Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Belgian Stephane Mertens (4) leads Rob Phillis (3) and a horde of superbikes in Italy. round at Donin'gton in April. "I chose a very hard front tire to last the distance," said Roche who also got fastest lap - a 1:58.33, just outside Polen's 1:58.23 lap record. "I had no tire problems - just maybe a couple of rear slides in the last couple of laps. I started slow and watched everyone else but I set my fastest laps near the end. The heat didn't bother me at all." Polen took second but planned some changes between races. "The engines didn't feel strong towards the middle of the race," said Polen. "We'll work on that and maybe a few other small things for the second. " Falappa was not too happy with third place. The grim-faced Italian said: "After 10 laps my engine was not so fast. It was difficult to keep up." Mertens took fourth, nearly one and a half seconds behind Falappa while Pirovano just held on to fifth place from Morillas. The Frenchman was elated with theresult. "Great race," he said, "But Pirovano's bike was too fast for me at the finish line." Pirovano's bike may have been quicker but was in danger of boiling over for much of the race. "The temperature was very hot most of the race," said Pirovano's crew chief Norris Farrow. "He (Pirovano) finished the race with it showing 115 (centigrade) degrees. These things made good power around 85. You can get away with running them to 95 but over 100, phew!" Fogarty took a lone seventh, then came Amatriain on the Marlboro Ducati, just ahead of Amaiz. It was a great ride to ninth for the Rumi Honda rider - by far his best performance of the series to date. "I was all over him in the long uphill righthander, but' I pushed the front end a little too hard a couple of times near the end and he got away from me," Arnaiz said. Race two Between races, Pirovano's team decided to fit a narrower front rim in a bid to cure the pattering problem and Mertens had his electronic gear shifter disconnected. Merkel opted to run his spare bike while Fogarty discovered his front wheel was out of balance and rectified that, hoping this was the cause of his pattering. For Merkel, the race was over at the start when his clutch burned out.· Mertens, too, was in trouble. He arrived at the first corner in front, sat up to brake and downshift, only to find the tip of the gear lever had broken off. "I was going to pull in when I discovered this," said the Belgian. "I didn't think it would be possible to change gear without it, but I hooked my foot inside under what was left of the lever and it worked. I missed several gears on the first lap until I got used to it and decided to carry on." The Total Wanty Ducati rider had dropped to sixth in the first turn while Pirovano again took up the early running. But it was a brief lead as' Polen got in front on the first lap and tried to make a break. Roche was way back in 13th place on the opening lap. "I made a bad start and got to the first corner with riders all around me," he commented. In one lap Polen had almost a second, but Falappa chased him down. Polen said: "It's always a good idea to get away if you can. That way you don't get people diving up the inside of you, messing up your lines trying to get the lead." That was exactly what happeped. The pair had almost three seconds inside four laps on the pursuing bunch but that was quickly cut as Falappa repeatedly shoved under Polen into turn one and spoiled his lines. Although they both continued to hold off the bunch, the gap disappeared and by middle distance, Mertens and Roche were right with them, the latter having made fantastic progress through the pack. Just behind were Fogarty and Phillis, then came Pirovano Morillas and Ferrari, who had started well but quickly faded again. Phillis was in trouble with a wrong tire choice and already discovering the error of his ways. "The front was a bit of a driuna and started to go off about the same time Fogarty came by," he admitted. Once Fogarty got clear of Phillis he latched ontCJthe leading foursome and Phillis started to close them down too but eventually opted to settle for a ~afe sixth. "I rode like an old mole at a christening in the last few laps," said Phillis. ''I'd say having 25 kilos extra (a reference to weight ,differences between the twins and fours) on a day like today didn't help. I certainly won't be celebrating tonight." With four laps left the race lost Pirovano and Ferrari. Into the first corner, Pirovano tried to adjust his front brake lever and Ferrari swept inside. The Yamaha rider fought back into contention, but as they peeled into the chicane there was a coming together and both went down. , Meanwhile, with Phillis settling for points, the five up front were going for glory. Polen looked to have the measure of his rivals along the start straight but with three laps left Roche tried to take control of the race into turn one, only to drift wide and let Polen back in front. Then a lap later in the same place, Falappa went into the corner way too quick and had everything locked up American Rich Amaiz (43) finished eighth in the first leg, his best outing of the season. (From left to right) Polen, Roche and Falappa celebrate on the winner's podium. WORLD CHAMPI -- MUQ~LlO.19 lUGlIQ 1992 . ~~t - ....... - IK.E and sliding. He-almost took Roche and Polen with him. Mertens also was in trouble, his motor quitting again as he changed down into the corner a faulty fuel pump was thought to be the cause. But everyone of them collected themselves up and headed off for the final lap. Mertens got no further than the next corner, highsiding into the gravel bed and he tried too hard to make up the lost ground. That left three and it all came down to the final turn. Falappa led them out, but Roche's bike was the quickest off the corner and he ducked under the checkered 0.187-of-a-second in front of Falappa with Polen 0.425 further back. Roche said: "My bike was faster than Doug's and Falappil's; only a little bit, but enough to pass them on the straight. I tucked myself in as small as possible and it worked. "Before this race I was 33 points behind Robbie and 23 behind Polen. Now I am only 10 points behind Polen. There is a long way to go in the championship yet!" Falappa finished second, pushing Polen back to third on the run to the line. "When I wanted to up the pace (in the final corner) the setup wasn't quite there," said Polen referring to his tire choice. Polen also admitted he had some clutch chatter going into the corners which was causing him some concern. Fogarty inherited fourth place after Merten's last-lap crash. He said: '!That was a lot better. The balanced front wheel made things work a lot better. I still lack some speed but I can keep up when I slipstream. The motor pulls to 11,500 then. When I'm on my own it will only pull to 11,000." Phillis took a lone fifth and Morillas completed his excellent day in ,sixth place. Further back, Arnaiz finished 12th after a race-long battle with the Kawasakis of Bontempi and Hoffman and the Yamaha of de Vries. The championship remains wide open and the two races on successive weekends (August 23 and August ~O) in the Far East at Johor, Malaysia, and Sugo, Japan, will be crucial. CN Results RACE 1: 1. Raymond Roche (Due); 2. Doug Polen (Due); 3. Giancarlo Falappa (Due); 4. Stephane Mertens (Due); 5. Fabrizio Pirovano (Yam); 6. Adrien Moriallas (Yam); 7. earl Fogarty (Due); 8. Daniel Amatriain (Due); 9. Richard Arnaiz (Hon); 10. Christer Lindholm (Yam); 11. Piersiorsio Bontempi (Kaw); 12. Virginio Ferrari (Due); 13. Andreas Hofman (Kaw); 14. Jeffry DeVries (Yam); 15.' Baldassarre Monti (Hon); 16. Karl Truehsess (Kaw); 17. Fabrizio Furlan (Due); 18. Massino Broccoli (Kaw); 19. Andreas Meklau (Due); 20. Gastone Grassetti (Due); 21. Udo Mark (Yam); 22. Jim Noodie (Kaw); 23. Jan Simpson (Kaw); 24. Jean Mare Deletang (Yam); 25. AIdeo Presciulti (Kaw); 26. Urs Zwieher (Yam); 27. Walter Ammann (Yam); 28. Roberto Biagioli (Yam); 29. Ernst Gschwender (Kaw); 30. Robert Phillis (Kaw); 31. Mauro Luechiari (Due); 32. Owen O:>les (Due); 33. Davide Tardozzi (Due); 34. Florian Ferracci (Due); 35. Vittorio Scatola (Kaw); 36. Fred Merkel (Yam). Time; 36 min., 2.346 sec. Distance; 18 laps, 58.534 miles. Average Speed: 97.450 mph. Margin of Victory: 1.679 sec. Fastest Lap: Raymond Roche, 1:58.330/98.933 mph. llACE2: 1. Roche; 2. Falappa; 3. Polen; 4. Fogarty; 5. Phillis; 5. Morillas; 7. Amatriain; 8. Lindholm; 9. Bontempi; 10. DeVries; 11. Hofman; 12. Arnaiz; 13. Truchsess; 14. Furlan; 15. Broccoli; 16. Grassetti; 17. Meklau; 18. Lucchiari; 19. Mark; 20. Simpson; 21. Ammann; 22. Z~ieher; 23. Deletan~ 24. Biagioli; 25. Mertens; 26. Prrovano; 27. Monu; 28. Scatola; 29. Tardozzi; 30. Presciutti; ~1. Gschmender; 32. Merkel; 33. Moodie; 34. O:>les; 35. Ferraeci. Time: 35 min., 58.846 sec. Distance; 18 laps, 58.534-miles. Average Speed: 97.609 mph. Margin o(Vietory: 0.187 sec. Fastest Lap: Raymond Roche, 1;5$.504/98.788 mph. WORLD C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS: 1. Doug Polen (199); 2. Robert PhiIlis (189); 3. Raymond Roche (185); 4. Giancarlo Falappa (173); 5. Fabrizio Pirovano (130); 6. A. Slight (116); 7. Daniel Amatriain (102); 8. Stephane Mertens (101); 9. Carl Fogarty (93); 10. Scl!>tl Russell (83); 11. Christer Lindholm (41); 12. Baldassarre Monti (40); 13. Piergiorgio Bonlempi (36); 14. (TIE) Davide Tardozzi/Andreas Hofmann (31). 19

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