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/128614
World Sup e r b ik e Champions h ip R o u nd 4 : D o n ing t o n P a r k, E n g la n d nc e more, the pred ic table race failed to materialize in th e Wo rld Superbike world and for a m ultitude of reasons . You c an always co unt on Don ing ton to provide th e paddock with sev eral changes of cl oth ing per da y , but the c ons is t entl y hot and hu mid weather, culmin ating in a sc orch ing race aft ern o on, meant t h at i t w a s slick tires and vented leathers virtual ly all weekend. The race results themselves came from opposite ends of the sp ectrum . One was reasonably normal while th e ot her wa s qui te unique. Co lin Edwards was th e conq uero r of th e entire field in on e race , but he crashed ou t of race two at Redga te, lo sing t he short -live d cham p ion sh ip lead he had enjoyed for no more than three ho urs . " I was fee li ng good , li ke I co u ld catch (pi er-Francesco] Chili in rac e tw o, but th e front wheel just t uck ed under. It did it the lap bef o re, but I m anag ed to save it. At l east I wa s really pu shing ha rd and try in g wh en I w ent down . I' m su re I co uld h av e ca ugh t Chili. I' ve had a co ld all week end and that hasn't helped m e, but at least I won a race today and , despit e th e c ras h , I'm walking a nd t al k ing a n d r e ad y to w in a t M on za n e xt week ." Th e m ain benefactor of Ed wa rd s' second -ra ce troubles, No riyuki Hag a, o nce aga in f ound him se l f o n th e sh arp end of so me fast loca l ri de r s (j ust like Sugo ) . He managed just a pair of fourths, being held off by ex World Sup erb ik e works m an N e i l Hodgson in the o pener. "I saw Colin go ou t in the sec ond race an d k new I had to finish high in th e points to keep my advantage for Monza ," Haga sa id . "Then m y mad side told m e tr y and get a podium so I went fo r [Chri s] Wa lker ; bu t after a few crazy moments I realized it w as better t o st ay in fo urt h rath er th an los e it all. M y worri es are for Monz a 12 M AY 2 4 , 2 0 0 0 ' neVIl's By G O RD O N R IT CHI E PH OT OS BY G OL D & G OOS E DONINGTON, ENGLAND, MAY 14 O c u e I e wh ere I hope we can be co m petitive on suc h a fas t ci rcuit." Pier-Fran c esco Chili co ntinued his run of good form at Donin gton with sec on d pl ace in the fi rst race. It was Chi li 's tu rn to suffe r m isfortune, how ever , in t h e seco n d rac e , w ith h i s stunni ng d isplay of wh eel -sp inn ing a nd sli d in g at th e front b e ing cut short o n the fi na l lap , whe n Hod gson , and th en Walker, mugged him for a roof- raising Brit ish o ne -two . A nd not a Fogarty in sight - at least not on a race bik e. (F og arty did a la p o f th e tra ck in the ba ck of a co nvert ible, to tumultuous ova tio ns and a sea of red , wh it e and blu e flags fr om th e 50 ,000 stro ng crowd.) Hodgson , so ofte n the nearl y man of Wor ld Superbike du ri ng his te nu re as a factory Du c ati rider, and wr itten off as a no- ho per by m an y afte r a d isast ro us year with the Eck l Kawasaki squad in 1 9 9 8 , c h o se good , firm home ground on w hich to re-writ e hi s reputation. Fast est aft er regular qualifying , th e En glishman wa s awesome to beho ld Co lin Edwards (2) held off the persistent challenge of Pier-Francesco Ch ili (h idden) to w in the fi rst race of the British round of the Wo rld Superbike Champ ion sh ip, held at Donington Park. as he a n d h i s f e ll ow Brit, Walker , went at it so ha rd th ey eve n fri g ht ened aw a y the normall y f earsome Haga , wh o fou nd himself eng ulfe d in either bright o range o r white and blue fiberg lass every time he dared stick his facto ry bike ahea d of the warring pair. "I c am e o ut fi g hting t od ay and I n ev e r ga v e i n , n ot fo r a minute , " Hodgson said . "I don 't th ink I' ve ev er ridd en so well under so much pres sure - Chris Walker and I m ade Haga loo k safe today!" Seldo m have so m an y overtaki ng m o v e s b een ex cha nged wit h such p assi on an d what ap peared to be a greatly mi sp lac ed beli ef in the ir own indestru cti b ility as those meted o ut by Ho dg so n and Walk er in race two . Frighten ing and exh ilar ating to watch i t w a s none th e l es s th i s se l f b el i ef