Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ahead of defending champion Kazuto Sakata's MTP Honda. Ex-European Championship rider Simone Sanna Jed the next group over (1:54.768); 24. Manuel Poggiali (1:54.879); 25. Reinhard Stolz 0,55.303); 26. Adrian Araujo (1,55.957); 27. Antonio Elias (57.106); 28. Victor Carrasco (1,57.266); 29. Luis Cost, (1,57.483); 30. Emilio Delgado (1,57.485). 125 GP: 1. Arnaud Vincent (Apr); 2. Emilio Alzam ra (Hon); 3. Marco Melandri (Hon); 4, Noboru Veda (Hon); 5. Lucio Cecchinello (Hon); 6, Roberto Locatelli (Apr); 7. Kazuto Sakata (Hon); 8. Simon Sannn (Hon); 9. Randy De Puniet (Apr); 10. Gianluigi Scalvini (Apr); 11. Alessandro Brannetti (Apr); 12. Gino Borsoi (Apr)'; 13. Frederic Petit (Apr); ]4. Mirko Giansanli (Apr); 15. Ivan Goi (Hon); 16. Reinhard Stolz (Hon); 17, Ad.rian Araujo (Hon); 18. Luis Costa (Hon). Time: 41 min' r 47.749 sec. Distance: 22 laps, 64.48 miles Ave.rage speed: 92.56 mph Margin of victory: O.Oll.sec. Fastestlap' Noboru Ueda. 1,52.813/93.52 mph, lap 13 USce WORLD C'SHlP POINT STANDINGS (After 6 of16 rounds): 1. Emilio Alzamora (98); 2. Masao Azuma (97); 3. Amaud Vinoent (75); 4. Roberto Locatelli (71); 5. (TIE) Noboru Ueda/Lucio CecchinelJo/Gianluigi Scah'ini (48); 8. (TIE) Marco Me1andri/Simone Sanna (46); 10. Kazuto Sakata (39); 11. Jeronimo Vidal (27); 12. Cino Borsoi (23); 13. (T[E) Hideyuki Na.kajo/Mirko GiallSo1nti (20); 15. Ivan Goi (17). 250 QUALIFYING, 1. Tohru Ukawa (H8.199); 2. Valentino Rossi 0,48.200); 3. Shinya Nakano 0,48.262); 4. Franco Battaini (1:48.397); 5. Marcellino Lucchi 0,48.441); 6. Ralf Waldmann (1,48.665); 7. Roberto Rolfo (t :48.754); 8. Jason Vincent (l :49.597); 9. Stefano Perugini 0,49.677); 10. Naoki Matsudo (H9.756); 11. Jeremy McWilliams 0:49.839); 12. Sebastien Porto (1:50.033); 13. Alex Hoffman 0:50.164); 14. Tomomi Manako 0'-'0.385); 15. Masaki Tokudome 0'-'0.416); 16. Luca 80s<:0scuro 050.478); 17. Johan Stigelelt 0'-'0.620); 18. Lucas Oliver 0'-'0.882); 19. Jamo Janssen 0,51.245); 20. Adam West 0,51.347); 21. Alex Debon 0,51.544); 22. Julien Allemand 0:51.798); 23. Fonsi Nieto 0:51.821); 24. David Garcia 0:52.006); 25. Alvaro Molina the line. There were 'a nUI!\ber of crashes _ behind the leaders, including both Nieto cousins (Angel and Pablo), and Steve Jenkner, who broke his wrist. Three-time winner Masao Azuma did not finish after his radiator came adrift, rubbed on the front wheel and started leaking. As a result, he lost the points lead to Alzamora, 98-97. Vincent moves to third on 75. t:II Circuit de Catalunya Catalunya, Spain Results: June 20, 1999 (Round 6 of 16) 125 QUAUFYING, 1. Roberto Locatelli (1,,2.491); 2. Lucio Cecchinello 0:53.062); 3. Simone Sanna (1.53.306); 4. Marco Melandri (1'-'3.342); 5. Youichi Ui (1 :53.446); 6. Arnaud Vincent (1:53.498); 7. Jeronimo Vidal (l :53.538); 8. Masao Azurna (l :53.547); 9. Gino Borsai 0:53.694); 10. Steve Jenkner 0:53.697); 11. Noboru Ueda (1,,3.789); 12. Emilio Alzamora (1,,3.838); 13. Kazuto Sakata (1,54.057); 14. Alessandro Brannetti (1:54.139); 15. Gianluigi ScaJvini (1,54.170); 16. Randy De Puniet (1,54.205); 17. Pablo Nieto (1,54.330); 18. Max Sabbatani (1:54.336); 19. Mirko Giansanti (1.54.416); 20. Angel Nieto Jr. 0:54.463); 21. Frederic Petit 0:54.717); 22. Ivan Gol 0:54.719); 23. Bernhard Absmeier . . the.lllp record at Catalunya. immediately started to set competitive times. This year's NSR500 has put all riders onto the "Sc.reamer" lBO-degree engine as used by Doohan last year. while changed weight distribution. has exacerbated the machine's understeering tendencies - HRC enlarged ·the airbox. which entailed changing the ·fuel-tank shape. which in tum took weight "ff the front wheel: "We have' returned 'to last years bike. and··j . feel much more comfortable with it," said Barros. "It has a·different· engine re,sponse·. whiCh is immediately flilt on the ·suspension. Now we 'are back where we belong." He ended up third in the first timed session. Do~a opened 'celebrati'o'ns for the half-centenary of GP racing ,with a royal presentation on the ·same day" June 17 - as the first World CHampionship .event 50 years ag0. That was the Isle of Ma'n n. Kh,g .Juan Carlos WBS the guest at 'the presentation. attended not only by ·FIM president Francesco Zerbi and ~oma MD Carmelo Espeleta. but also riders Alex Criville. Carlos· Checa. Kenny Roberts, 250cc championship leader Tohru Ukawa and l'25cc .championship leader Masao Azuma. as well as former multi-champion Angel Nieto. Spain remains the only country to offer old-world royal patronage to its motorcycle GP. with King Juan Carlos a regular visitor. Is the U.S:A. 5et to rejoin the GP calendar7lt seems pOssible. with hopes revived of a, possible return to the Wisconsin venue-of 8khart Lake. The FIM will inspect the' circuit this August. while on the. other hand GP rightsholders Dama and the rest of GP racing have been anxious to revive the ·U.S: meeting ever since the. last one was held at Laguna Seca in 1994. 'The Catalunyan GP was held .on Father's Day. but 250cc star Ralf Wald.....nn kept mum about the fact that he "ad become a dad the day 'before practice began. His partner: Astrid. gave birth to a boy. Leo. on ThursdaY: but it was .not until Saturday that Ralf owneq up. : He is wOrried that people ~ill say tha! he wjll slow down," said a friend. MuZ surprised everybody' by claiming pole pOsiti~n in Catalunya - a. small .team embarrassing. the might 'of Japan 'in oniy their second year in the 500cc class.. Unlike th.e Japanese giants, Mul-Weber have a policy of open information. and revealed how they had revised ·fuel-tank design to solve problems encountered by rider Luca Cadalora in previous races, when a full tank changed the handling characteristics. Former rider Eskil Suter changed the tank design to centralize the mass. This entailed bring· 'ing the,base 10wBr and clOser to the engine. "We had to use asbestos to insulate the fuel and .keep it Cool. ...he said. . . (Above left) Tohru Ukawa (4) leads eventual 250Ct GP winner Valentino -Rossi (46). (Above) Amaud Vincent (21) won the 125cc Grand Prix .' the first GP victory of his career. (Right) Somewhere in the smoke haze is Valentino Rossi· never one to shy away from a good post-race celebration. . The home-made Paton V-four' two-stroke GP racer was out for a second oLsix planned outings this. season. with former 125cc rider Paolo Tessari qualifying 23nf and last. He occupied a similar position at the last round at Mugello. crashing out on the first lap. The New Zealand-built BSL,.however. was missing for a second raee - prompting a blast of criticism from Italian racing veteran Marcellino Lucchi. "I cannot understand the selection process thai will not give the Paton a regular slot. but allows the BSL into the class." he said. Paton has been peripherally involved jn r.acing for more than 30 years. scoring points in the '60s with their homebuitt tWin-cylinder machine. The current V-four DOW has m'agnesium crankcases to bring it right down to the minimum weight jimit and is still an unsponsored expression of the enthusiasm of Giuseppe Paton and his son Robe.rto. The team has six wild-card 'entries this year. It seems unfair to'play them 0(1 against BSL. however. The innovative three·cylinder New Zealand. machine was given a year's entry under special circumstances~ by which they pay. their own expenses a'nd do not share in the 'IRTA money pool. How~ver, cdntinuing teething troubles meant that rider Mark Willis was at Catalunya alon.e. "I tPought I might get a few laps in on my mountain bike - but that's been ~t9Ien." he joKed gri~ly: Japanese youngster Naoki. Matsuda stepped in to take over the second Chesterfield Yamaha 25q· - and fell straight off the machine' again, twice on the second day alone, as he struggled to match fast teammate Nakano. let alone catch the much faster Aprilias. His predecessor Toshihiko Honma had also crashed heavjly in. practice for the last round at Mugello. then again in the race as innocent victim of the start-line melee triggered by rough rider Loris Capirossi. Matsudo was unconscious for some 10 minutes after the Saturday afternoon crash. but was passed as fit to race nonetheless. occasioning some dis.quiet in the paddock. In years past. being knocked out would rule you out of the rest of the meeting_ Sliamed 250cc World Champion Loris Cap.i......i. suspended from this race after a hatful of incidents at the last round" i.ncluding dangerous riding when he collided with Lucchi's Aprilia on the start line and then ignoring the black flag of disqualification, was thwarted in his aim pi visiting refugees in 'Kosovo on behalf of Amnesty International When his aircraft Was stopped at the last minute. Capirossi tested last "lI8ek at Misan!', and then planned the Kosovo .trip to try and coange th~ subject. "At the beginning of last week I apologized to Marcell\no (Lucchil. to. pro\(e I did not do it on purpose." ·he said. 'From .now or.1 would like not to talk about this matter anymore. Unfortunately. in this world there are more serious problems. and so I make my public image available to transmit the Amnesty Infemational humanitarian message." Nice try. Loris, but the subject will not go away so easily - and Amnesty might choose a more peaceabl~ ambassador than a man twice convicted of dangerous riding by crashing into opponents. Nobuatsu Aoki made a racing retuffi' after breaking tw~ bo~es in his left' wrist after colliding wlth' Suzuki teammate .Kenny Robeets in, Jere2 at the start of the European s.eason - and he rode wi.!h a special springloaded bandage to herp him operate the clutch. "It gets better eveiy day. but it is hard for me to bend my wrist back to deCiutch for back·shifts. " explained the Japanese rider.. "Team physiotherapist Dean Miller has put a rubber band into the strapping for my wrist. and that helps a lot." Countryman Noboru Ueda raced with a spring-loaded glove last year after suffering nerve damage to his left arm. . 0:52.158); 26. Ivan Silva 0:52.536); 27. Matias Rios 0,,2.678); 2 . Daniel Ribalta (1,52.844); 29. Jesus Perez 0'53.786). 250 GP: 1. Valentino Rossi (Apr); 2. Tohru Ukawa (Hon); 3. Franco Battaini (Apr); 4. Shinya Nakano" (Yam); 5. Roberto Rolfo (Apr); 6. Jeremy McWilliams (Apr); 7. Stefano Perugini (Han); 8. Naoki Matsudo (Yam); 9. Sebastian Porto (Yam); 10. Luca Boscoscuro (Hon); 11. Alex Hofmann (Hon); 12. Tornomi Manako (Yam); 13. Masaki Tokudome (Hon); l~. Lucas Oliver (Yam); 15. Jarne Jansson (Hon); 16. Matias Rios (Apr); 17. Jesus Perez (Hon); 18. Daniel RibaJrn (YOlm). Time: 41 min., 47.806 sec. Distance: 23 laps, 67,41 miles Average speed: 96.76 mph Ma.rgi.n o( victa!)': 0.258 sec. Fastest lap: Valentino Rossi, 1:48.278/97.44 mph, lap 2 ZSlke WORLD C'SHlP POINT STANDINGS (After 6 of 16 rounds): 1. Tohru Ukawa (121); 2. Valentino Rossi (95); 3. Shinya Nakano (85); 4. Franco Battaini (62); 5. Loris Capirossi (57); 6. Stefano Perugini (48); 7. Jeremy McWilliams (46); S. Raj( Waldmann (43); 9. (TIE) Marcellino LucchilJason Vincent (29); 11. (TIE) Roberto Rollo/Sebastien Porto (28); 13. Luca Boscoscuro (25); 14. aold Matsudo (21); 15. mE) Tomomi Manako/Masaki Tokudome (17). 500 QUALlfYl c: 1. Jurgen van den Goorbergh (1 :46.076); 2. Max Biaggi (t :46.317); 3. Sete Gibemau (1 :46.326); 4. Alex Criville (t :46.34.7); 5. Jean-Michel Bayle (1:46.515); 6. orick Abe (1:46.612); 7. Kenn.y Roberts Jr. 0,46.754); 8. Tadayuki Okada 0,46.782); 9. Alex Barros 0'46.835); 10. John Kocinski 0,46.918); 11. Carlos Che; 7. Carlos Checa (Yam); 8. Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Muz); 9. John Kocinski (Han); 10. Haruchika Aoki (Han); 11. Nobuatsu Aoki (Suz); 12. Jose Luis Cardoso (Hon); 13. Markus Qber (Han); 14. Sebastien Gimbert (Han). Time: 44 min., 55.101 sec. Distance: 25 laps, 73.27 miles .Average speed: 97.85 mph Margin of victory: 0.061 sec. Fastest lap: Sete Gibemau, 1:46.858/98.74 mph, lap 7 SOOee WORLD C'SHlP POINT STANDINGS (After 6 of 16 rounds): 1. Alex Criville (129/4 wins); 2, Kenny Roberts Jr. (74/2); 3. Sete Cibem:lu (72); 4. Tadayuki Okada (68); 5. Carlos Checa (65); 6. (TIE) Max Biaggi/Juan Borja (47); 8. mE) Tetsuya Harada/John Kocinski (45); 10. Norick Abe (37); 11. Mid Doohan (33); 12. Regis Laconi (26); 13. Alex Barros (24); 14. Haruchika Aoki (19); 15. Nobuatsu Aoki (18). Upcoming Rounds: Round 7 - Assen, Holland. June 26 Round B - Donington Park, England, July 4 21

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