Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

How do you develop a motorcycle from a rough dog to a proper racer? Not, apparently, the way Kawasaki has been trying to do it. Not according to the team's new technical boss, Hamish Jamieson, recruited after the first few races to try to get the green bikes heading in the right direction. It's not that Kawasaki hasn't plenty of ideas and hasn't been trying. Rather the reverse, with a full round of preseason tests, a stream of chassis and other changes, and a test rider as well as its GP squad. Jamieson believes that trying too hard in this way has been obviously unproductive, and the biggest change he wants to bring to the program is not another truckload of chassis, swingarms and engine parts, but a test schedule that tries a smaller number of different solutions and obtains clear and meaningful results from it. His first impression of the bike was that there wasn't a single problem area to fix but that it was too slow all around. "It was not obviously bad handling; the engine wasn't obviously slow," Jamieson said. "But it was generally slow in tuming and in acceleration." Kawasaki does have a changed chassis on the way for this coming week's Bmo tests. And a lighter crankshaft. Both are in response to requests from Jamieson. But it's worth recording that his first breakthrough (getting test rider Alex Hofmann to a higher level than the active GP riders) came after going back through previous chassis variations that had been tested preseason and rejected. He felt the tests had not been conclusive and needed another look. And you can be sure that the new stuff coming this week will be tested one piece at a time, with just the same sort of economy and logic. ping to fourth as he went way wide. Pedrosa was also attacking, up to second at the chicane, then passed on the exit by Dovizioso. At the next corner, Pedrosa tried again, and they touched, slow!ng Pedrosa. As he lifted, Perugini came through, and the pair collided. Pedrosa went down, and though he seemed to be an innocent victim, race director Paul Butler in fact put the blame on him. Not far behind, Alex de Angelis won out after a long battle with Casey Stoner, while Pablo Nieto moved through to sixth from a big midfield gang. Five seconds behind him, Mika Kallio held off Arnaud Vincent and Gabor Talmacsi for seventh. Eighth was the KTM's best finish so far in its first year. Cecchinello was closing on them at the end, with Giansanti and Pellino in his tracks. Cecchinello got the fastest lap, slower than his own 2002 lap record. IAbove) Fonsi Nieto (10) just nipped Manuel Poggiali (54) at the finish to win the 250c:c: GP by less than three-tenths of a sec:ond. (Below) Hec:tor Barbera 180) beat Andrea Dovizloso (34) to the line to win the 125c:c: GP after the two battled throughout the rac:e. Here, in the bac:kground, you <:an see points leader Daniel Pedrosa (3) c:rashing out on the last lap. Checa (Yam); 7. Noriyukl Haga (Apr); 8. Nicky Hayden (Han); 9. Shinya Nakano (Yam); 10. Colin Edwards (Apr); 11. John Hopkins (Suz); 12. Yukio Kagayama (Suz); 13. Makoto Tamada (Hon); 14. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hon); 15. Nobuatsu Aoki (Pro); 16. Garry McCoy (Kaw); 17. Andrew Pitt (Kaw). TIme: 46 min.. 5.482 sec. Distance: 74.8 miles, 30 laps Average speed: 97.4 mph Margin of victory: 1.206 sec. Fastest lap: Valentino Rossi, lap 2, 1:31.023 MOTOGP WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 8 of 16 rounds): 1. Valentino Rossi (176/4 wins): 2. Sete Gibernau (129/3 wins): 3. Max Biaggi (125); 4. Loris Capirossi (84/1 win); 5. Troy Bayliss (64); 6. Alex Barros (62); 7. Carlos Checa (57); 8. Tohru UkawaJ56); 9. Shinya Nakano (54); 10. Nicky Hayden (46): 11. Olivier Jacque (43); 12. Colin Edwards (40); 13. Makoto Tamada (37); 14. Noriyuki Haga (30); 15. John Hopkins (22). 250 GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING: 1. Fonsi Nieto (1 :33.859); 2. Manuel Poggiali (I :34.215); 3. Toni Elias (I :34.3861; 4. Naoki Matsudo (I :34.398); 5. Randy De Puniet (1 :34.572); 6. Franco Battaini (1:34.743); 7. Roberto Rolfo (1:34.781); 8. Sebastian Porto (1 :34.856); 9. Sylvoin Guinloli (I :34.995): 10. Anthony West (1 :35. 182); I I. Jay Vincent (1:35.591); 12. Alex Debon (1:35.730); 13. Eric Bataille (1 :35.833); 14. Johan Stigfelt (1 :35.937); 15. Erwan Nigon (1:36.193); 16. Hector Faubel (1:36.249); 17. Chaz Davies (1:36.290); 18. Joan Olive (I :36.390); 19. Hugo Marchand (I :36.411): 20. Alex Baldolini (1 :37.000); 21. Jakub Smrz (I :37.021): 22. Christian Gemmel (1 :37.083); 23. Dirk Heidolf (1 :37.105); 24. Henk vd Lagemaat (1:38.700); 25. Phillip Desborough (1:39.587); 26. Lee Dickinson (1 :39.718); 27. Katja Poensgen (t :40.088). 250 GRAND PRIX: 1. Fonsi Nieto (Apr); 2. Manuel Poggiali (Apr); 3. Anthony West (Apr); 4. Toni Elias (Apr); 5. Roberto Rolfo (Hon); 6. Sebastian Porto (Hon); 7. Franco Battaini (Apr); 8. Randy De Puniet (Apr); 9. Naoki Matsudo (Yam); 10. Alex Debon (Hon); II. Jay Vincent (Apr); 12. Hector Faubel (Apr); 13. Chaz Davies (Apr); 14. Jakub Smrz (Hon); 15. Dirk Heidol! (Apr); 16. Hugo Marchand (Apr); 17. Alex Baidolini (Apr); 18. Henk vd Lagemaat (Hon); 19. Katja Poensgen (Hon). Time: 42 min., 58.01 1 sec. Distance: 27 laps, 67.35 miles Average speed: 94 mph Margin of victory: .269 sec. Fastest lap: Manuel Poggiali, lap 3, 1:34.558 250 WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 8 of 16 rounds): I. Manuel Peggiali (121/3 wins); 2. Alfonso Nieto (106/1 win); 3. (TIE) Toni Elias (97/2 wins)/Roberto Rolfo (97); 5. Anthony West (94/1 win): 6. Randy De Puniet (89/1 win); 7. Franco Battaini (87); 8. Sebastian Porto (74); 9. Naoki Matsudo (60); 10. Sylvain Guintoli (58). 125 GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING: I. Stefano Perugini (1:37.984); 2. Daniel Pedrosa (1:38.078); 3. Andrea Dovizioso (l ;38. 143); 4. Simone Corsi (I :38.370); 5. Mika Kallio (1 :38.386); 6. Hector Barb.,a (1 :38.417): 7. Steve Jenkner (1 :38.609): 8. Lucio Cecchinello (1 :38.652); 9. Casey Stoner (1 :38.680): 10. Alex De Angelis (I :38.752); II. Pablo Nieto (1:38.754); 12. Gino Borsoi (1:38.792): 13. Thomas Luthi (1:38.845); 14. Youichi Ui (1 :38.889); 15. Gabor Talmacsi (1 :38.960); 16. Gioele Pellino (l :38.999); 17. Arnaud Vincent (1 :39.012); 18. Alavaro Bautista (139.037): 19. Jorge Lorenzo (1 :39.053): 20. Mirko Giansanti (1:39.100): 21. Max Sabbatani (1:39.118); 22. Masao Azuma (1 :39.400): 23. Fabrizio Lai (1 :39.519); 24. Marco Simoncelli (1 :39.879); 25. Imre Toth (I :40.009): 26. Mike Di Meglio (1 :40.120); 27. Roberto Locatelli (1:40.396); 28. Emilio Alzamora (! :40.783); 29. Stefano Bianco (I :40.867): 30. Julian Simon (I :41.11 0): 31. Leon Camier (1 :41.415); 32. Ismael Ortega (I :41.736); 33. Peter Lenart (I :41.975); 34. Paul Veazey (1 :42.634); 35. Kris Weston (I :42.956); 36. Midge Smart (I :43.809); "37. Lee Longden (1 :43.835); 38. Chester Lusk (1:44.156). ) 25 GRAND PRIX: 1. Hector Barbera (Apr); 2. Andrea Dovizioso (Hon); 3. Stefano Perugini (Apr); 4. Alex De Angelis (Apr); 5. Casey Stoner (Apr): 6. Pablo Nieto (Apr); 7. Mika Kallio (Hon); 8. Arnaud Vincent (KTM); 9. Gabor Talmacsi (Apr); 10. Lucio Cecchinllo (Apr); 11. Mirko Giansanti (Apr); 12. Gioele PelJino (Apr); 13. Masao Azuma (Hon); 14. Alvaro Baustista (Apr): 15. Mike Di Meglio (Apr); 16. Marco Simon celli (Apr): 17. Imre Toth (Han) 18. Julian Simon (Mal); 19. Gino Borsoi (Apr); 20. Peter Lenart (Hon); 21. lsmael Ortega (Apr); 22. Thomas Luthi (Hon); 23. Paul Veazey (Hon); 24. Midge Smart (Hon); 25. Lee Longden (Han); 26. Chester Lusk (Hon). Time:41 min., 25.907 sec. Distance: 25 laps, 62.35 miles Average speed: 90.3 mph Margin of victory: .605 sec. Fastest lap: Lucio Cecchinello, lap 7, 1:38.463 125 WORLD C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 8 of 16 rounds): 1. Daniel Pedrosa (124/3 wins): 2. Steve Jenkner (98/1 win); 3. Lucio Cecchinello (97/2 wins); 4. Andrea Dovizioso (93): 5. Stefano Perugini (92/1 win); 6. Pablo Nieto (77); 7. Alex De Angelis (76); 8. Hector Barbera (65/1 win); 9. Youichi Ui (64) 10. Thomas Luthi (48). Upcoming Rounds Round 9 - Sachsenring, Germany, July 27 Round 10 - Bmo, Czech Republic, August 17 Pedrosa retained the points lead in spite of not scoring, 124 to the similar no-points Jenkner on 98. Cecchinello is one point behind; Dovizioso has 93 and Perugini 92. eN British &..nd Prix Donlngton Park, England Results: July 13, ZDD3 [Round 81 MOTOGP QUALIFYING: 1. Max Biaggi (1:30.740); 2. Sete Gibernau (1:30.862); 3. Marco Melandri (I :30.926); 4. Valentino Rossi (1 :30.938); 5. Carlos Checa (1 :31.035); 6. Troy Bayliss (t :31.036); 7. Loris Capirossi (1 :31.067); 8. Olivier Jacque (1:31.241); 9. Colin Edwards (1:31.354); 10. Tohru Ukawa (1:31.385); 11. Shinya Nakano (1:31.614); 12. Nicky Hayden (1:31.779); 13. Noriyuki Haga (1 :31.877); 14. John Hopkins (1 :31.962); 15. Makoto Tamada (1 :32.526): 16. Yukio Kagayama (1:32.573); 17. Garry McCoy (1 :32.793); 18. Jeremy McWilliams (1 :32.802); 19. Ryuichi Kiyonari (I :33.288); 20. Andrew Pitt (1:33.705); 21. Nobuatsu Aoki (1:34.364); 22. Chris Bums (I :34.400); 23. David De Gea (I :36.851). MOTOGP: 1. Valentino Rossi (Hon); 2. Max Biaggi (Hon); 3. Sete Gibernau (Hon); 4. Loris Capirossi (Due); 5. Troy Bayliss (Due); 6. Carlos cue I ... n e vv s JULY 23. 2003 31

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