Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ ROAD RACE waste any time in also shoving Biaggi out of the w~y. Urged on by the partisan crowd, D'Antin then forced his way under Reggiani at the apex of the Portago hairpin, taking the lead to the roar of the Spanish road race fans. D'Antin's race for glory didn't last much longer, with both Biaggi and Marlboro Honda's Loris Capirossi drafting past on the front straight. Then it got worse for D'Antin as Reggiani barged up the inside of the Spaniard in the first comer, taking his front wheel with him and forcing D'Antin to crash. Reggiani also paid the price, pulling off a lap later with one of his exhaust pipes bent skyward from the incident. With Reggiani's demise, Chili suddenly became a factor as the top three circulated the 2.387-mile circuit in formation. They were joined shortly by Schmid, riding the all-black- Mitsui Yamaha. The four fought to the finish, with Biaggi holding off Chili, and Capirossi doing likewise to Schmid. Less than a second separated the top four at the finish. Ducados Aprilia's Alberto Puig rounded out the top five finishers. ~ ,. ."; Loris Reggiani (13) leads Jomen Schmid (7), Loris Capirossi (4), Max Biaggi (5), P.F. Chili (3) and the rest of the field in one of the three Superprestigio legs. Biaggi takes Jarama, barely By Paul Carruthers JARAMA, SPAlN, SEPT. 20 assamiliano Biaggi by .112 of a second, Loris Reggiani by .716 of a second, Biaggi again by .160 of a second. Three 250cc Grands Prix in one?, Well, it seemed like it as the top 250cc GP road racers in the world faced off in three, 12-1ap sprint races in the Superprestigio, held at the Jarama cir- . cuit in the hills of central Spain. When the points from the three races were tallied, it was Biaggi, the 21-yearold Italian sensation, taking the overall win on his Team Valesi Aprilia, via two wins and a fourth-place finish. German Jochen Schmid rode the sole factory Yamaha to a second place finish after tallying two seconds and a fourth, while Biaggi's Aprilia teammate PierFrancesco Chili ended the day third with a second and twQ. third place finishes. Each race saw heated struggles from top to bottom, with the three 250cc races featuring a combined margin of victory of only .988:-of-a-second. A loud and spiritedfcrowd of 20,000 watched the races under sunny skies with temperatures hovering around the 80-degree mark. And the American contingent? With no Americans competing in the 250cc Grands Prix since John Kocinski took the title in 1989, event promoter Solo Moto, the Spanish weekly motorcycle magazine, invited AMA 250cc National Champion Colin Edwards, and top series hopefuls Kenny Roberts Jr. and Chris D'Aluisio to represent the U.S. (See sidebar). It didn't take long for the trio to realize that their Yamaha TZ250s weren't much of a threat to the factory Aprilias, kitted HOIlda RSs and the lone factory Yamaha belonging to Schmid. Still, the three soldiered on, with Otsuka Electronics-backed Roberts ending the day with the best results, 11th, 12th and eighth, for 12th overall. Southwest Motorsports' D'Aluisio finished 13th overall, via 14th, 11th and 10th place finishes. His teammate, Edwards, the most highly touted of the three, had a rather dismal day. Edwards finished 12th in the first race and was battling with Roberts, D'Aluisio and M 30 Spaniard Oscar Sainz in the second race when Sainz rear-ended the Texan causing them both to crash; Sainz suffered a broken leg in the incident and underwent surgery on Sunday night. Edwards stalled his Yamaha at the start of the third leg, and pulled in when he discovered the TZ wasn't running properly; he was too far behind to make a difference anyway. Rick Tripodi also made the trip to Spain, but the Canadian failed to qualify for the 36-rider field after struggling to set-up his borrowed Aprilia. Second race winner Loris Reggiani, the runner-up in the 1992 250cc World Championship behind Luca Cadalora, ended his season on a low note, suffering a broken right arm in the third race. Ironically, the man who wears number 13 and is known as "Luckless Loris" did so without crashing. The Italian and his Unlimited Jeans Aprilia struck a pit board that was hanging over the pit wall on the front straight, and at 150 or so mph, he hit the aluminum board with enough force to break his arm. Newly crowned 125cc World Champion Alessandro Gramigni split wins ~ith Spanish hero Carlos Giro in the two 125cc races, but it was Gramigni taking the overall, thanks to his victory in the second race. Honda-mounted German Dirk Raudies finished third overall. Giro and his Ducados Aprilia was stopped on the track after he beat Gramigni in the first race, and raised high on the shoulders of two amateur pyrotechnicians as the crowd chanted and explosives discharged in the background. The amazing ritual was repeated when Giro narrowly lost to the Unlimited Jeans Aprilia of Gramigni in the second race. The combined margin of viCtory for the two 125cc races was only just over half a seco~d. Race one Biaggi led from Reggiani at the start of the 12 lapper, with Spain's 600cc Supersport Champion Luis D' Antin locked in behind the two Aprilias on his kitted Honda RS250. Reggiani soon took over from Biaggi, and D'Antin didn't Race two The second race was the dullest of the three, if you can label a race won by only .716-of-a-second as being dull. Still, this one featured only a two-rider battle. Reggiani grabbed the lead at the start with Schmid tucked in behind. Capirossi surprised them both by stuffing his way under the leading duo in the fast esses known as Ascari. The young Italian couldn't keep pace, though, as Reggiani and Schmid drafted by on the -front straight. Schmid led laps two through eight, but Reggiani was in front at the end, taking over on lap nine and staying in front to the finish. Those two were clear of a battle between Capirossi, Chili and Biaggi; with Chili and Biaggi eventually getting away from Capirossi, and Chili ultimately taking third place from his teammate. Capirossi finished fifth with Puig a lonely sixth. Race three This one had the look of a Schmid runaway. The German got the jump at the start and pulled clear on the Yamaha, leading Biaggi, Chili, Puig, Capirossi and Reggiani. Puig was the first to eliminate himself, with a high speed get-off on the third lap. Reggiani would go two laps later when he met the pit board up close; European 250cc Champion Luis Maurel was also a victim of the incident as a piece of the board ripped his right footpeg off, ending his day. Meanwhile" Schmid looked to have things in hand up front, but Biaggi and Chili had other ideas. .At the halfway mark, the two Aprilias had caught the Yamaha and a three-way race began. Chili's charge lasted only another lap, as he ran off the track and resigned himself to the fact that he would finish third. "After I ran off, I just quit," said Chili, who finished third in the 1992 250cc World Championship. "I go on holiday tomorrow, and I want to go in one piece." There was no quit in Biaggi, though, and he stuck to the rear fender of the Yamaha, drafting by on the race to the flag to win by a scant .160-of-a-second. "He just passed me on acceleration," Schmid said. "We put a new clutch in for each race and I had two fantastic starts. I tried very hard and I'm very happy. The bike keeps improving. I was disappointed not to finish in the top five in the World Championship, and not to get a rostrum position. I'm with Mitsui Yamaha again next year and we plan on doing a lot of testing over the winter." D' Antin finished as the top Spaniard, via his 8th place overall result, and he was honored in an explosive post-race ceremony similar to Giro's. Again, the Spanish fans proved worthy of being the world's most fanat(;N ical racing fans. Results 125cc QUALIFYING: 1. Ezio·Gianola (1:41.784/ 84.601 mph); 2. Allessandro Gramigni (1:41.873); 3. Jorge Martinez (1:41.879); 4. Carlos Giro (1:42.565); 5. Dirk Raudies (1:42.680); 6. Bruno Casanova (1:43.036); 7. Ralf Waldmann (1:43.065); 8. Peter Oetll (1:43.247); 9. Gabriele Debbia (1:43.328); 10. Fausto Gresini (1:43.335); 11. Noburo Veda (1:43.469); 12. Emili Alzamora (1:43.575); 13. Luis Alvaro (1:43.881); 14. Heinz Leuthi (1:43.903); 15. Carlos Checa (1:44.376); 16. Loek Bodelier (1:44.418); 17. Jose Rabadan (1:44.698); 18. Juan Borja (1:44.941); 19. Manuel Hernandez (1:44.942); 20. Emilio Gracia (1:45.203); 21. Jose Ramon Miralles (1:45.982); 22. Agustin Escobar (1:46.342); 23. Eugenio Escobar (1:46.342); 24. Manuel Varea (1:46.549); 25. Salvador Martin (1:46.709); 26. Manuel Luque (1 :46.751); 27. Nando Roca (1:46.998); 28. Marco TresoJdi (1:47.005); 29. Daniela Tognoli (1:47.343); 30. Ron Reniers (1:47.349); 31. Simone Giannecchifli (1:47.507); 32. Jose Luis Cardoso (1:47.672); 33. A. De Carli (1:47.890); 34. Xavier Bou (1 :48.014); 35. Vicente Grau (I :48.150); 36. Julian MiraUes (1:48.272); 37. Juan Martinez (1:48.333); 38. Amador Ferrer (1:49.253). USee RACE 1: 1. Carlos Giro (Apr); 2. Alessandro Gramigni (Apr); 3. Ezio Gianola (Hon); 4. Jorge Martinez (Hon); 5. Dirk Raudies (Hon); 6. Ralf Waldmann (Hon); 7. Bruno Casanova (Apr); 8. Noboru Veda (Hon); 9. Emili A1zamora (Hon); 10. Heinz Leuthi (Hon); 11. Luis Alvaro (Apr); 12. Emilio Gracia (Hon); 13. Juan Borja (Hon); 14. Jose Ramon Miralles (Hon); 15. Jose Rabadan (Cob); 16. Manuel Varea (Hon); 17. Agustin Escobar (Hon); 18. Manuel Hernandez (Apr); 19. Ron Reniers (Hon); 20. Marco Tresoldi (Hon); 21. Salvador Martin (Han); 22. Jose Luis Carduso (Cob); 23. Nando Roca (Hon); 24. Daniela Tognoli (Hon); 25. Amador Ferrer (Cob): ' Time: 24 min., 01.053 sec. Distance: 14 laps, 33.418 miles. Average Speed: 83.657 mph. Margin of Vidory: 0.348 sec. Fastest Lap: Alessandro Gramigni, 1:41.824/84.568 mph,Lap5 USee RACE 2: 1. Alessandro Gramigni (Apr); 2. Carlos Giro (Apr); 3. J;)irk Raudies (Hon); 4. Bruno Casanova (Apr); 5. Ezio Gianola (Hon); 6. Ralf Waldmann (Hon); 7. Noburo Ueda (Hon); 8. Emili Alzamora (Hon); 9. Peter Oetll (Rot); 10. Juan Borja (Hon); 11. Heinz Leuthi (Hon); 12. Loek Bodelier (Hon); 13. Jose Ramon Miralles (Hon); 14. Eugenio Moncayo (Hon); 15. Ron Remers (Hon); 16. Marco Tresoldi (Hon); 17. Agustin Escobar (Hon); 18. Xavier Bou (Hon); 19. Salvador Martin (Hon); 20. Manuel Luque (Cob); 21. Daniela Tognoli (Hon); 22. Amador Ferrer (Cob). Time: 24 min., 06.594 sec. Distance: 14 laps, 33.418 miles. Average Speed: 83336 mph. Margin of VidQry: 0.219 sec. F_test Lap: Carlos Giro, 1:41.994/84.427 mph. Lap 7. l2Sec OVERALL: 1. Alessandro Gramigni (27); 2. Carlos Giro (27); 3. Dirk Raudies (16); 4. Ezio Gianola (16); 5. Bruno Casanova (12); 6. Ralf Waldmann (10); 7. Jorge Martinez (8); 8. Noburo Ueda (7); 9. Emili Alzamora (5); 10. Petrr Oedl (2); 11. Juan Borja (1); 12. Heinz Leuthi (1). ' 2S0cc QUALIFYING: 1. Pier-Francesco Chili (1:36.m/.88.981 mph); 2. Loris Reggian.i (1:36.984); 3. Lons CaPUOSSI (1 :37.353); 4. Jochen Schnud (1:37.471); 5. Luis O'Antin (1:37.517); 6. Alberto Puig (1:37.527); 7. Massamiliano Biaggi (1 :38.005); 8. Loris Preining (1:38.551); 9. Frederic Prolat (I :38.760); 10. Oscar Sainz (1:38.918); 11. £Skil Suter (1:39.124); 12. Chris D'AluisiO' (1:39.163); 13.-Colin Edwards (1:39.247); 14. Luis Maurel (1:39.301); 15. Adrian Bosshard (1:39.461); 16. Alex Sirera (1:39.555); 17. David Vazquez (1:39.588); 18. Miguel Castilla (1:39.766); 19. Marc Garcia (1:40.118); 2p. Kenny Roberts Jr. (1:40.145); 21. Gabriele Debbia (1:40.174); 22. Quique De Juan (1:40.274); 23. William Costes (1:40.367); 24. Pere Riba (1:40.416); 25. M. Pennacchioli (1:40.419); 26. Michele Gallina (1:40.477); 27. David Muscat (1 :40.504); 28. Takashi Isiguro (1:40.556); 29. Antonio Sanchez (1:40.593); 30. Pierre Fontannaz (1:40.718); 31 .. Evren Bischoff (1:40.738); 32. Javier Rodriguez (1:40.7~5); 33. Yoshinari Hori (1:40.828); 34. Jose Kuhn (1:40.886); 35. Eustaquio Gavira (1:40.899); 36. Jose Sagardogui (1:41.402); 37. Rick Tripodi (1:41.818); 38. Manuel Gibernau (1:42.048); 39. Tomas Couto (1:48.759); 40. Artur Martins (1:48.950); 41. Alexander Witting (1:51.486). 250cc RACE 1: Massamiliano Blagg; (Apr); 2. PierFrancesco Chili (Apr); 3. Loris Capirossi (Hon); 4. Jochen Schmid (Yam); 5. Alberto PUlg (Apr); 6. Andy Preining (Apr); 7. Eskil Suter (Apr); 8. Luis Maurel (Apr); 10. Oscar Sainz (Apr); 11. Kenny Roberts Jr. (Yam); 12. Colin Edwards II (Yam); 13. Miugel Castilla (Yam); 14. Chris O'Aluisio (Yam); 15. David Muscat (Apr); 16. Antonio Sanchez (Apr); 17. Gabriele Debbia (Hon); 18. Marc Garcia (Yam); 19. Pere Riba (Hon); 20. M. Pennacchioli (Apr); 21. William Costes (Yam); 22. Quique· De Juan (Yam); 23. Takashi Isiguro (Hon); 24. Alex Sierra (Yam); 25. Jose Kuhn (Hon); 26. Jose Sagardogui (Hon); 27. Javier Rodriguez (Hon); 28. Yoshinari Hori (Hon); 29. Michele Gallina (Yam). Time: 19 min., 35.960 sec. Distance: 12 laps, 28.644 miles. Average Speed: 87.870 mph. Margin of Vidory: 0.112 sec. Fastest Lap: Pier-Francesco Chili, 1:36.788/88.968 mph, Lap 8. 250cc RACE 2: 1. Loris Reggiani (Apr); 2. Jochen Schmid (Yam); 3. Pier-Francesco Chili (Apr); 4. Massamiliano Biagg; (Apr); 5. Loris Capirossi (Hon); 6. Alberto Puig (Apr); 7. Luis D' Antin (Hon); 8. Andy Preining (Apr); 9. Luis MaureJ (Apr); 10. Frederic Prolal (Apr); 11. Chris D'Aluisjo (Yam); U. Kenny Roberts Jr. (Yam); 13. Alex Sierra (Yam); 14. Miguel Castilla (Yam); 15. David Vazquez (Apr); 16. Antonio Sanchez (Apr); 17. Quique De Juan (Yam); 18. William Cosies (Yam); 19. M. Pennacchioli (Apr); 20. Marc Garcia (Yam); 21. Jose Kuhn (Hon); 22. Jose Sagardogui (Hon); 23. Javier Rodriguez (Hon); 24. Pierre Fontannaz (Apr); 25. Colin Edwards n (Yam); 26. Adrian Bosshard (Hon).

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