Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

9. David Vuillemin (Yam); 10. Iuss i Yehvi lainen (He n): 5uz); 11. }oakim Elltasson (Yam) ; 12. Brian jorgensen < 13. Marcel Van Dronen (Ya m ); 14. Espan Blikstad < Suz); 15. Mark Eastwood (Hon). 01 A: 1. Pit Ileirer (Suz); 2. Frederic Bollcv (Hon); 3. Suz); 5. Leon Ryan Hu gh es (Ho n); 4. Jos h Cop pi n s < Ge isbers (5 uz); 6. Rcm y Van Rees (Kaw); 7. David VuiJIemin (Yam) ; 8. Mic ka el Pich o n (Suz); 9. Go rdan Crockard (H on); 10, Leon Cersbe (Suz). -rs F1M WORLD CHAM P IONSHIP 250« MX SERIES POINT STAN D INGS CAftC'r 12 of 16 rou nds): 1. Pit " Beirer (3Jql3 wins); 2 Frederi c 801lt.V (319/ 2); 3. Da vid r Vu illcmi n <2Y3 /2); 4. Ryan HugheS (279); 5. M.. rn icq Ber-..oets (267/ 4); 6. Michel Maschio (20 5); 7. Jos h Co pp ins ( 95); 8. Remy Van Rces 0 60 / 1); 9. Leo n Geisbers (58); 10. Alosio Bclcmoctti OOS); 11. Go rdan Croc ka rd (89); 12. Ma rk Eastwood (71); 13. Paul Cooper (65); 14. Milrko Kovitlainc.·n (65); 15. Ma rk Jones (61). Upcoming Rounds: Round 13- Folkendange. Luxenbourg. August 8 Round 14- Nismes. Belgium, August 22 AM W orldChampionship 500cc M XSeries Round 9:La C itadelle de N mur a NAMUR, BELGIUM, AUG. I wed ish quiet man Peter [ohansson won his fourth GP of the year with a dead motor for the last 500 feet, points leader Andrea Bartolini survived a protest for cu tti ng th e cou rs e, Willie Van Wessel came within a whisker o f winning h is fir st GP jus t three weeks after the d eath of his father, and Joel Smets w as sent o n a lap of honor after his Husaberg actuall y finished a race. Namur has los t none of its d rama, Bartolini w as a lread y in trouble at the first comer of race on e, "S om ebod y (Jam es Marsh ) fell down," Ba rtolini sai d. "Shayne Kin g w ent into th e back of him and I into King . Then at the next com er I w as hit fr o m behind a n d m y left b oot w as forced into the rear wheel of a Husk y." The Italian wa s 35th on lap on e and 10th at the finish . S .Brieflv '... · A Rinald i Ya maha led as Sa n d ro Puzar too k the holesh ot, but Sandro was in p ai n with a hi p inju ry and was delighted to even mai ntain fourth to the , finis h. The first m an past him was Smets, but no t for long. " I felt so mething was wrong on the first lap, but I could continue," Smets sai d . "I could not ris k jumping the double in the w oods, and Johansson passed me, and the n the bike stopped, A rock ha d got in my chai n and dam aged the ch a in g uide. Even th is m orning I still be lieved that I could w in the title, but now I am just ho ping th at all my bad luc k comes in this one season." Johansson was soo n way ou t in fron t. "I had a 10 to 12- second lead after four laps and was cruising after that," Johansson sai d. "I jus t opened it up o n the d rier patches and took it easy where it wa s slippery," The Swede almos t cruised too mu ch, as Van Wessel began to charge forward. "Max Bartolini had rejoined the race a la p d o wn to foll o w m y lin es , a nd I d idn't realize it wa s Van Wessel chasi ng me until he w as just a few seconds back. When I saw him, I took four seco nds in a lap and was safe again," Bartolini's 10th-place fini sh actually increased his points lea d . Yv es Demaria, riding w ith a knee injury a fter a heavy crash on the big uphill during qualification, ra ced in eighth for much of the race, but a broken shock mount, just over a lap fro m th e end, forced him oul. The Frenchman d id not start race tw o. Trampas Parker was running sixth at one sta ge, but finished eighth. "M y roll-offs broke on the first lap, and I couldn't see the lin es clearly by the end, particularly where it is dark in the trees," Parker sa id. Joh an sson looked set for a double as he took th e holes hot in race tw o, but KTM teammate Shayne King had othe r ideas. "I d on't think Peter was too happy," King said . " We nev er touched, but he had to slam on his brak es, But he kn ows how it stands. I'll pull over fo r him in Quiet, an d lucky: Peter Johans so n won the first moto an d then survived a last-minute engine failure in moto two to go 1-4 and claim his fourt h GP win of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix. the last GP if it will make a difference, but until then it's every man for himself." The Kiwi raced clear, and the Swede was a solid second for most of the race, with Bartolini advancing from fifth to third, ahead of Van Wessel. Then th e action started . "Th e motor was no t running good, and I had to drop back to fourth in the las t couple of laps," Johansson said. "I would still win the GP with that." Van Wessel had other thoughts. "I knew I had to pass Bartolini to win the GP , and I wa s closing on him ," Bartolini said. " I was much faster than he through the sand by the Chalet du M onument, but I had to get on his rear wheel before we got there. I cra shed trying to reel him in , but still got third . Second overall is s till fantastic. I feel like 'm y dad was on m y rear fender o u t there-, the. SX520: The current team transporter wil1 :be 'used ior .Ihe new 1 .25cc .,. . GP team. ' NicOli is alsoendeavormq to bring Tallon:Vohland back to Europe to ..J~I Smet~ only competed in his home GP after a three-hour heart-to- head the 125cc team. and his other target.is believed to' be Carl Nunn.: heart with KTM sports chief Kurt Nicoll: on Friday..The champion told Belgian joumalists the previous day that he would not race at Namur In addition' to S hayne King. KTM will also run two·man teams in both after his Husaberg again failed on him in an international race at Westerlo East and West Coast 125cc Supercross Events , but is not seek ing a . . ·on Wednesday. -I have promised Joel that my KTM team will offer his 250cc rider for next year. team an possible technical assistance provided he races here this weekend and connoues 'with Husaberq to the end of the season ." explained Kees Van der Ven will again run a 125cc GP satellite .team with Grant Nicoll after his late arrival at the track. -Already yesterday our engineer: Langston as one of the riders. while KTM hopes that Parno will run their J uha Kernpamen. has spent the day with the team: but they have still not , 250cc GP effort; Ryan Hughes has alreadytested the bike. Nicoll, how·been able to find the reason for the sudden loss of power which persis- ever. made it perfectlyclear: "If we cannot sign nders WIth the potential to tently occurs. The problem cannot lay in the cylinder and 'heed. as 'we win. we will not run a team at allin that particular class,- ." used exactly the same engine without any problems for the first four Paul Malin 'spent the weekend in Namur as guest of the RWJ·team. It is races of the season." expected that Malin will replace Rob Herring alongsideJocka Karlsson in . . . . Smets' .eng ine problem . initially thought to be caused by thenew digi. . the RWJ 500cc GP team next year. . . tal ignttion. is. now believed to be caused by fuel vaporization. Provisional tests with a .Keihin 'carb . as used by KTM and Yamaha.- rather than the .Jocke Karlsson has put himself out of action again even before he . Dell'Orto failed to prevent the misfire from occurnnq after 20 minutes. but could retum to racing . The Swede crashed on his home track in Sweden it did at least improve power delivery. Airflow to the carbo under the fuel one week earlier when he selected neutral in midair. He has broken a cotis tarik . and thus above the hot engine . on the Husaberg. while the KTM air larbone arid ribs, and cracked a shoulder blade. He had to spend-several filter is in the traditional place in the -rear sub-frame. But. as Husaberg days jn hospitalwith fluid on the lungs, but still hopes.to retum io racing In . boss Niklas Olsson said on Saturday. 'it is mystery. "Tbe motor in Joel' s . Septe~ber. bike is now a '98 erigine from his spare bike last year.- Olsson said-. "The only.changes are the oil cooler, which can only reduce temperature, and Andrea Bartolini explained that he has been. suffering with a low iron the ignition cover, which we also' already used at ·times last year. The count in his blood since the British GP, Meanwhile . Yamaha teammate motor is basically the same as we had used .for five years without even Sandr.o Puzar announced on Saturday that he will retire after the Dutch GP In September. - I have had 15 good years in the sport, but I have·had the hint of these problems.so. many injuries this year and it takes longer to recover from each one.' . .. Joel Smets' present contract, which runs until the end of 2000. is WIth Puzar.said, KTM AG , but on Monday Nicoll confirmed that the Belgian will race the KTM four.stroke next season , His wish to ride one in Namur couldnot be Willie Van Wessel was making a return to .GP action after rnissinq SI;" . vakia. His father had collapsed and died at Calais in France on the way entertained. as 'o nly six models are' currently in existence . for Johansson and King. Smets will team up with Peter-J ohansson in the officia GP home from the British GP. l team.',Which will work out of Joel's current transporters. while Shayne ·King will race next year in the AMA supercross and outdoor. Nationals on Bernd Eckenbach was absent from the Belgian round due to a stomach infection. ' " . new a We s tarted so me thing toge ther, a nd I want to finish it." Johansson came up the hill on Van 'Wesse l's rea r w heel , but s u dden ly pulled in the clutch as he exited the se cond to last comer, "I felt it start to seize," Johansson said . " I ha d to coast over th e lin e. It' s a good job it didn't happen 50 feet before," Hav ing cl inc hed hi s fourth GP win of the year an d clim bed to second in the se ries , 40 points down o n Ba rt olini , a smiling Johans son jested , "No t bad for a n old guy who just wanted to ride one more season!" Jo hansson's bi ke could not be noise tested, and ther e. were erroneous rumors tha t Michele Rinaldi had protested. KTM boss Kurt N icoll did pro test however - unsuccessfully against Bartolini for cutting the course at tum one. "Th e Ju ry have see n the tapes and agree that he went ins id e the marker tir es , but he w a s o u t of control after being hit from the sid e," Rinaldi said. Th e results stood, Smets was fifth after completing the fir st lap in 14 th place, but the champ was a pa le shadow of his usual self, riding high gears to avoid revving the bike too much. At lea st he finished - and the locals were so overjoyed they sent their her o off on a lap of honor. Parker pu lled ou t midmoto afte r nev er making head -· way from a firs t-la p cra sh . Bader Manneh , who had parked his box van in a bu s she lter - Namur is different - completed both mot os 26-25 on his firs t visit to the tra ck. "I'm still struggling," Manneh sa id. " I have a n appointment to rem ove th e wi res fro m my right kn ee next w eek. I ca n feel th em every lime [ m o ve m y CI/I knee." J La Citadelle de Namur Namur, Belgium • Resu lts : August 1, 1999 (Round 90f.13) MOT O 1: 1. Peter Ich an sscn (laM ); 2 Willie Van wessel ( H u. 3. Miska Aa lto nen (Yam); 4. Sandro Puzar ~); (Yam); 5. Siggi Bauet'(k'TM); 6. Dann y Tbeybers (Hbgl; 7. Shayne King (KT Ml; B. Trampas Parker (KTM) ; 9. Chris Burnham (H a n); 10. An d rea Bartolin i (Yam) ; 1L Francisco Ga rcia Vico (Ya m ); 12. Erwin Machrlinger C Hon) ; 13. Ru pi Wa llner ( KTMl; 14. Th ierr y Klutz {Kaw): 15. Av o Leok (k'TM). MOT O 2: 1. S hayne Kin g ( KT M ); 2. A ndrea Bart o lini (Ya m ); 3. Wiflie Van Wessel (H us ); 4. Peter Jo ha ns so n (KTM ); 5. Joel Smets (Hb g]: 6. Francisco Garcia Vico (Yam) ; Er wi n Mdch tlingcr (Hon) : 8. Sandre Puzar (Yam) ; q . Ch ris Burnham (Ho n); 10. ~t.a ts Andreassen (Han); 11. Ioch en jasi ns ki (Han); 12. Avo Leok (KTM); 13. Rupi Wal kne r IKTM I; 14. Jd J.\f\~~n (Kaw ): 15. lean -Claude Mo usse (Yam) . O /A : I. Pe te r Iohansso n (KT M) ; 2. Willi e V.1n w es sel IH us ): 3 . Shayne Kin g (KT M) ; 4. A nd rea Bart olini (Yam); 5. Sandre PU ZM (Ya m ); 6. Francisco Ga rda Vieo (Yam ); 7. Miska Aalton en (Ya m ); 8. Chris Burnham (Ho n): 9. Erwi n Mach tlingcr (He n ): 10. Ioel r, Smcts (H!>H). F1M WORLD CHAM PIONSH IP 500« MX SE R IES PO IN TS STAN D I NG S (Af le r 9 o f 13 round s ); 1. A nd rea Bartolini (24 1/2 wi ns); 2. Peter Iohan sson (201/ 4); 3, Yves Demark (197/ 1); 4. Joel Smets (178/2); 5. Sandre Puzar (56); 6. Shayne King (149); 7. Francisco Garda Vice (29); 8. Miska Aa lto ncn 02Q) ; 9. Trampas Pa rker ( 05); 10. Darrvll King (99); 11. C hris Burnham (89); 12. Erwin Ma chtlmger (87); 13. Rob Herring (78 ); 14. Willie Van wessel (73); 15. Iochen Jasin ski (48); 16. Danny Th ey be rs (4i) ; Ii. Bernd Eckenbach (H as) 43; 18. locke Karlsson (41); 1Q. Rupi Walkn er (41) ; 20. Ma x Bartolini (38). Upcoming Rounds: Round 10- Folkendange. Luxembourg, August 8 Round 11 - Uddevalla, Sweden. August 22 19

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