(Lett) Hitoyasu
Izutsu and his
Kawasaki ended
up the best of
the four-cylinder
brigade.
(Right) Gregorio
LavUla (101 was
pleased to lap
faster on the
Corona Suzuki
than PlerFrancesco Chili
lapped last year
on the same
bike.
(Lett) Ruben
Xaus was fast,
but crashed
often.
(Right) Peter
Goddard (61 and
the Benelll
Tomado didn't
havea
successful test
as they showed
that they are
stili well behind
the rest of the
Worid Superbike
pack.
The premier Ducati entrant, in a
class where the twins are actually at a
disadvantage, was Piergiorgio Bontempi, who ended three days of toil in
12th overall, on an NCR 748.
A grim weekend for Andrew Pitt,
the reigning World Champion, saw
him 15th overall - faster than last
year but still at a circuit that does not
seem to favor the ZX-6R Kawasaki.
Bell's PalsY slowed Chris Walker (Ieftl
at the test, but the Brit managed to
ride despite the Illness that he hopes
Is temporary.
"We're having huge amounts of
chatter from the bike and that makes
it hard to put in a fast lap," Pitt said.
'" think it will affect us for the race.
But we've gone about 1.5 seconds
faster than last year, and the guys
have put a lot of work in."
John McGuinness, injured during a
team photo shoot before the tests,
gamely opted to try out his dislocated
shoulder on his Honda UK machine,
but he managed only two timed laps
before crying, "Enough."
Overall, the Valencia test provided
three grand days of maneuvers for
the otherwise beleaguered Superbike
riders and the majority of the buoyant
supersport legionnaires.
If close racing was the very thing
that made Superbike what it is now,
then the 2002 season could well be
its salvation again, temporary or otherwise - according to preseason
times, anyway.
It is also significant to note that
none of the previous second string
factory superbikes - missing from the
grid this year - had any championship challengers on them in 200 I,
so at the sharp end at least, things
cue
I
..
are going to be as dynamic and
closely contested as ever.
In Supersport, the Pirelli riders
have an upper hand at present, certainly at the Circuito Ricardo Tormo.
But the truth of the series goes
marching on.
We'll find out soon enough in
both classes, on March 10, back at
Valencia.
eN
Colin Edwards Is going it alone this
year on the Castrol Honda team, riding
without a teammate for the first time
In his World Superblke career. He
seems happy enough.
n
..
_
S
•
MARCH 13. 2002
35
