Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Time: 45 min. 1.044 sees. Distance: 73.69 miles Average speed: 98.22 mph Margin of victory: 3.374 sees. Fastest lap: 2:01.461, VlIlentino Rossi, llIp 7 Gilera's Manuel Poggiali crashed ou1 of the 125cc race, taking Hondamounted Arnaud Vincent with him. 500cc GRAND PRIX WORLD C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 10 of 16 rounds): 1. V.lentino Rossi (195/6 wins): 2. Max 6iaggi (166/3): 3. Loris Capirossi (127); 4. Alex B.rros (107/1): 5. (Tie) 18. Anthony West (2:04.147): 19. Joh.n Stigefelt (2:06.105); 20. Brendan Clarke (2:06.231): 21. Barry Veneman (2:06.426): 22. Shaun Geronimi Norick Abe/Shinye Nlikano (100); 7. Alex Criville (2:07.824) . 500cc GRAND PRIX: 1. Valentino Rossi (Hon); 2. Alex Criville (Hon); 3. Loris Capirossi (Hon); 4. (91): 8. Carlos Checa (76): 9. Sete Gibemau (68); 10. Tohru Uk.w. (64); II. Kenny Roberts Jr. (62); 12. Noriyuki Haga (44); 13. Jurgen vd Goorbergh (43); 14. Garry McCoy (42); 15. Olivier Jacque (30). (Yam); 11. Noriyuki Haga (Yam); 12. Olivier Jacque (Yam); 13. Jose Luis Cardoso (Yam); 14. Haruchika Aoki (Hon); 15. Johan Stigfell (Sab); 16. Blirry Veneman (Hon). Upcoming Rounds: Round 11: Estoril, Portugal, September 9 Round 12: Valencia, Spain, September 23 Norick Abe (Vam); 5. Tohru Uk.wa (Hon); 6. G.rry McCoy (Vam): 7. Carlos Checa (Vam); 8. Sete Gibemau (Suz); 9. Alex Barros (Hon); 10. Max Biaggi BRIEFLY. •• Kenny Roberts .Jr. to Honda? Kenny Roberts .Jr. to Yamaha? Speculation on the out-ofsorts World Champion's immediate future continued at Bmo. But the most likely outcome seems to be: Roberts to stay at Suzuki. Roberts, who has not finished higher than sixth this season In the worst-ever title defense, has complained about the lack of improvement to the Suzuki this season, compared with the other machines, and is known to have approached other teams. But he also confirmed, late in the summer break: ·1 have a contract for next year with Suzuki. We'll have to wait and see what they can do about building a competitive motorcycle. " Team manager Garry Taylor again confirmed that Kenny has a contract for next year, and that there are no "performance" clauses that might give him a legitimate escape. The return of QUB (Queens University Belfast) to GP racing with Jay Vincent on a Yamaha 250 also heralds the return of independent high science to the class, with the Optimum Power Technology electronic control systems that may even lead to fuel Injection for racing two-strokes. QUB and Optimum have raced together before, with Jeremy McWilliams on a very successful privateer 250. and in the break since then have been continuing development on electronic engine control systems, as well as engine-simulation programs, dubbed Virtual Two-stroke and Virtual Four-stroke, which operate as engine design and development tools. The ECU (Engine Control Unill has also been updated - the latest version is dubbed "GP Contra'" , and is available as an aftermarlket add-on for four-strokes and two-strokes, primarily for competition use, so that private entrants can have access to the same levels of ECU as the factory machines. Two-stroke fuel injection has long been a Holy Grail of bike racing, Both Honda and Aprilia have tried and failed to develop effective systems. According to QUB's Professor Robert Fleck, who runs the racing team, the system used on the Yamaha is a significant step forward and fuel injection was an ultimate target - but with the dubious future of two-strokes in racing, it might be an answer to a question that will not be asked. "The system we are using now is leading towards injection. At present. the ECU controls ignition, the exhaust power valve and the carburetor power jet, measuring parameters including engine speed, throttle position and crankshaft acceleration. They also read exhaust temperature, engine detonation and other factors that are relevant to fuel injection, but don't use them at present." The value is of course in performance. but also in engine set-up. "We can install three different maps. and the rider can switch between them without having to stop. That gives the chance to evaluate different sellings without having to stop at the pits and make adjustments," he said. Motocross and ATV manufacturer Cannondale have adopted the GP Control system to their latest range of machines. Fast lady Katja Poensgen's GP career has been rescued - by the Shell Advance Honda team. The only girl racer ever to score points in the 250cc class was dumped by the Racing Factory team after the German GP after her sponsor, Dark Dog. failed to come up with the cash. Shell Advance will run a kitted RS production Honda for Katja from the next round in Portugal for the rest of this season, and for the 2002 season as well. "I hope Katja will stay with us for two more years after that." said team manager Jeff Hardwick. ·1 feel very strongly that Katja deserves he place in GP racIng. and we are pleased she chose us," he added. Katja was in the paddock at Bmo, and said: "The first half of the season was difficult for me because I had a lot of pressure from the media. The summer break was difficult because I had to find a new team. I'd have liked to have raced here, because I know this track so well. I also know Valencia, but at the other races I'll be learning my way round for next year. " Traffic is always a problem in 125 qualifying, with every fast rider picking up strings of slower riders trying to pick up a tow. It was graphically described by Aprilia rider Lucio Cecchinella, winner of the Catalunya GP. "At the end of the session it was like the A' 4 on Friday evening, direction Rimini [a seaside resortJ. There were people on the right and on the left as if they were making a picnic." The Pulse GP dream is over, with the team withdrawing from the remainder of the 2001 season after running into cash problems. Rider Marlk Willis had already been released from his contract: now Briton Jay Vincent is also out of a 500 ride. The Briton's career was rescued at once, with a return to the 250 class on the QUB Optimum Honda. The team, which formerly ran Jeremy McWilliams, had been planning a return with French rider Vincent Phillipe, but he was injured at the German GP. Pulse started the year with V4 ex-Swissauto engines, and a new chassis built in England by Team Roberts. Things started to go wrong from the beginning, when they missed preseason testing waiting for parts. Soon after returning to Europe their financial probiems became acute, with team manager Dave Stewart blaming the unexpected withdrawal of a major sponsor. They survived until the summer break. and had hoped to be at Bmo as well, until Stewart pulled the plug a week before the race. Yamaha's four-stroke GP prototype, the Ml, smashed records at Bmo at tests during the summer break - with Carlos Checa not only running faster than teammate Max Biaggi. but also breaking the lap record and selling a race time a full 40 seconds faster than Blaggi's winning time last year - and still ten seconds faster than this year's record time. Meanwhile, at Catalunya, Japanese riders Shinya Nakano and Noryuki Haga also tested the Ml ... on Dunlop tires. the make of rubber that Haga prefers, and has used all through his Superbike career. The Bmo tests were in tandem with two-stroke tests of the current Marlboro Yamaha GP bike, and it is understood that the fourstroke was reliably faster, and that the specter of tire wear proved to be less of a problem than expected. with the better throttle control allowing riders some control over the problem. Checa was already a fan of the four-stroke, and had preViously said that he would prefer to quit Yamaha if they want him to race the two-stroke next year. Yamaha racing boss Un Jarvis refused to confirm lap times, and explained the extra Barcelona tests: "Yamaha want to get data from all their top riders, but it doesn't necessarily mean anything in terms of our future plans. We're not 100-percent confirmed as to who will race which machines next season. This was an opportunity for those riders to test and evaluate the MI." Nor did the Dunlop test mean they were planning to switch from Michelin for next year, he continued. "We have good contacts with Dunlop, and use them in the Japanese Superbike championship, as well as on the title-winning 250 last season. As any other manufacturerlike Honda with Bridgestone - Yamaha have to keep aware of developments. There was no ulterior motive, and we didn't test Dunlops back to back with Michelin." Asked if they might run two-strokes on Michelin and four-strokes on Dunlops, he said: "That is not our intention ... but everything Is possible at this stage." Dunlop race boss Jeremy Ferguson said that they had tested Superbike tirl's and new developments at Barcelona with Yamaha. "As I've always said. it is Dunlop's intention to return to the GPI class next year," he said. World champion Kenny Roberts .Jr. and the factory Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki team have gone back to the future to try and improve his dire season - reviving an engine configuration used by 1993 champion Kevin Schwantz to try to redress the balance. With a best finish so far of sixth and only ninth place in the World Championship, Roberts has complained all season of a lack of throttle connection and acceleration compared with his improved rivals. Now they have reverted to the pre-Big Bang engine, testing the configuration at Mugello during the break, and bringing it to Bmo, where Roberts was again challenging for pole position on the first day of practice, ending up third. This echoes a move by Mick Doohan, who won the first three of his five titles with a Big Bang engine, then reverted to the old "Screamer" for the last two, commenting that the older engine type gave a beller feel and a better throttle connection. Roberts agrees. "I rode it for one day in tests at Mugella, and though the lap time there was not so good, the connection between myself and the rear tire seemed better," he said, after the first day of practice at Bmo. "We've sacrificed acceleration and top speed for a better throttle connection, and today was the first time this season that I've been able to follow other riders and open the throttle at the same time as them. It means I can hope for better results - though we're still making the lap time on comer speed, and if there is a battle of acceleration, then I have no chance." Team technical director Warren Willing said: "Switching back to the pre-Big Bang firing order seems to have helped us get more consistent lap times. It helps especially in comer entry - because it has less engine braking. We've sacrificed some speed, but the pay-off is better comer entry." The engine and some chassis revisions had also allowed them to go back to the 17-inch rear tire rather than the almost universal 16.5. Roberts prefers the more accurate steering of the 17. which has the same outer diameter as the 16.5. but a narrower footprint. In the end, however, they switched to the latest , 6.5 for the race - and Roberts pulled into the pits after half distance to retire with no mechanical problems. The resurgent Max Biaggi - winner of the last round in Germany and favorite for his seventh win at Bmo .. has been climbing up the statistics ladder. His last win put him into the top ten of all time. It goes like this: Agostini' 22 wins, Angel Nieto 90, Mike Hailwood 76, Mick Doohan 54, Phil Read 52, Jim Redman 45, Anton Mang 42, Carlo Ubbiali 39, John Surtees 38, Max Blaggi (and Jorge Martinez) 37. Biaggi's record also looks better than expected when compared with that of his great rival Rossi. Since the Czech GP last year, the two Italians have won 11 of the' 5 races between them. Six went to Rossi, and five to Biagg;, but the overall points score was • very close. with Rossi clocking up 267 to Biaggi's 266. Other statistics before the Czech GP showed that 250 superstar Daijiro Katoh has claimed 25 consecutive points-scoring finishes until this race. Only three riders have done better - Luca Cadalora, with 34 in , gg, /92, Sito Pons with 26 in 1988/89. and that man Biaggi again, also with 26, in '994/95/96. It was also Garry McCoy's 100th GP. The Australian made his debut in the 125 class in 1992, riding as a replacement for an injured rider In the Australian GP. Shinya Nakano was out of the Czech GP after crashing in the first free practice. He hit his right hand hard and fractured the fourth metacarpal. Although the bone was not displaced and he was given the green light to ride by the medical staff, he did not go out in the afternoon. "It was just too painful: he said. He did a few laps on the second day to qualify, but withdrew on race morning. Leon Haslam found a novel way of spoiling his first afternoon on a V4 at Brno. The Shell Advance Honda rider was stung on the lip by a wasp on his first lap, and had to stop for medical treatment. He went out again. but the son of Ron was somewhat disfigured, with :,is lip very swollen. cue I e n e ...., s SEPTEMBER 5, 2001 31

• Cover