Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

second after slowing on the last lap, setting a new race record in the process, fully 25-seconds faster than last year's Japanese GP thriller. For his employers at Honda, it was the perfect end to a perfect day. They came to the track that they own with a score of 497 wins. Masao Azuma added one with a close-fought and hard-earned victory in the 125cc GP; then Daijiro Katoh brought the total to 499 with a massive runaway in the 250cc class. It remained only for Rossi to add the 500th, almost exactly 40 years to the day since Australian rider Tom Phillis scored the factory's first GP win, riding an RC 145 in the 125cc class at the 1961 Spanish GP at Montjuich Park. "This is the first time I've ever finished in the top 10 at Suzuka," said a proud and delighted Rossi, who had given Biaggi a derisive one-fingered wave when he finally managed to find his way past the red Marlboro Yamaha obstacle. "I've always had bad luck here before. It was a big fight, and it was pretty hard to pull away once I got to the front." Of the 500th win, he said: "I have only won three 500-c1ass races ... and now I go in the book'" Second went to Garry McCoy, who had taken over the early lead from pole starter Loris Capirossi and his West Honda, only to have his tires lose their edge. The Red Bull Yamaha rider still prevailed over the four survivors of what had been a bigger pursuit group. Biaggi was a close third after riding with spectacular aggression throughout, slamming doors like an angry teenager. Apart from Rossi, he finished the race with tire marks on his leathers and his motorcycle, after clashing with a number of others, especially Repsol Honda's Tohru Ukawa, having a strong race in his 500cc-c1ass debut. Ukawa had his revenge, though not as he would have wanted. He was behind McCoy in the chase pack with five laps to go when he highsided on the corner after the chicane onto the start-finish straight. Biaggi was forced to brake hard to avoid him, dropping to fifth before fighting his way back again. His final victim, by inches, was former double-Suzuka winner Norick Abe and the Antena 3 Yamaha; who took fourth with c1ass-first-timer Shinya Nakano right on his back wheel on the Gauloises Yamaha. As well as Ukawa, the bullish hardcharging Noriyuki Haga had also crashed out of the group - his fourth tumble of a dusty weekend. A number of other crashes included Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki riders Sete Gibernau and wild card Akira Ryo, and Marlboro Yamaha's Carlos Checa, who remounted to take tenth. The attrition left the rest spaced out - West Honda's Alex Barros was sixth, and defending champion Kenny Roberts Jr. was seventh. The Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki rider was resigned to this lowly finish, after the factory was left behind during winter development. "I got lucky. I'd have been lower if there hadn't been so many guys fall off," he said. As well as a shortage of horsepower, he also had tire problems, with his rear beginning to break up at the finish. A similar problem had spoiled early leader Capirossi's race, the (Above) McCoy ended up finishing second on his Yamaha, holding off Blaggi and Morick Abe. West Honda rider another six seconds back in eighth at the finish. British hope Chris Walker crashed his Shell Advance Honda on the first lap, taking Jose Luis Cardoso down with him; both Pulse riders Mark Willis and Jay Vincent broke down, Vincent on the last lap. This left only 13 finishers, with points for all of them, including lastplaced Leon Haslam, making a strong class debut to be narrowly beaten by former 125cc champion and seasoned GP campaigner Haruchika Aoki. Katoh's 250cc win was a complete whitewash, though he did not break Shinya Nakano's lap record from last year. Although he was slow off the line, he took the lead before the end of the first lap and proceeded to teach the seven factory Aprilia riders a good lesson at a track that he could almost call his own, after winning here three times before. Tetsuya Harada was almost 20 seconds adrift at the finish, stealing second only over the line from fellow MS Aprilia rider Roberto Locatelli, the 125cc title winner from last year, who had led him for most of the race. Another five seconds away came Petronas Yamaha's Naoki Matsudo, who had moved III U D •• n • _ S • APRIL 18. 2001 7

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