Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

with. The bikes themselves left Kyalami for Japan in high dudgeon, where Edwards will test them at Suzuka on April 8-9 in readiness for both the Suzuka Eight-Hour and Phillip Island World Superbike round. Thankfully for all those watching, race two was an improvement on race one, with Bostrom on a mission from his personal God. Sliding and slithering like his tires were finished from the first lap, he not only took a new lap record, but reminded many of those watching of that man Haga albeit a taller, more slender version. "I guess we got given that win in race two to some extent, but I'll take anything we get: said Bostrom from the middle throne at the post-race press conference. "Colin came past me and just about scared me to death but, right after that, I thought he missed a gear or something. Then I looked back and I saw a red Ducati and I thought I had the race then. We changed some of the settings on the suspension for race two, and that made the bike slide more - which is just how I like it - feeling like I'm right back on a dirt tracker." Dismayed at his fourth-place finish after dominating every single aspect of practice, Bostrom was simply riding like his hair was on fire in race two. Spinning the rear on power and backing into corners with the rear six inches out of line, he started to impose his determination from the outset. Impressive to watch and, until Edwards temporarily caught up with him, clearly a more effective mode of racing than any other, Bostrom's aggression and exuberance was the highpoint of the day. Helpless in his ability to be only the second most brilliant rider on display, Bayliss moved inexorably up the championship table to only two points behind the quietly competitive Corser, who's pair of third places went almost unnoticed in a brace of almost processional races. "I can't be that disappointed with two second places, although 1 would like to win a race," said Bayliss. "But it's pulled me up in the points table and that's what really matters because it is a really long championship. In race two, I didn't give up for one minute." For Corser, it was a strange meeting, finishing on the podium twice, watching one of his main rivals go out, having no great complaints, and yet being unable to repeat his Valencia domination. "I had a good start and the bike was superb in race one, although I felt I lost a bit of grip in the middle of it." Corser said. "I didn't make any changes to the bike in race two but, because I pushed hard in the early laps, , didn't have the right amount of grip at the end." As predicted, it was a day for the twins, with Neil Hodgson overcoming the disappointment of a black flagging for a broken oil pipe to finish a strong fourth in race two on his Ducati and with Ruben Xaus and Regis Laconi following him home on their Italian Vs. '" felt a lot better about the weekend after finishing well in the second race," confirmed Hodgson, "but I could maybe have gone even better if I had only been more aggressive in the first few laps on cold tires. I think I am riding not too bad, so it was disappointing to go out of the first race because of a small thing like a broken oil-cooler line." needed a slipstream to get to any of the riders in front of me, so fifth was all J could do." Sixth and eighth are not usual finishes for a man of Chili's abilities, and he had to fight hard to get even those. "I felt like I was riding the machine on cobblestones: said Chili, who was clearly out of sorts with his lack of competitiveness. "I checked my race one time from last year and I was 18 seconds faster then. The bike doesn't feel stable and it is difficult to get it to change direction." Gregorio Lavilla, with a pair of sevell'S, was playing on the same table as Yanagawa and Chili, with the other Suzuki protagonist Stephane Chambon down among the privateers as he struggled just like the senior member of his tribe. Making good use of all the retirements, and riding well in any case, came privateer Giovanni Bussei in an excellent 11 th and ninth, as he attacked the track with no small amount of gusto. Broc Parkes was another more-than-impressive privateer, running his NCR Ducati into 12th and 11 th, and getting the better of experienced privateer Robert Ulm on both occasions. James Toseland was philosophical about his stop-and-go penalty in race one (as he was on for a strong top-10 finish at the time) and even more thoughtful about his race-two retirement. With Edwards rampant, yet Honda struggling, it was a peculiar weekend to say the least. The main hope of everyone watching was that, instead of having the top riders all at various levels of excellence (lap records broken by three different riders at Kyalamil at separate times, we might be treated soon to all the top riders finding parity - and then racing in close proximity. It's early days yet, but too much more of this and Superbike will be losing a lot of its reputation for close action. Unpredictability, on the other hand? Well Superbike racing could sell you unpredictability, in large, regular or small sizes. Even on a weekend when the track action delivered little of it. Edwards got his title defense on track In South Africa, winning his first race of the season. However It all fell apart in race two, when his Honda broke and he failed to finish. RACE ONE With the threat of rain looming for the second race, the main combatants were under even more pressure to make a good start in race one, in case the event turned into something of a lottery later on. As everyone expected, the four top qualifiers - Bostrom, Bayliss, Edwards and Corser - made an early break, with Bayliss taking the initial holeshot. His reign lasted two complete laps, untiJ Edwards, who eased past Corser on the inside at Wesbank, went from second to first - permanently. The best four-cylinder riders on display proved to be Kawasaki's Akira Yanagawa (before he crashed in race two) and Pier-Francesco Chili, cursing his luck at riding an awesome all-new bike, which at present is worse than his old one. "Fifth in race one was not so bad, although I had two very big rear-end slides and almost highsided out of contention," said the long-term Team Green member. "I cue .... n e _ s • APRIL 1 1. 2001 7

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