World Championship Road Race Series
Round 1 : .Japanese Grand Prix
Grand Prix racing, the first battle of
the four-stroke prototypes was much
anticipated - then the rain began,
8
APRIL 17. 2002'
DUD
I
tar Suzuki wild-card rider Akira Ryo
never tested in the wet, the race was
a learning exercise for much of the
entering the chicane. Instead of pulling
away, as some might have expected,
43,000 rain-sodden spectators. It was
his 40th career Grand Prix victory.
field, none more so than Rossi.
ving seamlessly from twotroke to four-stroke, Repsol
Honda's Valentino Rossi ushered in the
MotoGP era with a flawless ride in the
wet in his debut on the Honda RC211V
in the Skyy Vodka Grand Prix of Japan
at the historic Suzuka Circuit.
Following the closest qualifying
ever in the history of the top class of
the leaders the entire race, steadily
moving forward until the 16th of 21
laps, when he passed Telefonica Movis-
and never really stopped. Having
By HENNY RAY ABRAMS
PHOTOS By GOLD £,. GOOSE
"To win is always special, but
today is more because of very difficult conditions," he said of his fifth
victory in a row, this one in front of
Ryo had survived on a day when
Ryo, whose Suzuki jumped out of the
the race," Rossi said.
The Italian learned well. Starting
comers, but had less steam on the top
than the four-stroke Honda RC211 V.
neither of his teammates, Kenny
Roberts Jr. and Sete Gibernau, and
much of the field, couldn't. It was
from the pole position, Rossi stuck with
•
Rossi was dogged the whole way by
"I learned to ride the bike during
Rossi went on to win by 1.550 seconds
only the third Grand Prix for the 34-
neVIl'S
