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/142447
position after qualifying with Uncini moving into a solid second in the last session and Spencer moving into third. Crosby held fourth with Dutchman Boet Van Dulmen in fifth on the works Cagiva. Mamola was seventh, World Champion Lucchinelli, who was rumored to be testing a new Honda V-4 last week, was only 14th and in 34th was Roberto Pietri on a privateer Suzuki. With the machines gridding for the race , the curse of the 5OO's struck as a light rain began to fall , sending mechanics running for the rain tires . The race was delayed for about 25 minutes and the riders were given two separate warm-up laps. but all remained on slicks as the skies cleared. A big surprise off the start was " Ki w i" Stu Avant in the lead . although it didn't last as he was overtaken by Honda's Takazumi Katayama. Uncini, the Sonauto-Gauloises Yamaha of Marc Fontan, andthe HB Int~rnational Suzuki of Virgini Ferran. The carburetor gamble paid off for Spencer who was away a not-toodistant sixth, but for Roberts it meant disaster. Awa y third to last, just ahead of Lucchinelli and Pietri, Roberts charged into Copse-Corner, a 90degree right-hander at the end of the front straightawa y. Trying to pass Franco Uncini savors another win. He's flanked by runner-up Freddie Spencer and Graeme Crosby. riders on the outside he went up on the painted apron and was pitched lo wered th e race time by a m in u te in off as his bike went riderless down the World Cham~lonshl~ Road Race Series: Round 9 beating fellow countryman Ricardo track. " T he engine sputtered, I downTorme (Sa n) home in a photo finish shifted, gassed it and came off ," the by onl y .01 second. Third went to former World Champion said later. P ier Paolo Bianchi on another SanHe was removed from the track after venerro. being temporarily motionless and Dutchmen Egbert Streuer and .ta ken to London for treatment. The Bernard Schneiders survived a war of fall all but ended his hopes of taking attrition to take their first GP win of back the world title he lost last year the year in the Lucky Strike Caraco By Henny Ray Ab~ams and the most prevalent rumor around LCR Yamaha chair. Reigning World the pits was that he'd be switching to Champions and points leaders Rolf SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, AUG. I Honda for the 1983 season. Yamaha's Biland and Kurt Waltisperg made Paul Butler would neither confirm only one lap before pulling in. And nor deny the rumors, but did say that the two UK hopes, Taylor/johansson riders were "lining up for rides " and and Jones/Ayers, put themselves out that it was " no 'secret that Gallina with crashes early in the race. Second (U ncin i's sponsor) doesri't pay anywent to the Krauser Racing pair of thing." Schwarzel /Huber and th ird to EngIt only took a lap for Uncini to get land's Steve Abbott and Shaun Smith past Katayama and begin to stre tch on th e Team Ham-Yam racing Yam Sheene and Kenny Roberts , ance. Wimmer brc;>ke th e Kawasaki the lead. The positions behind him a ha rig. ended up in the hospital. Uncini s~rang~eho~d ~n Sll verst<;me. by p utweren't as clear-cut with a gang of In th e Daily Express TT Formula was faultless as he sped to his t~ng hIS MItsUI Yamaha 1~ ,fIrst ~fter five or six swapping places. Spencer One race Suzuki-mounted Roger . .. five years of " Mean Green domin afifth grand pnx WIn of the tion. Also Yamaha-mounted was overtook Katayama on the 4th of 28 Marshall beat Honda teammates laps on the 2.93 mile track with Foriyear, this timebya marginofsevenseconds Schlachter, but h e could on ly manWa yne G ardner and Ron Haslam by over Honda 's Freddi e Spen cer age a 19th on the MacLean raci n g tan fourth ahead of Ferrari, Crosby. a small margin in record time to end H -model Yam aha. w ith an in j u red New Zealander , Ballington and Reggiani. th e da y's racing and p u t him into Graeme Crosby. in third on the Marl, Kawasaki go t their revenge in the Both Ballington and Reggiani are fir st place in the ACU TT Formula boro Agostini works Yamaha. U n 350cc class with a smiling Jeanrefugees from other classes and headed One championship race. cirri's teammate Loris Reggiani put Francois Balde occupying th e to p in opposite directions. In Friday's first practice session in his best performance of th e yea r in " We' ve been improving. We've got step on th e .victorv platform. Balde there was both good and bad news for fourth and Randy Mamola placed stretched his lead in th e 350cc title some horsepower and the handling's Yamaha. Kenny Roberts set what OK, but it's a lot heavier than the the HB International works Suzuki race by waiting for th e last lap to would be the fast time of th e week by home in fifth . equalling h is best ride mo ve away from a race-long five-man other bikes. Plus, the brakes went out almos t half' a second. In th ird was dogfifht which saw leader changes in a bit," said Balling-ton. He's decided ' of the season. "Croz" but late in the session he went to abandon the 500cc class for the 250 Uncini now leads both Roberts virtuall y every corner. Belgian Didier down at 130 mph , severely scraping and Sheene 103 to 68 with only th ree 'de Radigues was second on the Cheh is hands and causing some adjust, ' and 350cc classes next year . where rounds remaining. Sheene is out for vallier Yamaha and las t year' s winner he's a former World Champion. ments t be made on the square-four the year having fallen badly in prachere. World Champion Anton Mang, Yamaha. Uncini 's teammate on the Gallina was a close third in the 24 lap, 70 m il e tice on Tuesday, breaking both legs " We put a new master cylin der on team, 22-year-old Reggiani is just the and a wrist, and Roberts made it only race . Since the top five were running and screwed down the st eering opposite after having come up from as far as the first corner in the race a strategy race , instead of going all damper. The thing I wanted to do the 125's just last year. before getting pitched off. Roberts out, the race was one of the few in was have the controls opera ted by " At Salzburg I ran a good race . but which record times weren 't set. Wimwas taken to a London hospital for two fingers and m y thumb," the 26crashed on the last lap and I think it trea tmen t of a dislocated finger and me r was upset by a slower rid er ear ly hurt me ps ychologically. I like the year-old New Zealander sai d. a brasions of th e knee. in the race and cr ashed ou t on the 500 better. but with th e 125 I wa s Both Roberts and Spencer were Spencer now holds a one point 15th lap. experi me ntin g with ne w carburetors ' always first or second." Reggiani said . Rew rit in g the record books this lead on Crosb~ in th e point standings on the ir Yamaha and Honda, respecMamola was moving up and wa s ' 57-56, and With Sh eene out could weeken d was Spa niard Angel Nieto. part of th e p ac k and soon dicing wi th tively. T he trade-off was power against well finish the season in second p lace. Riding the 125cc Carelli, the Barcebeing a ble to start it easil y. ' his tea mmate Ferra ri who showed u p West German Ma rt in Wi mmer, lo na nat ive not only not ch ed his "Erv came in to th e truck and told on ra ce da y mi nus h is curly It ali an run ner-up ~o R,i c~ Sch lach ter in the sixth win of the year and p ut the me, 'You have a choice. You can hair, with a crewcut. Da ytona Ligh tweig ht race, was fast World Championship all but ou t of " I had a throttle ca ble sticking on either have a bike th at 's rea lly fast , qualifier in bo th the 250 a nd 350cc reac h for anyone else, but als o too k . one of the carbs so th a t every time I bu t mi ght sp ill gas off on to the rear classes and.ba~ked it up with his first over sole possessio n of second p lace tire a nd p ipes and won't start easily backed off for a corner one cyli n der on the all -time G P win list with 77 to ever GP wm 10 the 250cc class. The or yo u ca n have a bik e that 's not so would sta y wide open." Mamola said. G iacomo Agostini's 122. H e is gu a24-ye.a r-o ld forme r law studen t from fast, but will start rig ht u p ,' " Spencer There wa s a cle ar separation of MUnich beat Wo rld Ch ampion An ton ranteed h is 11th title which would U ncini to Spencer to Kata yama to the sai d . So I too k th e car bs th a t started Mang to the checkered flag by a put him behind only Ago , who holds even though I couldn 't believe how pack of many with Crosby making a second with Fr~n~hma~ Jean-~ouis 15. The 35-yea r-old also set a new lap much faster the bike was with the quick move. Tournadre retaming h IS lead 10 th e record on the Northamptonshire cirother carbs." "After about five or six laps I was cui t by almost three seconds and title race wi th a third place performRoberts held the top spot and pole ready to go . I had to get used to the Uncini wins British GP, Robens,Sheeneinjured Team Gallina. Suzuki' s Franco U ncini virtually cliched the 500cc World Champion'sh ip by winning the British GP at Silverstone while his main competition, Barry 22 f.