---- --- - ---- I
.
o
_0
-
-
IRTA MotoGP Test
~2:_0CJ~( ~E.~~_ o.
would be before," said the Aussie. "I
am a little surprised to have set a
time Uke that in these conditions,
because it's so cold."
His best time was a sparkling
1:34.070, nearly in the 1:33s but also
over .4 of a second faster than Max
Biaggi's pole time from 2001.
McCoy's time was also a small matter
of over two seconds inside the race
lap record.
As if to underline the looming fact
that - at least as far as Yamaha and
Aprilia are concerned - the fourstrokes will not be instantly dominant, the second quickest rider was
also not on a four-stroke, with Shinya
Nakano slotting his Tec 3 YZR500
into second place on the time sheets.
The fastest of the new batch of
camshaft twirlers was Carlos Checa,
muscling his Ml Yamaha to the third
(Left) At least as far as Gany McCoy
was concerned, you were stili better
off on a two-stroke Yamaha than a
four-stroke M1. The Australian and his
VZR500 ended up the fastest of the
MotoGP riders during a three-day test
at the Valencia circuit In Spain.
(Below) John Kocinski has been
serving as a Yamaha test rider for the
new M1 four-stroke. The former 250cc
World Champion found a chassis
setup that suited both himself and
Max Blaggl, with Blaggl doing his best
laps on the Kocinski bike.
By GORDON RITCHIE
PHOTOS By GOLD & GOOSE
VALENCIA, SPAIN, FEB. 15-17
9 he irony was thick after the end of
U the two and a half day IRTA test
at Valencia, due to the fact that the
fastest bike on show was not only
most assuredly not a four-stroke
technological jewel, but a year-old
Yamaha two-stroke, fitted with some
updated 2002 parts. It had, however,
the advantage of being ridden by
someone who loves Valencia, is back
on Dunlops, and knows the character
of his machine intimately - Garry
McCoy.
The diminutive Red Bull Yamaha
rider has been out of action for some
time, but has come rocketing back
with a vengeance, being the fastest
rider on both final days of the test.
"I thought before I came here that
the times would be quicker than they
14 FEBRUARY 27,2002' c U a I
_
n
__
•
