7th Place ... Pier Francesco Chili

7TH Place ... Pier Francesco Chili

Goals fulfilled and unfulfilled

PIER FRANCESCO CHILI (PROnqunced KEE-lee) had two goals for the United States Grand Prix, one spoken and the other not. The first was to finish the race in at least fifth place, a goal left unfulfilled, but not by much; he finished seventh. The second goal, which the 24-year-old Chili, a movie-star-handsome Italian who lives in Monte Carlo, discussed with some reluctance and much self-effacement, was not to fall off his motorcycle at this race.

Chili, you see, the 1985 European 125 champion now in his fourth season of 500cc world-championship racing, had fallen off in the first lap at each of the first two grands prix of this season. And he fell off at Laguna Seca last year. But he remained aboard at the USGP this year, which especially pleased him because he so enjoys the Laguna Seca circuit. “Some circuits have too much straight; this is no good if you like to

drive in the corners,” he said. Chili apparently likes to drive in the corners; and as his skills improve, it’s

likely he’ll be finishing much better than the fifth place he’d hoped for.

Jon F. Thompson