Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

World Endurance Championship Round 6: Suzuka 8 Hours and Barros had claimed them all within 30 minutes. The interval now stabilized at 10 seconds with two and a half hours remaining. The thirdplace Honda, now with Ukawa at the helm, was a mile back in third and developing a misfire. The Team Suzuki bike was in fourth, and looking set to get lapped before the race was over. Those intervals were all rendered meaningless with 17 minutes remaining in the hour. Privateer Takaaki Hodon crashed his Kawasaki ZX-7RR Superbike in the S-curves, and gave the corner workers more than they could handle: a fuel fire on the left side of the track, and a limp rider on the right. Race organizers dispatched the safety cars. Per the FIM regulations, two are employed, creating two groups of riders. Edwards and Barros were in the first group, while Ukawa was unlucky to end up in the latter him crash at the chicane, I think the race is finished. But no. He's quite lucky that the bike, no problem, and he return very hard. If I knew he would restart, then I would have rode over Okada." For Rossi, now there was not a cloud in the sky. He cooled the pace to 2:10, while a gloomy Okada completed laps no faster than two minutes, 11 seconds apiece. Okada ended his blundered third ride on lap 135. The deficit stood at 27 seconds, but there was still three hours to go. Edwards was on the track the following lap, and by lap 137 the interval from Edwards to Barros was already down to 18 seconds. Three laps later, 16 seconds. Barros was tearing chunks out of Edwards' advantage at the steady rate of a second a lap. It didn't last for long, as there are only so many 2:09 lap times one can get from a set of tires, Superbike, what we call Superpole. We are not using it in other Endurance World Championship races. but for here, it's very important. We are a little bit Rexible, because we need them, and they need to be in the World Championship." BRIEFLY••• During the three-day test on July 11-13. Suzuka Circuit announced that 8 Hours teams could consist of either two or three riders. Claude Danis, president of circuit inspections for the FIM. explained. "Suzuka 8 Hours is part of the [Endurance] World Championship. so they have to follow the regulations of the World Championship. This decision was taken in October last year. at the FIM Congress. This new regulation was published in what we call 'the yellow book.' the rulebook of the Endurance World Championship at the beginning of this year. I did an organizers' seminar for the officials at Motegi. in March, and I told them that they must give the possibility of the team to enter three riders. Previously there were two riders. and one substitute. Some teams that were making the World Championship, they complained about t~is situation. When they come here, if they had three riders on the team for all the other races. they had to decide who was going to be part of the World Championship and gain the title. For them. it was very. very difficult: for the team manager to take the decision. We got that problem last year: Phase 1 was World Champion with two riders. one [Stephene Mertens] could not participate because maximum two riders. We don't let any more substitute riders. lexcept] for 24-hour races. So for 24-hours races you can have two or three riders. plus one substitute. If less than 24-hours race. you are allowed two or three riders, but no more substitute riders." Also new for this year in the Endurance World Championship is the notion of Team World Champion. Again, Claude Danis explained. "The Endurance World Championship is for the team now. The riders will not be World Champion. the team will be World Champion, like in soccer. This is new from this year... A rumor going around the paddock at Suzuka was that the Superbike class would be eliminated at the end of this season. and replaced by Super Production. "For next year it is not already decided. But the way we are going is to have a world title for Superbike and Super Production. together. They will compete [against each other] for the same title. This year we have world championship only for the Superbike class. We have World Cup for Super Production class, and we have FIM Cup for the Stock Sport class. Next year we will have a World Championship for Superbike and Super Production. So they will come together for the same title. And we will still have the FIM Cup for Stock Sport. " In Danis' words. a Super Production motorcycle is as follows: "Super Production is 1000cc, four cylinders. There is no modification permitted regarding the engine. the engine must be stock engine - they cannot modify. The other part of the bike they can modify per the Superbikes." The Suzuka 8 Hours is one of the biggest events of the year in motorcycle racing, and Danis commented on the importance of the Suzuka 8 Hours. "Suzuka 8 Hours is very important for us to be included in the world championship. For the promoter of the Suzuka 8 Hours. it's very important to be in the world championship. It's why sometimes we are a little bit Rexible with the FIM rules; for example. we allow them to organize here what they call the 'Special Stage.' which is something we are using now in 12 AUGUST 22,2001 • II: U II: I e group, along with Watanabe on the Suzuki. "We had our lead to 20 seconds or so, and then when the pace car come out, they gained back the advantage to us," Edwards said. "This pissed me off, really. But this is the 8 Hours anything can happen." "I reduce the interval to eleven, or ten seconds, and the pace car come," Barros said. "But I a little bit worry about have two pace cars. I don't know, I didn't see Colin. But then I .see four machines in the middle between me and him and I say, 'Okay, I'm two or three seconds behind.' God take away something at the crash, but now give back." The pace cars pulled off on lap 161. Barros was a second behind Edwards, and was homing in for the kill. Some 43 laps after Okada laid the Honda over at the chicane, Barros overtook Edwards. Fittingly, the pass occurred at the very point where n e _ First place in the Suzuka 8 Hours paid 10 million yen, or about $80,000. Second place paid 2 million yen ($16.000l. and third place paid an even one million yen ($B000l. The X-Formula class (basically modified street bikes with a $25,000 claiming price) first prize was two million yen, with 1.5 and 1 million yen for second and third. respectively. Super Production Rrst prize was 300.000 yen ($2400l. First in SpeCial Stage receive one million yen, with 700.000 and 600.000 for second and third, respectively. Altogether, a total purse of 42.81 0,000 yen ($342.480l was available. making the 8 Hours the richest event in motorcycle racing. At the conclusion of the 8 Hours. Alex Barros, his wife, and personal trainer were convinced that Honda fixed the race so that superstar Valentino Rossi would win. In particular, they felt that their Japanese pit crew deliberately lowered the bike early at the final pit stop to confuse Barros. and make Barros start the engine without the rear axle installation complete. Plus the fact that Honda wanted to add oil to the engine. something not required of the other Honda teams. Colin Edwards categorically dismissed this conspiracy theory. "It's bullshit. But even if it was. I don't give a shit. We won it. " Honda rolled out the RC211V four·stroke GP bikes on Friday and Sunday at the 8 Hours. Externally, the bikes looked significantly revised since the last semi-public outing at Sugo after the Japanese Grand Prix in April. The exhaust system is now completely internal to the motorcycle. with the one network of exhaust pipes snaked in the belly of the bodywork. ala the RS500 triple, and a second set running centrally under the seat and rear fender/fairing. Except for a privileged few at Honda - this did not include people like Valentino Rossi. Colin Edwards, Jerry Burgess, or Adrian Gorst . nobody was allowed a close look at the bikes. Instead, Honda started the bikes in a closed garage and opened the doors just long enough to get demonstration riders Mick Doohan and Manabu Kamada to ride out to the track. In case you are wondering, the '211' in the RC211V model designation means "twenty-first century, number one." The model designation does not follow the conventions established by Honda in the 1960s, when they last raced four-stroke motorcycles in the World Championship. Honda was planning a two-day test of RC211 V at Suzuka on the Tuesday and Wednesday after the 8 Hours. Honda's factory riders were expected to participate in the tests. However. Mick Doohan was not slated to be there. opting instead to Northern California for a vacation. Suzuka 8 Hours often means contract-talk time for the star riders while they are in Japan. Colin Edwards looks close to signing a deal that keeps him in World Superbikes at least through 2002. "[My 2002 plans will] probably be something along the same lines [as 2001l. For me, it's great - I couldn't be happier. There are a lot of rumors going around about me on the V-five, but, I think realistically, it's going to be a development year and see what happens. Is it going to be faster? Is it going to be slower? Is it going to be burning up tires? There are a lot of questions that need to be s Okada lost control some two hours earlier. Edwards followed for a lap, and then pitted. This time it would be Rossi on the track first, ready to pounce on Okada. Okada went out on the next lap (165), and set about finding a way to make up the 2.7 seconds to Rossi. In short, he failed - by the time the seventh hour ended, Rossi had Okada nine seconds behind. Hence as the seventh hour drew to a close, it was clear we had a Honda versus Honda fight to the finish. Okada pulled in on lap 190, and disaster struck. During the pit stop, with Barros sitting on the bike and waiting for new wheels to be fitted, Barros sensed the bike being lowered, and thumbed the engine starter button. However, a pit crewmember was still installing the rear axle. When Barros let out the clutch the rear wheel became cocked up, requiring answered. I don't want to waste a year if it's not quicker. I don't want to take that chance. I might check it out and watch Valentino run some circles [at the Suzuka test session after the 8 HoursJ." Valentino Rossi is nearing the end of his two-year contract with Honda. The Italian' s manager has started talks with Honda for a new contract. but an agreement has not been reached as of the 8 Hours. "We already start talking about next year,· Rossi said. "Contract meetings not finished - very long. However, I have my man do the talking. I just ride the bike." The Yamaha dream team of Noriyuki Haga and Anthony Gobert failed to gel. partly from rider rivalry. and partly from an uncompetitive YZF·R7. Gobert found Haga's set-up not to the Australian's liking. "We've been struggling to get a good set-up between the both of us. My bike in America is set-up a lot differ· ent than to this bike. I mean. this bike is set-up so different that it doesn't even feel like a Yamaha. It feels a lot different. Haga is a lot smaller than me in the shoulders. and his body - he is a lot smaller. His handlebars are really narrow; he has a really low screen. He's coming more to my set-up after riding my bike now, The actual set-up is now coming closer. but they still have a few things that make it really difficult for me. They have the seat really high compared to in America, and the handlebars are lower. so I kind of have a feeling like I'm going over the handlebars on the brakes. It's really not a comfortable position for me to do eight hours. but I'm really happy to be here for Yamaha." Haga refused to discuss Gobert directly, or mention his name in conversation, but did feel that the team was chasing its tail from Gobert's setup requests. "We' have much problem. because we make many settings. but not so big difference. that's my feeling. We're always going in circles. Sure, we make change tire, change set· ting. but cannot find good setting." The one point Haga and Gobert could agree on was that their Yamaha wasn't winning any prizes for horsepower. Gobert: "We're both complaining a little bit on horsepower. it seems to be a little bit of a problem right now. But. then again. it's eight hours of racing. and a lot of things can happen. I honestly don't think we're going to be the fastest team, but I think we're deRnitely going to be up there. The feeling that I'm getting is now that we're not going to be the quickest, but I think we're going to be right there ready to pounce if anything happens. Unfortunately. we seem to be down just a little bit of horsepower, which is making us struggle. We're both definitely riding as hard as we can. Our lap times are pretty much the same, we're within one-tenth of a second of each other. We're definitely doing the best we can. We're unfortunately just a smidge off some of the other teams." It was not a case of the Yamahas being down on horsepower this year; rather. all the other bikes were way up on power. Last year. the Haga R7 was measured at 164.9 mph, this year it was mea· sured at 166.7 mph. The Edwards/Rossi VTR1000SPW saw an increase in top speed from 166 mph to 171 mph, the Ukawa/Kato Honda saw an increase from 168 to 174 mph, and the Okada Honda went from 165,5 to almost 175 mphI The Kawasaki's were also faster. with Yanagawa/lzutsu's top speed increasing from 165 to 170 mph, and Serizawa's bike increasing from 163 to 170 mph. This year's Suzuki was a new model (although the GSX-R750 was relaunched last year. Suzuki did not homologate it with the FIM until 2001), regardless. last year Ryo went 163 mph on the old GSX-R750. and this year he went 170 mph on the new one.

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