Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Roberts On The Pace o o a o o The most improved packate at Catalunyan Grand Prix ! on June 17 was the Team Robera KR2llV Kenny Roberts.Jr was fastest and second fastest in free practice on the llrst day, and then followed it up with his first front-row qualiting position since Germany in 2004, running second fastest to Rossi. The transformation had been comint over the past few weeks, he said, before linint up for his lsfth stan. "lt's just a chain ofevents," he said in his r),pically matter- of-fact sq/le. "We improwd the bike. ln China, we got some advice from HRC, which was rhe biggest help. There were chantes - 50 percent cafie in France with a changed chas- sis, and the other 50 percent came at ltaly with more chantes. But when those came, then we had to adiust the bike around the chanSes. Once we did that, after France, it was a lot better at ltaly. But the weather's been killing us. So the last chanSe we made to the bike was on Monday after Mu8ello [at the tests], because the weather was good. And that really made the bike ridable, and I felt comfortable." The chanse w5s to steering-head angle and geometry "l 8ot offthe bike in ltal, and I said rhat's the first bike l've been on for years that I can ride the heck out of." Roberts said. "lt's the first time in a long while I've been able to ride at 100 percent but not be afraid ro fall down - and it's fast. lnstead of riding at 12o-percent scared to death, and toing lfth, which is where l've been for a lonS time." The chantes to the original chassis - still the carved- from-solid Barnard unit - w€re flrstly to the rear suspen- sion, then to the steering-head area, revising stiffness ratios. This work has delayed work ofl the replacement chassis, fabricated from complex-section tube, which will now arrive in time for the Eritish GP at Donington Park in two weeks. Arked if replacint the ch:ssis just as it had started to work was not something of a risk, Roberts said: "We don't have to do an),thint. We're not under the gun. The new chassis will come; we ll test it to see if it is an improvement." Kenny Roberts Jr. gets interviewed by Rondy Momolo o{ter finirhing third in rhe Cqtolunyon Grond Prix. The team's independence was an advantage, he contin- ued, because they were not bound up by any factory mar- keting or policy considerations. "Our philosophy is to get the bike right and try and win races," he said, "and wharev€r it takes to do that, then that's what we'll do. We iust need ro know what it is," The Team Robens dream of becoming independent chassis constructors, following the Fl model, came a step closer to reality at Catalunya - and not just because of the hybrid Honda-powered machine's improved per{ormance and front-row qualifyinS position. Teah manager Chuck Aksland confirmed that HRC has promised to suppty 800cc entines for next season, to take this year's proiect to the next step. There remains one part of the ji$aw for the revitalized Entland-based team, which has spent almost l0 years struStling with its own motors. They need the spon- sorship backing that will enable them to not only continue but to expand to a tvvo-rider team. "We've been told that 800cc engines will be available, and we hope to tet dimensions so we can stan drawing up a chassis," said Aksland. Asked when lhey would get these, and what would the confituration be, he laughed and said, "We'll get them when HRC want to give them to us.' Rumors sutSest HRC has considered seveml configura- tions, includint four and three cylinders. ,,\4i.hoe, Scoft MotoGP: Who Goes Where? It's early for the who4oes-where rumors to start in F'lotoGP racinS, but they have any- way. Sjnce there are a number of riders whose contracts expire at the end ofthis sea- son, the situation is fluid - and aomplicated funher by strong hints that Fortuna is about to pull our of its sponsorship of the Gresini- Honda satellite team- Riders who are setlled include Valenrrno Rossi, with Yamaha; lohn Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen, with Suzuki: and Dani Pedrosa, with Honda. Loris Capirossi hes had meetings with Ducatr and is well on rhe way to sriking a deal that will take him to the end of his rid- ing career, and b€yond. There are some rntrituint floaters. One is Nicky Hayden. HRC say oflicially that rhey want to keep him, but there are also rumors linking him with Camel Yamaha. His current aole - riding the supposedly top factory machine that is in many ways inferior to lhe production bike - adds weighr to the notion that he may be due for a move. This rumor also fits in with those con- sitnint current Camel Yamaha rider Colin Edwards to a return to World Superbikes. Edwards himself said: "l'd love to stay in MotoGP You feel like you're always pushed !o rhe absolute maximum. You get that in Superbikes, too, but it seems differ- ent here, where every single rider out there is pushing to the absolute max. I'd consider a return to Superbikes, if it was the ritht bike, the ritht team, with the right people round me." Camel Yamaha team manager Davide Brivio said: "Our first oplion is to confirm Colin, He is one serious option, but there are other riders, also. The dilemma is, Do we look to build Yamaha's futurel" Marco lu4elandri is on rhe loose, and he is being informally linked to Ducati, where Sete Gibernau's contract expires at the end of this year. Casey Stoner is also on a one-year con- tract, and he would be a hot property for any team. Shinya Nakano is also available for next year, and he's considering a move from Kawasaki to a team where he might expect better results. Michoe, Scott Whot teom will Nicky Hoyden rscc Gor n.xt yeor? CYCLE NEWS . JUNE 28, 2006 I Rc C Bull WI I -fu| / w \\ fr , T t E t: I f I I I \ a ! I t d 7 I r t- \\ / [/ I l/' I t, \ ,,/ I s '! \ t / t "---l-.,1

• Cover