watching this time and agreed that I
was nowhere near it."
The rerun was a race to delight the
four-stroke fans, as Martens, riding a
four-stroke Husqvama, scorched past
Liles to take the lead and hold it for
more than half the race.
"I was so keen to do well after those
first two races, but the fork pumped up
and I had to slow down and salvage
what I could," said Marten. He would
eventually finish fifth.
Even when Liles came back past the
first time Martens fought back and twice
more they exchanged positions before
the American took a lead he was never
to lose again.
All the time Jobe, Nicoll and Smets
were closing in and it was the latter who
rode the fastest.
"I had been second on the fIrst lap
and thought Billy would be more interested in the overall," said Smets. "I.tried
to go under him but the track was cambered and I went down."
After remounting 10th he powered
back and even demoted Jobe from second on the last lap to fmish in Liles'
wheeltracks. If not for his fall, Smets
might have won.
Nicoll was always close, but his heart
was not in the racing after his earlier
misfortunes, and he was relieved to go
home with 24 points from the day.
Whatley again started moderately
and had to settle for sixth but that gave
him third overall.
Retirements came thick and fast.
Boonen and German Karl Sulzer had
collided and the Belgian had to go for
treatment to an injured knee. Italian
Franco Rossi, who was the series points
leader early in the season, had been
right behind. "Today is a catastrophe.
There was no way I could avoid them
(Boonen and Sulzer)."
0.
Results
TIMED PRACTICE: 1. Billy Liles (2 min., 13.26
seconds) (Hon); 2. George Jobe (2:13.77) (Han); 3. Rudi
Van Leeuwen (2:13.94) (Han); 4. Dirk Geukens (2:14.75)
(Hon); 5. Kurt Nicoll (2:14.87) (KIM); 6. Jeremy Whatley
(2:15.02) (Han); 7. Joel Smets (2:15.04) (Hon); 8. Jorgen
Nilsson (2:15.23) (Han); 9. Jo Martens (2:15.58) (Han);
10. Carlo Hulsen (2:15.87) (Han); 11. Stuart Coyle
(2:15.89) (Kaw); 12. Kees Van Der Ven (2:16.14) (Han);
13. Ronny Weustenraed (2:16.45) (Kaw); 14. Mervyn
Anslie (2:17.14) (Han); 15. Johan Boonen (2:17.27)
(Kaw); 16. David Thorpe (2:17.34) (Han); 17. Marcus
Hansson (2:17.49); 18. Karl Sulzer (2:17.59) (Han); 19.
Warren Edwards (2:17.68) (Han); 20. Bjorn JonssonBonecl
