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/128602
down until the late afternoon. Checa crashed more than 20 times last season. Tetsuya Harada followed Checa's time with a 1:43.544 on the Aprilia vtwin, another to fall on the third day; while his impressive new teammate Jeremy McWilliams was less than a 10th slower to place sixth out of 15 riders, ahead of a number of V-four riders. Antena Yamaha's Norick Abe was next, then came Red Bull Yamaha's Garry McCoy, Pons Honda's Alex Barros, and Jurgen van den Goorbergh, on the TSR-framed Honda V-twin. Only then came Nobuatsu Aoki on the second Suzuki, and new V-four rider Mark Willis, temping on the second Red Bull machine as a replacement for the injured Regis Laconi. Willis was victim of the fastest crash, escaping unhurt after flying into the air fence at high speed on the second day. Aoki also fell, as did lone Modenas rider David de Gea - twice. There were no injuries. Records tumbled in the 250cc class as well, with the experienced Marcellino Lucchi ending up fastest on the factory Aprilia at 1:43.888, with fancied runner Shinya Nakano a close second out of 22 entrants on the Chesterfield Yamaha. Franco Battaini was another seven 10ths slower on his Aprilia to place third, but class rookie Marco Melandri made a highly impressive debut, just two 10ths slower than his more experienced countryman on the factory Aprilia, and a 10th faster than GP winner Olivier Jacque on the second factory Yamaha, at 1:45.223. Times were spread out down the field among the privateers and semiprivateers, with factory-backed Sebastien Porto's Yamaha next on 1:45.9, and new Aprilia rider Jay Vincent less than a 10th slower on his works-spec machine. The Briton made the move after being disappointed again in his quest for a factory Honda. Other notables were Naoki Matsudo on the Petronas Yamaha, placing ninth in his first visit to Jerez, and 10thplaced Jamie Robinson, who has returned to GP racing to take McWilliams's place on the QUB Aprilia. But the factory Hondas were again absent, with NSR riders Tohru Ukawa and Anthony West missing out on the group tests. Veteran racer Lucio Cecchinello emerged on top after two days of 125cc testing preceding the 250cc and 500cc tests, smashing the Jerez lap record as the Honda rider bested Aprilia-mounted countrymen Roberto Locatelli and Gianluigi Scalvini. Cecchinello became the first 125 to get below 1:48, setting a best time of 1.47.960. Defending champion Emilio Alzamora was fifth-fastest, behind Cecchinello's teammate Nobuastsu Ueda, with Youichi Ui's Derb; sixth. Twenty two 125s took part in the IRTA eN tests. BRIEFLY••• Brazil's only Grand Prix rider. Alex Barros. has had his season saved at the last moment. at the expense of Spanish former teammate Juan Bo~a. The former GP winner has rejoined Sito Pons" squad. alongside ex-250cc World Champion Loris Capiross;, with Bo~a dropped only weeks before the start of the season. Pons lost his Telefonica MoviStar sponsorship to Suzuki this year. and the deal with Barros reflects his position - Barros was able to bring more spcnsorship money to support the team than the lower-status Bo~a. Barros" expected backing is thought to be some $1· million, from ABN Bank and a Brazilian petrol company, though deals have yet to be finalized. Borja offered only half that. from the Community of Valencia. At the Jerez tests both Barros and Capirossi were riding white bikes. though Capirossi's machine is expected to carry Elf colors when the season begins.. HRC did not attend the IRTA tests at Jerez, remaining aloof and independent with their private program 01 tests at Phillip Island and Welkom. Their lone effort reinlorced speculation that they have a secret weapon. at least for defending champion Alex Criville. Yamaha's prototype machine. thought to be a Honda-style in-line Vfour, was not at Jerez. with factory tester Koiji Namba working at home in Japan to iron out teething troubles that mean the new bike still falls short of the current evolutionary model. Both project leader Tsuji Sakurada and rider Max Biaggi declined to give any details at Jerez. though the Japanese factory staffer did say: "The machine is not yet achieving its goals. It is too early to say if it will be racing this year or not." Asked if it was like a Honda. Sakurada replied: "It is a four-cylinder. so it is like the Honda. But the Suzuki is also a four-cylinder." All five Yamaha riders will start the season with identical machines, according to Sakurada. Last year. Antena 3 rider Norick Abe had a year-old-spec machine. Yamaha's distinctive "winglets" on the fairing sides were a casualty of the winter. Introduced last year. they were said to provide down force at high speed. However there was widespread doubt of their efficacy, which seems in retrospect to be justified. "We have been wind-tunnel testing in Japan and in England, and now we are trying another approach," said Sakurada. Racing celebrated the return of the free-spending sponsor with the lavish launch of the Telefonica MoviStar teams at Jerez. As well as the factory Suzuki team, the Spanish sponsors also back the defending champion in the 125cc class, ~ilio Alzamora in the Angel Nieto team. The launch was a two-hour spectacular. in a specially erected marquee. with two stages. The show was hosted by two TV personalities from Spain, one man and one woman. and involved multi-screen TV presentations. a troop of dancers. and clouds of dry ice. The highlight came when the two machines appeared on stage. hoisted from beneath through the swirling clouds. Light relief was provided when the female hostess almost fell down into the hole from which the Suzuki had emerged - Kenny Roberts Jr. displayed the prlorlties if not the gallantry of a professional racer as he leapt forward to save the motorcycle from following her down. Spain will have to wait at least until next year before the new Suzuki sponsors can fulfill their stated aim of having a Spanish rider on the factory machine. "We already had two riders contracted lor 2000 when the sponsorship was agreed." explained team manager Garry Taylor. "Kenny Roberts later extended his contract until the end of 2002. For next year the first thing is that we choose riders on talent. not nationality. Having said that, there are a number 01 talented Spanish riders in the class at the present time." Taylor ruled out the possibility of a third Suzuki rider. while the new sponsors echoed his words. "We want to encourage Spanish riders. but we will have to wait and see who is on the market." said sponsorship manager Jose Lombardia. Tests to establish a new paint specification for trackside white lines were well advanced. according to safety officer Franco Uncini. who displayed pictures of a static testing rig in use at Imola. "We made some tests at Jerez belore Christmas, and now some more at Imola." the former World Champion said. "We have narrowed down the pcssibilities to three different types- we have some very good results with a water-based paint. laid down on top of existing white lines." he said. "Now we need the riders to make some tests and give an opinion." Controversy over white lines that are slippery when wet arose last year. firstly alter Mick Daohan suffered career-ending injuries as a result of the syndrome at Jerez. then again after a rash of similar crashes in the season-ending Argentine GP. Australian sometime GP rider Mark Willis was back at Jerez, taking the place of injured Red Bull rider Regis Laconi. The Frenchman hopes that his broken leg will be fully healed in time for the first round in South Africa on March 19. but if not. Willis will take his place until he is back. Willis was entered last year on the ill-starred BSL. but finished the season riding a Modenas for the same team. Grand Prix racing will return to terrestrial TV in Britain this season. alter a deal was finalized with Channel Five. The newest mainstream channel will show all 500cc GPs live, with highlights of the 125 and 250cc races. with all races repeated the following day. At the same time. it was confirmed that Leon Haslam. son of famous former GP racer" Rocket" Ron Haslam. will make his full-time GP debut this year. The diminutive 16-year-old will race an Italjet for a new team. alongside Czech rider Jaroslav Hules. cue' • n • _ s