Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

World Championship Road Race Series Round 1 1 ; Portuguese G"rand Prix BRIEFLY••• 28. Steftllno Perugini (1:49.310); 29. Thomas Luthi (1,49.360); 30. Chaz Davie, (1 ,49.661); 31. Imre Toth (1,49.743); 32. Marco Simoncelli (1,50.338); 33. Christian Pistoni (1 :51.600). 250 QUALIFYING, 1. Sebastian Porto (1,41.708); 2. Ma",o Melandri (L42.097); 3. Fonsl Nieto (1,42.325); 4. Roberto Rolfo (1 A2.353); 5. Franco Battoinl (1,42.430); 6. Toni Elia' (1,42.451); Franco Battlani (21), Fonsl Nieto (10) and Haruchika Aokl (11) do battle in the 250cc Orand Prix. Nieto scored the victory. 7. Emilio Alzamora (1:42.591); 8. Nooki Mlitsudo (1'42.652); 9. Randy De Puniet (1'42.916); 10. Alex Deben (1 ,43.259); 11. Roberto Locatelli (1 ,43.272); 12. Shllhrol Yuzy (1:43.607); 13. Casey Stoner (1,43.671); 14. Leon Ha,lam (1,43.796); 15. Haruchlke Aoki (1 :43.829); 16. Jaroslav Hules (1,44.003); 17. Eric Batailie (1,44.140); 18. Jay Vincent (1,44.167); 19. David Checa (1,44.243); 20. Erwan Nigon (1.45.043); 21. Dirk Heldolf (1,45.047); 22. Hector Faubel (1:45.171); 23. RlWI Jara (1'45.833); 24. Gregory Lefort (1,46.543). MotoGP QUALIFYING, 1. Carlo' Checa (I :39.793); 2. Daijiro Kato (1 :39.868); 3. Valentino Ros'i (1:39.984); 4. Alex Barro' (1:40.112); 5. Max Biaggl (1:40.147); 6. Jeremy McWilliam, (1,40.308); 7. Loris Capirossi (1:40.315); 8. Tohru Ukawa (1,40.509); 9. Sete Gibemau (1:40.747); 10. Jurgen van den Goorbergh (1 :40.771); 11. Nobuetsu Aok! (1,40.814); 12. Kenny Robert' Jr. (1,40.965); 13. Norick Abe (1:40.969); 14. Regi' Laconi (1:41.032): 15. John Hopkins (1 :41.092); t 6. Gllrry McCoy (1:41.169); 17. Shinya Nakano (1,41.231); 18. Tetsuya Herada (1:41.463); 19. Olivier Jacque (1:41.535); 20. Pere Riba (1:43.782). 125 GRAND PRIX: 1. Amaud Vincent (Apr); 2. Simone Sannll (Apr); 3. Steve Jenkner (Apr); 4. Pablo Nieto (Apr); 5. Masao Aluma (Hon); 6, Lucio Cecchinello (Apr); 7. Gino Borsoi (Apr); 8. Mika Kallio (Hon); 9. Thomas Luthi (Hon); 10. Daniel Pedrosa (Hon); 11. Chaz Davies (Apr); 12. Christian Pistonl (ItI); 13. Marco Simoneelli (Apr); 14. Julian Simon (Hon). Time: 49 min., 5.300 sees. Distance: 62.22 miles Average speed: 72.06 mph Margin of victory: .867 sec. Fastest lap: Steve Jenkner, lap 8. 2:01.050 250 GRAND PRIX: 1. Fon'l Nieto (Apr); 2. Marco Melendri (Apr): 3. Sebastian Porto (Yem); 4. Roberto Rolfo (Hon); 5. Roberto Locatelli (Apr); 6. Emilio Alzernore (Han); 7. Leon Haslam (Hon); 8. D.vld Chaco (Apr); g. Dirk Heidolf (Apr); 10. Hector Faubel (Apr); 11. Raul Jam (Apr); 12. Erwen Nigon M.otoGP: 1. Valentino Roul (Han): 2. Carlos Checa (Yem); 3. Tohru Ukawa (Hon); 4. Kenny Roberts Jr. (Suz); 5. Alex Barros (Hon); 6. Max Blaggi (Vam); 7. Norick Abe (Vam); 8. John Hopkin, (Yem); 9. Jeremy McWilliems (Pro); 10. Tetsuya H.r.da (Hon); 11. Garry McCoy (Yam); 12. Shlnya Nakano (Yam). Time: 54 min., 12.926 sees. Distance: 72.59 miles Average speed: 80.34 mph Margin of victory: 22.200 sec. Fastest lap: Velentino Rossi, lap 24.1:52.302 125« WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 11 of 16 rounds): 1. Ameud Vincent (194/4 wins); 2. Mtmuel PoggielJ (171/3 wins); 3. Demiel Pedrosa (166/1 win); 4. Lucio Ce«hlnello (12613 Win,); 5. Steve Jenkner (122); 6. Simone Sanne (87); 7. Peblo Nieto (78); 8. (Tie) Alex de Angeli,/Gino Borsoi (63); 10. Ma,aoAzuma (61). 250« WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 11 of 16 rounds): 1. Marco Melendri (215/7 wins); 2. Fonsi Nieto (183/3 wins); 3. Roberto Rolfo (140); 4. Seb.,lian Porto (110); 5. Toni Ella, (105); 6. Roberto Locatelli (98); 7. Franco Bettalni (88); 8. Randy De Puniet (86); g. Emilio Alzamora (73); 10. Naoki Matsudo (65). MotoGP WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 11 of 16 rounds): I. Valentino Rossi (245/9 wins); 2. Tohru Ukawa (156/1 Win); 3. Max Bieggi (144/1); 4. Carlo, Chec. (116); 5. Alax Barro' (116); 6. Norick Abe (99); 7. Daijiro Kato (80); 8. Loris Cepirossi (75); 9. Kenny Roberts Jr. (58); 10. John Hopkins (49); 11. Olivier Jacque (48); 12. Shlnya Nakano (45); 13. Nobuatsu Aokl (43); 14. Tetsuya Harada (39); 15. Akira Ryo (36). Upcoming Rounds: Round 12 - Nelson Piquet Circuit, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sept. 21 Round 13 - Twin Ring, Motegi Japan, Oct. 6 (Apr); 13. Toni Elia, (Apr). Time: 53 min.• 58.901 sees. Distance: 67.41 miles Average speed: 74.92 mph Margin of victory: .684 sec. Fastest lap: Fonsi NJeto, lap IS, 2:00.120 14 SEPTEMBER 18,2002' Fonsi Nieto won his third race of the season In the 250cc class. cue' • n • _:IS Suzuki has come into line with the rest of the new four-strokes, with a new ramp-style slip" per clutch in place of their previous sprag clutch. Riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and Sete Gibernau welcomed the development. although still in its early development stage. "For me, it's better right away,· said Roberts. "It makes the whole bike feel different, and we'll need to find new base settings. But already we've done that. It makes the bike much more precise to set." Slipper clutches reduce engine braking, a crucial aspect of performance for the new MotoGP four-strokes, which have to try and match the performance of the engine-braking-free two-strokes into the comers. Both riders, especially Gibemau, had complained about the inconsistent perlormance of the oid sprag clutch, which operates to preset values. A ramp-type slipper clutch is self-compensating. slipping only when the loads are high, and re-engaging smoothly. Almost all the other four-strokes and most factory Superbikes use a ramp-style clutch. The exception in GP racing is Yamaha, with a sophisticated electronically controlled slipper system. Suzuki's new unit. designed by the factory. is very compact, according to team manager Garry Taylor. Yamaha's new fairing reveals something more than an enhanced sense of style. It also shows the ram-air intake beneath the nose, and reveals that it is ... well, not exactly adjustable. but also not exactly fixed either. According to team insiders. it is the same intake used all year. but it was not visible beneath the earlier bulbous fairing. Which meant you couldn't see the M 1 opening and closing its mouth like a goldfish. Team manager Geoff Crust described the opening and closing action as basically irrelevant: just a function of haVing sited the intake at the point on the bike where the highest pressure exists at speed. to maximize the ram-air effect. Under brakes. with the front forks compressed. the soft-material intake is squashed flat. But since the throttles are closed in this condition, the impairment of function as an Intake is irrelevant. Honda had their new ramair system on all their bikes. with triangular "ears" on each side of and beneath the handlebar fairings. Suzuki and Aprilia have had a similar system all year long, with Suzuki using part of the main chassis for ducting. Michelin has introduced a new special fourstroke-only rear tire. after a tire-chunking problem stopped Rossi at Bmo. The French manufacturers were still investigating the cause. but ruled out a bad batch of tires, or that it was delamination of a dual-compound tire. "It was a single compound. and the puzzling thing is that Brno is one of the easiest circuits on tires." said racing boss Nicolas Goubert. Trouble at the Czech circuit was a surprise. but not the fact that the new-generation bikes were pushing the tires harder than before. "It is what we expected, as the four-strokes start pushing each other and the other bikes are becoming more competitive with Honda. They are not near the limit on horsepower, and can easily make more. With the two-strokes already on the limit. we were just refining the product. The four-strokes are pushing us· into new areas." Kato also had tire problems at Brno, a circuit usually kind to tires, as did Suzuki riders Roberts and Gibemau. But the favorite scapegoat at present seems to be the Honda RCV itself. which was already harder on rear tires than the other machines. Michelin GP manager Emmanuel Foumier explained the new direction. "We are beginning to take slightly different directions in development with the four-strokes and two-strokes. The new tire we have here has a stronger compound. from what we learned at Brno. But most of our riders have done full 28-lap endurance tests here on 'standard' rears with no problems. We know that the Honda sometimes uses its tires harder than the other fourstrokes. and now that the Yamaha is very competitive. the Honda riders have to use more of their motorcycle. Three quarters of our riders used the same rear at Bmo. and the tire worked well for everyone except the three RCV riders." Rossi has been beaten twice this year as a result - in South Africa. by teammate Ukawa. after a gamble on a softer rear went sour; and by retirement at Bmo. Statistically, it is hardly a significant sample, yet it seems that when Rossi is put under pressure, his rear tire is prone to feeling the pace. Pressure is coming now not only from the muchimproved Yamahas. but also from Daijiro Kato, now also on a V-five. Can we expect a rearsuspension rethink from Honda soon? Michelin got most of the kudos for dominating the MotoGP class - but Dunlop has a similar record in the 250cc class. and in Portugal were celebrating their century. Marco Melandri's Brno Victory had been their hundredth in succession in the class. They took the chance to remind everyone that not only are they the only tire company to support all three GP classes. but they have won more than half of the 2255 solo GPs in all classes since the start of the championship in 1949. By the end of the season, will see even more four-strokes, with at least a dozen contestants swelling the exhaust-pipe orchestra at the final three rounds in Malaysia. Australia and Valencia. The latest additions will be another pair of M 1 Yamahas, to be run by the Tech 3 Gauloises team for Olivier Jacque and Shinya Nakano. There will be four Hondas by then - Rossi. Ukawa and Kato joined by one of the two West Pons riders, Barros or Capirossi. There may be a third Suzuki. with regular wild-card rider Akira Ryo hopeful of joining Roberts and Gibernau. Kawasaki will field a wild-card entry for. the last four races, probably to be ridden by Superbike pilot Akira Yanagawa. Add the Aprilia of Laconi, and that means 12 or 13 four-strokes. Mystery surrounds the supposed signing of AMA Superbike Champion Nicky Hayden to ride alongside Carlos Checa in the factory Yamaha team next year. Lips that had been leaking this promising news have become tightly sealed, and it is understood that frantic negotiations are under way. with Honda doing all in their power to make sure they don't lose their prize property to their racing rivals Yamaha. One lure is the promise of a factory GP bike for 2004. which may be enough to convince Hayden to stay one more year racing for American Honda in the AMA series. The rumor mill went into overdrive at Estoril. with important questions about rider moves and sponsorship still to be solved, both time and money getting short, and tension running high in several areas of the paddock. At least two teams are without sponsorship for next season. and maybe several more. West is thought to have decided to quit bike racing at the end of this season. after two seasons backing the Pons Honda satellite team. Pons is frantically seeking a replacement for the bigspending sponsors. The other team with an entry but bereft of support is Luis d'Antin. currently running Abe and Riba on Yamaha twostrokes with Antena 3 backing. At the same time, Telefonica MoviStar has yet to renew its contract with Suzuki. while Fortuna is widely rumored to be preparing to leave the Gresini satellite Honda team to replace Marlboro at Yamaha next year. PUlling two and two together. most people think it likely that Telefonica MoviStar will move to Gresini, who has potential champion Daijiro Kato on a factory Honda already signed up, and that they will take Gibemau with them. Meanwhile. the owner of Red Bull. Dieter Mateschitz. was at Estoril, casting doubt on whether he would support the WCM team, who expects to field Garry McCoy and John Hopkins on Moriwakl Hondas next year. It is understood that Red Bull's long-term strategy is to join fellow-Austrians KTM when they join the MotoGP class In 2004 or 2005. and Mateschitz suggested they might conserve their resources in preparation for that. On the other side. Jurgen van den Goorbergh is said to have found a big new Dutch sponsor, giving the Dutch rider considerable clout, in spite of his dismal season so far on the Kanemoto Honda on Bridgestone tires. The rider market is equally fluid, with more good bikes than good riders. Mal< Blaggi, dumped by Yamaha, is thought certain to join the Pramac Honda team, currently trying to

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