 0:51.318); 21. Gino Borsai (1:51.327); 22. Reinhard Stolz 0:52.301); 23. Rondy De Puniet (1:52.319); 24. Adrian AraUJO 0:52.454); 25. Bernhard Absmeier (1:52.592); 26. Emilio Delgado (1:52.623); 27. Pablo Nieto 0:52.762); 28, Luis C05ta (1:54.660); 29. Antonio Elias (1:54.741). USce CRA D PR£X: 1. Masao Azuma (Hon); 2. Lucio CecchlOC'lIo (Han); 3. Emilio A1zamora (Han); 4.. Gregorio Scalvim (Apr); 5. Roberto LocnteUi (Apr); 6. Jeronlmo Vidal (Apr); 7. Simone Sanna (Han); 8. oboru Veda (Hon); 9. Manuel Poggiali (Apr); 10. Arnaud Vincent (Apr); 11. Ivan Goi (Han); 12. Gino Borsai (Apr); 13. Mtrko Ci.:msanti (Apr); 14. Alessandro Brannetti (Apr); 15. Kazuto Sakata (Hon); 16. Angel Nieto Jr. CHon); 17. Steve Jenkner (Apr); 18. Reinhard Slolz (Han); 19. Bernhard Absmeier (Apr); 20. Emilio Delgado (Hon); 21. Antonio Elias (Han). Time: 42 min., 25.263 sec. Distance: 23 laps, 63.21 miles Average speed: 89.406 mph Margin of victory: 0.099 sec. Fastest lap: Masao Azuma. 1:49.395,90,447 mph, Lap 7 l2See WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 16 rounds): 1. Masao Azuma (75/3 wins); 2. Emilio Alzamora (.$2); 3. Gregorio Scalvini (33); 4. Lucio Cecchinello (30); 5. Jeronimo Vidal (21); 6. Hidcyuki Nakajoh (20); 7. (TIE) Arnoud Vincent/Simone Sanna (9); 9. Youichi Vi (6); 10. (TIE) Ivan Goi/KazutoSakata (15); 12. Max Sabbatani (14); 13. Gino Borsoi (13); 14. (TIE) Katsuji Ve:zu/Robcrto Locatelli/Manuel Poggiali (11); 17. Noboru Uedo (8); 18. (TIE) Kllzuhiro Kubo/ Angel Nieto Jr. (7). MasaoAzuma kept his season perfect with a third successive 125cc GP victory. Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 - Le CastelletLFrance, May 23 Round 5 - Mugello, Italy, June 6 Team Suzuki's Kenny Roberts Jr. complained about the white lines edging the track aller crashing early in the first (partially well qualifying session. He went down with no waming in a fast right behind the paddock. -It's a pretty qUick part of the track, In fourth gear. so I was lucky to get away wilh n," Roberts said. The result was that Roberts had to resort to using his backup bike, which was set up for Ihe wet. on a drying track. "I was struggling from Ihere on, but it will definitely be better tomorrow.' Regarding the white lines, Roberts said that they use them so much that they're part of the normal racing line. '1 didn't see any White lines like that at the Japanese lrack. There's a number of different solutions, bul something has to be done." Aller a one-race respite, temperamenIal Italian Luca Cadalora returned to the Team Biland GP 1 team with a new machine. Cadalora was testing a • Big Bang' version of the Weber engine, w(lh a close firing order between Ihe two cylinder pairs. Though he was impressed with the power delivery and the ridability of the new engine, Cadalora went faster on the standard "Screamer 'engine in the first qualifying session. He qualified 15th, despite breaking a clutch basket on his best Aying lap. "It was a very painful learning experience today, though, because we did a good job on the setup of the bike, and when I went for the last run, I really felt confident that I could do something very good. I knew it was going to be a really fast lap, but when I got onto the back slraight, the clutch broke, and there was nothing I could do. " Team Kanemoto's Erv Kanemoto said that if a prospective sponsorship deal doesn't materialize by the French Grand Prix in Paul Ricard on May 23, he may have to reconsider his plans to continue racing. "Aller here, we'll have to think,' said Kanemo· la, who is sponsoring John Kocinski on his one·bike team. • Here and Paul Ricard. I don't like to think that way. When I'm al the rac"s, I think about the races. When I go back to my motorhome at night is when I Ihink about all the other stuff. " Though he has received some outside help, he's funded most of the program himself by taking out two loans. He was thankful to' Honda, which kept his machine order open while he sought sponsorship. Kanemoto wanted to make clear his currelll financial predicament; that he has no money. 'We don't have a sponsor. We've bad discussions with three sponsors that might come through. Even in Japan, there was talk of a sponsor for Japan..' The leam has had vanous people seeking sponsorship with the possibility still existing that he may land a deal with a telecommunications company. "The only way to find sponsorship is by hanging in there." Kanemoto said. The team suffered setbacks in Ihe first two races. Aller qualifying on the pole in MalaYSia, Kocinski crashed in the race while running in the top five. In Japan, he crashed twice in the race. 'I'm hoping to make it happen. If everything goes right, I believe John can do well. In Malaysia and Japan, we had a little Irouble. We're hoping to tum it around here." This isn't the first time Kanemoto has been in dire financial straits. In 1996 he be9an the season without a sponsor but with a commitment from rider Luca Cadalora to assume some of the financial responsibilities. Cadalora didn't come through, and Kanemoto was saddled with enormous bills. a situation Ihat wasn't resolved until he secured Marlboro sponsorship for this 250cc team with Max Biaggi Jhe follOWing year. 'In '96, Marlboro jumped in there. I didn't end up with money, but I paid my debts." . Top·speed honors went to Repsol Honda's Aiel< Criville, leading a string of Honda NSR500s in the top four spots. He not only had the highest single mark, but the average of his five besl laps was 166.100 mph. Nextcarm! Kanemoto Honda's John Kocinski. whose best five laps averaged 164. 174 mph, followed by MaviS· tar Honda Pons' Alex Barros and Juan Borja. Team Suzuki's Kenny Roberts Jr. was first Suzuki at 162.378. and Mike Hale had the faster of the two Proton KR Modenases with a five-lap aver· age of 157.898 mph. Chesterfield Yamaha Tech 3's Olivier Jacque will likely miss his home GP in Paul Ricard aller aggravating an existing injury by crashing dUring final qualifyin9. The Frenchman fell heavily on Saturday allemoon, reinjuring his ankle when he lost traction on a white line edging the track. '1 am devastated,' the 250cc rider said. "I felt the bike go over as I accelerated. I must have clipped the white line. And then, just pain in the ankle. It looks certain that I will have to have an operation. so I just want to get back to Paris now and try and get fit for Paul Ricard." His teammate Shinya Nakano took the pole position. Kenny Roberts, the owner of the Proton KR Modenas team, wasn't optimistic about the team's chances for survival. Asked whether it was if blow to the team to lose engineer Warren Willing to Suzuki", where he went with Kenny Roberts Jr., Roberts replied, "Absolutely it was, but·, don't see our program lasting very long anyway. I told you last year. There' s no mechanism where you can tum this around. I cannol compete against Yamaha when Yamaha gives sponsorship away. I can't compete against Suzuki or Honda. If they want to give sponsorship away, I can't compe!e. I can compete engiheeringwise 10 make a decent effort, but I can't compete to give stuff away. If there were rules, if this was NASCAR, if this was CART, if It was Formula One - we'd have already won a race if this was Formula One." The team has experienced handling problems with the new KR3, most of which revolve around the new engine. and its size and placement in the frame. Riders Jamie Whilham and Mike Hale qualified 22nd and 24th, respectively. in Jerez. Following in his father's strongly political footsleps. Team Suzu. ki's Kenny Roberts Jr. requested a meeting with FlM safety offi· cer Franco Uncini to discuss a number of safety issues which' have recenlly been raised, including the use of antiskid paint to line the track. The painl wasn'l used at Jerez, which caused the falls of Repsol Honda's Mick Doohan as well as Roberts himself. '1 asked Uncini for a dinner where we could sit down, lAleX) Crivi1le and (Carlos) Checa and myself and whoever else we. can get in there. We want to talk and Franco wants to talk, and we want to get the rules better for Franco to work around, basically. What's written in the rule bOok as far as the paint goes is antiskid paint It doesn'l say when you can apply it or if you can apply paint over it. which they did. So the. rules aren'l light enough for him. This is his job and it's been done. but it's been done either a long time ago or something's been done to il since. So We need something that says this paint, seven days before and no earlier, and it has to be this type of paint, whatever color you prefer. But just stuff like that we as riders feel should already be in there. This is the year 2000. We're sending people to the moon; I'm sure we can get Ibe right kind of paint." Roberts said the discussion should. be wide-ranging, "Basically, that everything has 'to get tightened up. If tracks ilke Rio don't get paved before four months before the race, we as riders know it's going to chew up when we go there; we go there and it chews up. These type of things. It shouldn't revolve around money, around politics, around Dorna being paid to go there. If you have, like my father says, 10 com· mandments on track safety. and you worry about those 10 commandments. then it's a lot easier to work off than rules written 50 years ago or 10 years ago. We've got so much more technology since then. The problem in Malaysia (where Roberts destroyed his bike in a practice crash when he slid across raised trackside curbs) was I simply suggested they were Franco's mlslake and that was IL There was a 186-km (1 15.58-mph) crash and I had a 187-km (116.202-mph) crash here on Fnday in Ihe wet on the last of the fast rights. The result of a smooth sand trap lin Jerez) IS. I got up and ran to the pits and I was nne, and I wasn't sore In Ihe morning. The result of one that was raised six inches is the bike was destroyed and I was banged up pretty hard. You can't say all crashes are the same, but this is probably as idenllcal as you can get.' When was the last time Suzuki won three 500cc races in 'a row? That would be 1977, when the factory won the first eight races before Yamaha's Johnny Cecotto won a pair, wilh American Pal Hennen winning the final round in Silverstone. The eight races were split among three riders: Barry Sheene, Jack Findlay and Wil Hartog. Sheene, who went on 10 win the 1977 500cc World Championship. won three in a row· Hockenhelm, Imola and Paul Ricard· and six of the 11 races. Team Suzuki's Kenny Roberts Jr. won two in a row, but he couidn't make the hat trick in Spain.. Prot(iJn KR Modenas' Mike Hale missed out on his first Grand Prix point by one spot. despite what he felt was his best race on the KR3. "I got a decent start and I passed quite a few people," Hale said, • and we went into the hairpin at the end of the back straight and I couldn't get the bike stopped. I hit my usual brake marker, but with a full tank of fuel, it affects Ihem so much_ And I thought I was going to be joining (Nobu) Aoki in the grass and I lost a bunch of posilions and Ihen came back a few. My times were pretty consisten!: actually, my last lap was the fastest. I was Irying to push as hard as I could, and trying to learn at the same time, and get more confidence in the front end and letting the thing lean over and tum. It's the best I've ridden the bike, it's the best that the bike's been set up this year. At Ihe (upcomlll9 ValenCia) test. I'm going to test a chassis that is different. and it's definitely beller and I'm looking forward to riding that one. I think it's building confidence and it's not so much -in the fronl end as SIde grip. Last year, every time I leaned the bike over, n tucked the front and I was down. This thing has just so much side gnp. the bikes are so light. it's Just a whole other level. It's a real fine line, and the line's way up there, so you've got to really push it and It takes getting a better setup and having the confidence. Coming into this weekend, aller Japan, I started to understand better how I'm going to have to ride this bike. I'm going to have to ride it like a 250. rve gone fast on a couple of other four-cylinder 500s. That's because a four-cylinder suits my style easier. These things, at the first race in the dry, I was trying to ride It like that and that's not the fast way, so that's what I'm doing. I can run this thing in on the brakes, brake it and lean it over, and you may slide the front a little bit, bul it <;Ioesn't luck on you and you don't bust your ass." leam Suzuki's Nobuatsu Aoki crashed on the second lap when he tried to go around Norick Abe into the hairpin at the end of the back straight. Unable to slow down, he hit teammate Kenny Roberts Jr. and then fell. breaking his lell wrist. The team hasn't decided what its next course of action will be, or whelher Aoki will be replaced for the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard on May 23. Aoki is going back 10 Japan for surgery. and if he's not in pain aller the operation, he'll relum for Paul Ricard, with no guaranlee of riding. If he is unable to ride in France, the following Grand Prix is in Mugello, Italy, on June 6. 17

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