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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/146704
B~!~~~~~~~~~w_a_n_e~R_a_~_e ~ t,D'" ""---- t:' ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ working hard. We found that we were breaking gearboxes and stuff with it, but that's just because i! was forcing loads on different parts than before, so we've strengthened the engine for next.year. I think it (the new engine) helps the lower and middle guys. Guys like auan) Garriga ran better than he had all year when 'he got the new engine. The top guys will still have that edge, but the more predicable power brings the other guys up a notch. With Barcelona being a high point to your season, what was the low point in Wayne Rainey's year? Leaving Assen was the low point. I crashed at Hockenheim and I had to pull in early in the race. At that. point, the championship wasn't looking too good. Then I was doing a lot of rehabing with Dean (Miller), but the hand kept getting more irritated. I remember the pain from just riding a bicycle in Spain, but I thought that at least the suspension on the bike would make it better. ~~~ ized that it was worse than what he even thought. Still, I was 22 points behind with two races left after England. In Brazil, he finished 12th and I won, but I still knew anything could happen. I knew we had a week off before South Africa and I knew he'd be in a lot better shape. In practice we went back to the old engine because a lot of stuff was breaking on the new one, but for the race I told the team we should just go for what would be the easiest to ride for 30 laps, and .that was the new engine. Two days later that engine broke during testing, so it shows that really anything can happen. For the first time since you started your Grand Prix career the season won't (Above) Wayne Rainey confers with Marlboro Roberts crew chief Mike Sinclair; the two have been together since Rainey's 500cc debut in 1988 when the team was sponsored by Lucky Strike. (Left) Rainey (1) leads. former teammate John Kocinski (4), Doug Chandler (10) and Wayne Gardner (5). While Rainey. returns for another season on Marlboro Yamahas, the others will be elsewhere in 1993; Kocinski will ride a 250cc Suzuki, Chandler switches to the Italian Cagiva team, and Gardner has retired from road racing. 8 We got to Assen, and I could only do three laps of free practice before pulling in. I figured I'd been on the ground enough, and I thought it was best to just go home and get better. When I left Doohan was on the pole and I knew it was going to take SOme drastic changes to give us any chance at all. So I wasn't feeling too good when I got on the plane and went home. Then when I got home and saw the news - well, I was surprised as everybody else. (Doohan crashed in practice and suffered a badly broken leg. Then, in the race, Rainey's other championship. rival, Kevin Schwantz, crashed and suffered a dislocated hip.) Was there ever a point when you realized that you really had a chance to win the championship agaip? Well, I called Doohan and he kept telling me he'd be at the next race. He told me he'd be at France and he wasn't, and then he told me he'd be in England begin in Japan. Will that make any difference as far as preparation goes? I've always thought that Japan was a . neat place to go for the first race. Riding there at the start of the year always gave me the same feeling as the Houston Short Track. Everybody shows up with their new stuff and you get to see what each other has. Suzuka was a good place to start because it's a fast race track. With Eastern Creek (site of the seasonopening Australian GP) being so tight and twisty, L d(:m't think we'll really know how everybody'stands until we get to the third race in Japan. The only thing that may help with having Japan at a later date is we may get better weather, but it still could be a bit dodgy. We're doing most of our testing at Phillip Island because it's so fast and flowing. I think if you can get the bike working well there then it'll be okay just about everywhere. In 1993, the Marlboro Yamaha team will consist of yourself and Italian Luea Cadalora. How do you feel about John Kocinski's replacement? I've seen 'em (teammates) come and I've seen em go. This is the first time I've had a teammate from Italy. Right now it's hard to say if he can give us any input on the bike. I don't know how intense he is. John Kocinski was the most intense teammate I've ever had. A new guy could help the morale of the team and he is a two-time 250 champ. He could end up being tough. As you mentioned earlier, the team switched to Michelin tires for the 1992 season after you won the title on Dunlop tires in 1991. What brand of rubber will you use in '93? Our tire decision will be made in the middle of December at Phillip Island. I've got a back to back Michelin/Dunlop test scheduled. I'll be doing the tire test- ing, and I'll make the decision. Luca (Cadalora) will just be trying to get familiar with the 500 and I think he'll just let me do it. After beating Michael Doohan by only. four points in '92, do you see him presenting the biggest challenge as you go for your fourth straight title? You've got to say Doohan and (Kevin) Schwantz are about the same. Kevin had a good shot of winning this year, but his crashes at Assen and Donington messed him up. I do think it'll be those two again in the battle for the championship. With Doohan, it depends a lot on his injuries. Last year was the first for Grand Prix racing's new organization, Two Wheel Promotions. How do you think they did in their first year? . Anytime you have something new . you're going to have some problems. But we got a lot more TV, in more