Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~R~Dlia~~~~~~_R_O~_R_~_e_se_~_s:_&_~_ro_~_d ~ Doug Chandler (10) finished fourth in his final ride aboard the Suzuki; Wayne Gardner (5) finished second in his final GP outing. Californian Wayne Rainey celebrates his third straight World Championship by taking one of his mechanics on a victory ride. ~ to press, so Rainey closed up again, but Kocinski kicked once more to pull away until he was a safe three seconds clear by lap 15. It was his second career 500 win, and the first of the year. "It was the first race I felt really confident altseason," he said. Now G.ardner had Rainey's scent, and he gradually pegged him back, taking out a big handful of time through . the lapped traffic. He was closing with six laps to go, on his tail with just three, and past him under braking with two laps remaining, opening up a gap of two seconds as he ran to the flag. It was the best he could do to help Doohan, but Rainey knew full well he had enough in hand if he only finished where he was. "It was tough," he said. "My front was pushing because I had a harder tire than the other guys. I just wanted to make sure I was still there at the end of the race." Gardner was three seconds behind Kocinski; Rainey another two back; and Chandler another seven by the finish. Then carne Schwantz,. after an almost entirely lonely ra"ce. Without the bite from his tire, he simply did the best he coulC}, finishing eight seconds ·clear of Doohan. The battle for seventh was a minor highlight of the race. Lawson had held the position early on, but when he found himself dropping off the back of an aggressive five-bike pack on the 15th lap he slowed down and pulled into the pits, leaving the track at once without any explanation, his career over. His first attacker had been Peter Goddard on the Valvoline Roc Yamaha, but he'd held him at bay. Then carne Niall Mackenzie's Banco Roc Yamaha, recovering from his usual mediocre start to get by Goddard and start harrying . Lawson. He passed him once only to get tromped on again promptly; but made it through for good on lap 14, promptly followed by Goddard. Now Campsa Honda's Alex Criville was joining on behind, after passing Miguel DuHamel, who was clinging to his rear wheel; with practice crasher Juan Garriga and the Ducados Yamaha trying painfully to hang on in their wake. Criville passed Goddard promptly and moved up to attack Mackenzie. Shortly thereafter, a sick Goddard threw up in his helmet, and promptly lost the front wheel and crashed. This spread out the group, leaving the battle to Mackenzie and Criville, with the Spaniard winning out, and Mackenzie complaining of a shortage of bottom end power. DuHamel dropped way back from this batch .to finish ninth; with Garriga claiming the final point for tenth. Toshiyuki Arakaki (Roc Yamaha) won a good battle with Corrado Catalano (Roc Yamaha) for 11th, while South African wild card riders put up a fine showing, battling for much of the race and finishing Russell Wood 14th and Mike Wilson 15th, behind 13th-placed Lopez Mella. 250cc GP . It was a great day for Dutch private 20 ing inside under braking for one of the blind bends on the third lap. He meant to make the most of his last race, but said later it took several'laps to build up momentum. Simultaneously Schwantz was Iosing his, blaming a rear tire that behaved differently in the race from the way it had in practice and morning warmup (which he had led). "It may have been the heat," he said. In any case, Gardner closed inex- orably, and by lap four was planning his attack. It carne on lap six, and once past he quickly closed the gap to set about the other Suzuki of Chandler. The American tells the story. "My bike was really good, but it lacked a bit of power. At first because of the set-up I could stay with the Yamahas, but when the tires started to warm up I couldn't hang on." Thus he succumbed to the flying Gardner's attack on lap 13, and gradual- ly dropped back. "Wayne was making a few mistakes, and I was doing every corner perfect - but I still couldn't stay with him," said Chandler. Meanwhile, the lead had changed hands. Kocinski had followed Rainey dutifully for three laps, and then proved there really were no team orders, taking over the front and immediately opening a small gap, almost one-and~a-half secon'ds by lap seven. As Gardner started Aprilia rider Patrick van den Goorbergh. As the'green light shone, he shot through from the fourth row of the grid to join Luca Cadalora and Wileo Zeelenberg in disputing the lead. The Aprilia rider was even ahead briefly but alas there was a down side. Track officials adjudged that both he and Zeelenberg had jumped the start, and imposed a one-minute penalty. . They dropped back in any case. Zeelenberg said the other bikes carne past his Suzuki on the straight "like flies". Cadalora made the running, with HB Honda's Doriano Romboni corning through to second, van den Goorbergh hanging on gamely for two more laps as

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