Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128325
Continued from poge 45 with w ife Sam as Hele n or Tro y, sitting with his son - all in typical costume or the Tro jan war period . Pie r -France sco Chili's myriad fans at Monza had some novel ways showing t heir affections. One was a barbed twist or the Italian language directed toward the controve rsy or Chili beating the facto ry 999s on his old 998. The sign, he ld up outside his hospitality, read "Fra nkie Infilali Tutti ," with the fila made in the design or the Fila sportswear logo . Loosely translated, the sign reads "Fra nkie passes everyone. " The Japanese fa ctories seem to be slowly, one by one, moving back toward the notion o r re-joining Superbike racing , although the idea or having a rull factory team In the championship again seems as remo te as ever. The Honda Europe-supported Ten Kate team ran amock through the speed trap at Monza, posting the fastestever lap o r the Monza track in only their fourth race out, with a rookie rider (albe it an exceptional one) at the co ntr ols. Kawasa ki is known to be runni ng a Superbike deve lopme nt program fo r the ZX-I OR, as Chris tian Bou rgeo is is tasked w ith the job or maki ng the ZX- IO R compet itive for definite natio nal championship and possi- ble Wo rld Championship use . Kawasaki is the o nly one or the big fou r w ith no official involvement In World Supersport, Bourgeois full factory effort having been whipped out off the 600cc championship after the rail out with the MSMAand the FGSport promoters. Thus Kawasak i may actually be the most difficult to persuade bac k into the fold, having no root in th e door at present. Francis Barta's Su zuki team are desperate to retu rn to the SBK rray w ith factory Suzuki Superbikes , to the e xtent that if they are not forthcoming, they can not justify continuing in the championsh ip if there is only Supersport on their horizon. If a Superbike return proves im po ssible for Suzuki in 200S and Batta were to leave , it would leave a huge gap in the already diminished World Superbike Championship paddock. Pier-Francesco Ch ili made a successful request to the team rep Giulio Bardi that the rubber hoses that stick up on the entrance to many o f Manza' 5 ch icanes be moved Irorn the curbs at the first chicane. Some riders, when heeling the bikes down to the right , ro und t hat thei r brake levers were capable of hitting the last three hoses at max imum lean. C hili thu s req uested t hat the hoses be removed for understandable safety reasons. Local privat ee r Paolo Blora was handed down a $680 fine fo r turning up late for Superpole . Warwick Nowland suffered a huge crash at the start of the final untimed session on Sat urday, bo uncing head over heels thro ugh the gravel , his hea d smashing into the run off gravel repeated ly at horribly unnatural angles . The ho rrific-looking accident turned o ut to be less serious than first thought, but the Aussle rider was fo rced to miss the race and is undergoing some degree of medical attention . The C1inica Mobile staff arranged a total bo dy scan , which proved that he had suffere d nothing worse than a head concussion and significant bru ising to his ribs. An incre dible and very much relieved escape. Lucio Pedercini was a bit off color at Misano, understandable as he had three broken ribs suffered at the Italian championship race in Imola two weeks previous to Monza. Th e race was w on by wildca rd Steve Martin . ~ -------------------------------------- ~~~~~~ o o Na me YESI Star t my subscriptiun immediately to Cycle Nc w s. 1 )'t.;n! !'O h,'-' Ul"!o for $4 5.00. (can be billed 2 monthly payments) r Vl ' r y \'Ir'l't'J,; fu r I\\"u y t"d rs ( Inn l"SUl~ h )r ssuoo (J Sill. mon th s second class Address C ity _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Sta te Zip (2..1i i ssu e for 23.( XJ) s _ CJ _ Phone _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ord er Da te Ih i§' ts a Q New Su bscri p tion D R''1ll"W al _ o o Send to: ~ Inc. no. Box 508-1, Costa Mesa, C A 92628-S0S4 Please smm e 1 payment of $45 Rill 2 Jl.olYlT\t'Tl 1s ()f SlL ""oO Enc losed is my check o r mon e y (lrd ,., To ll Fre e S u bscri p ti o n Hotline (800) 831-2220 24· llOu r r=AX Order Li ne (714) 751·6685 · E-mai l: Subscribc@cyclcnews.com :.J I Signa ture - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ()rw..-. I Me /Visa;; Exp ira tio n Date _ ('101--.1. Ma",te rcard 2ndc-...c........u.W" ~. :~.~~~i:::::~ ~~-::.(~~l 10, ~-------------------------------------www.cyclenews.com CYCLE NEWS • MAY 26, 2004 47