Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~;;,.w although no repeat of the threat of a riders' strike as in Brazil. Chandler had been a strong third early on, but dropped to fourth, delighted with his last race on the Lucky Strike Suzuki. "For me, a good race is when I ride without any mistakes to get the best possible out of the bike and myself - and that's what-happened here." During the meeting, rumors had been confirmed that he will take over the departing Lawson's ride next year - and nobody asked him what he thought of the fact that both Alexandre Barros and Lawson had retired their Cagivas in the race. Kevin Schwantz was a lonely fifth, battling with wheelspin ona Lucky Strike Suzuki with a new chassis after his tire choice turned sour; Doohan an equally lone sixth; with Campsa Honda's Alex Criville winning a long battle for seventh with Niall Mackenzie's Banco Yamaha. Kocinski's second SOO-class victory (his previous one also in the last race of the season, in Malaysia last year) secured him third p!ace in the championship, with Schwantz fourth and Chandler fifth. The 2S0cc GP was another Italian triple for the Aprilias, with European champion Massimiliano Biaggi claiming his first GP vicfory, ahead of Loris Reggiani and Pier-Francesco Chili. The young Italian almost threw it away after dominating for much of the race, running off the track into the dirt on the last lap. Helmut Bradl was the first of the Hondas on his HB machine in fourth, heading Loris Capirossi's Marlboro Honda RS Special, with champion Luca Cadalora unable to finish higher than sixth in his last 2S0 race on the Rothmans Honda. The-12Scc championship was also _settled in the highveld heat, with ~ ~ C'-l ~ ~ ~ '" O(j C'-l 1-4 'V ,.0 S Q.) ~ 0.. Q.) rJ) Back from a broken leg, Australian Michael Doohan put in a brave ride to finish sixth, but it wasn't enough for the title. Alessandro Gramigni scaling the heights to finish third, taking his first world title, and also the first for Aprilia. His closest rival for the championship, Fausto Gresini and the Marlboro Honda, dropped back to seventh, but saved second overall from early race leader Ezio Gianola. The race win went to Jorge Martinez, the veteran champion's first this year. He~was pressed all the way by Grarnigni Kocinski tOR 9_ual_ifi_er P _ ractice commenced with Michael Doohan looking about 100 times better than he did in Brazil, and riding fast, if a touch deliberately, to stay in touch with the leaders. Then in the final session, with some 10 minutes remaining, the long-standing name at the top of the board, J. Kocinski (Yamaha) was suddenly displaced by that of M Doohan (Honda). It didn't last, but was proof that he was here to defend his slender title lead to ~ hilt. By the finish, John Kocinski had pushed through again, with a blistering ~me almost half-a-second ahead of the rest. Wayne Gardner also nosed ahead of his Honda teammate, but Doohan stayed third, with his title rival Wayne Rainey fourth fastest and right alQIlgside for the drag race directly into the first fast right-hand. comer. It was a remarkable ~ce, but could Doohan go fast for 28 laps? He knew his weakness. Not c:W.y was there his somewhat ponderous version of his old riding style.! taking his position for the comer well in advance; but also his stiff right leg couldn't operate the Teflr brake, which he uses as a subtle steadying influence in all sorts of circwnstances. His own fear was of coping with backmarkers, when bereft of this element of control. "I'll give it a go tomorrow," he said. "1 don't think Rainey would like it if I didn't." Alongside, Rainey's task was straightforward, and he was looking strong and CQIltrolled. He professed himself ready and eager, after losing time in the last session when a clutch oil seal failed. "1 just can't wait to get the race going," he said. Kocinski's pole, his second in succession, came after he too had switched to the new chassis that Rainey used. in Brazil "For the amount of time I've had with it,. I'm happy with what we've done." he said. "If only Yamaha, the team and myself could concentrate on making a bike to suit my style, 1 feell could race for better than third overall" But he was certainly fast enough to spoil his teammate Rainey's chances of a win. What were his team Orders? "Those words aren't even in my vocabulary," he said. The second spoiler was Gardner, approaddng his last GP in typical fighting style. He was also following no team orders. "I spoke to Mick and he said the best thing I can do is to go and do my best. If I can win here, it would. be a fairytale ending," he said. He was only a tenth ahead of Doohan" and heading a batch of tight-up times that put from second to eighth within one second. Row two was led by Kevin Schwantz, who bad also switched to a new chassis whkh went a long way towards solving his long-standing problems of handling balance. "Belote, I was chasing the front,. and I could only get it to grip by taking away grip from ~ tear. The new one isn't so bad - but I'm stiU chasing the front a little." Hebad another prOblem - .. bad engirle. He bIew'.. aanbhaft (Ill Friday morning, and Cberefo.re bad Ix) ~ the engine in his prefer.ftd chassis. (Suzuld's droner, lilCe YlUUha'~ is po,ae t& slach ~ ~ aotso far in a race.) The new Me .uw.ys .....n8d~~~~hlwtofpuctiot. and second-place Carlos Giro on another Aprilia. 500ccGP Rainey leapt into the lead from Kocinski, the Yamahas leading Doohe:m, with Chandler fourth as they dashed into the big bowl before the final climb up the hill. But they were still packed tight in pursuit, and there was plenty of reshuffling to come. The first departure was Randy Mamola, who crashed his Budweiser Yamaha on the last comer, unhurt but out of the race after lying well up in the top 10. Doohan started losing ground immediately, and both Chandler and Schwantz were ahead of him by the end of lap two. Now Gardner was also pressing on from behind, quickly past Lawson and then Doohan as well, div- - N"tall Mackenzie was alongside, with a charging time scored in the windy first timed session on Friday, using the old high-pitched engine. He liked the high lean angles and comer speeds - but came to grief with a high-sider on Saturday morning. Stunned, he was bundled into a body-splint stretcher and carted off, a worrying sight on the 1V pit monitors - though he had nothing worse than a cut arm and a headache, and was declared fit to go out again in the final practice, when he was over a second slower than the day before. Alongside him, a frustrated and off-color Chandler lost practice time with a blown engine of his own, and then found himself in heavy traffic. His usual last-minute charge on fresh rubber was again th~arted, when: HI was already over the,paint and onto the concrete passing someone when he straightened up on me. I had to stay out there until we were almost past the comer." The last place on the row was taken by Randy MamoIa. who did after all conclude a full season on the Budweiser Yamaha, and who was at last fit and strong in all his limbs. Another to enjoy the deceptive nature of the tricky comers, he was less than two-tenths off Olandler, and a similar distance ahead of Alex Criville's Honda, leading row three. Peter Goddard was 10th, and a tenth ahead of Lawson, who was trying hard to make something of what he still swore would be his final r"ce, but couldn't overcome the Cagiva's lack of midrange at this circuit of twists and ~ Teammate Alexandre Barros was alongside to conclude row three. . There were 31 qualifiers, the season finishing with a tun grid in accordance with the IRTA pledge. It all came down to the maddest of scrambles in the last five minutes of 250cc quali: tying. Loris Reggiani had looked set to be on pole, but Jochen Schmid had been showing well all weekend, and now he was whizzing around with the Yamaha towing Luca Cadalora's Honda, which simply didn't seem. able to get by. And then Schmid did it, putting the Yamaha on top with only minutes remaining. Too many minutes, with Cadalora backing off a little, then using the head-down German as a marker to go just two-hundredths faster. But even that wasn't good enough, with P.F. OliU also part of the group, and. stealing better than a tenth from his Honda-mounted countryman. All were slipstieaming each other by DOW, and. the final victor of this pre-race battle was Helmut Brad!, whose own run clipped him onto a pole after "one really fast risky lap. I don't think I can do 26 like that tomorrow." Chili was thus secood, the Aprilia rider finil;hing his season with a show of flair after his Telkor-Valesi team announced that Chili would be rWing with them next year too. Cadalora was his usual ~ self, and the usual. threat for what would probably be his last race on the Honda that he loves very dearly. And then came SchmiCl, whose move to 1M Yamaha seems to have been wefi..tiJ:ned, with the bike becoming reaDy competitive by the end of the I6'r. Row two saw 1993 Cadaloiareplacement Massamiliano Biagi within a whisker of Sc:hmid, followed by ~ pair of up-and-<:ominc Latins Doriaoo Romboni ,and. Loris Capiro&si. making an all-Italian rank. _the 19

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