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RACE WATCH

Doohan hurt, Lawson shines in 500cc GPs

Australian Michael Doohan's dominant season took a dramatic turn for the worse when the 500cc world championship points leader crashed during qualifying for the Dutch TT at Assen in the Netherlands. The 26year-old Rothmans Honda pilot broke his right leg in two places when the rear tire of his NSR500 suddenly lost grip and spun out, even though he was taking it easy while scrubbing-in the new tire.

“The problem with the crash was that my foot got trapped under the bike as it slid along the track and I am sure that is why I broke my leg,” Doohan said later.

Doohan underwent an operation that evening to plate the tibia and fibula in his leg, though he should be able to ride the last two or three races of the season, and protect his sizable points lead.

With Doohan sidelined, Eddie Lawson stunned onlookers by giving Cagiva its first-ever pole position in 12 years of trying. The Italian factory had given Lawson and teammate Alex Barros new motors for Assen, and the red bikes were suddenly flying. Cagiva’s new motor-like those of the Honda and Suzuki factory teams-reportedly features a revised firing order, with each of the four cylinders firing very close to one another, perhaps even in pairs. The result is a much more tractable powerband, a droning exhaust note and, in Cagiva’s case, overnight success.

Unfortunately, Cagiva’s good fortune was short-lived as Lawson collided with leader Kevin Schwantz during the race, and both riders went down hard. Lawson slid headlong into a dike and was lucky not to be hurt, but Schwantz slammed a haybale-lined barrier and suffered a dislocated hip and broken left forearm.

Spaniard Alex Criville went on to win at the famed Circuit van Drenthe, after reeling in leader Barros and holding off John Kocinski and Spaniard Juan Garriga. “It was a divine triumph,” Criville said afterward. “Going to the start, I did not think I could win, but when I saw the leaders crash in front of me, I thought I could do it.” Criville’s win was the first-ever by a Spaniard in the 500cc class.

Defending World Champion Wayne Rainey did not start at Assen, after deciding in practice that the wrist he injured in his get-off in Germany still hurt too badly. Later, rumors circulated that Rainey flew to Italy to meet with Cagiva’s Castiglioni brothers, opening negotiations that could see Rainey take Lawson’s seat when Lawson retires at the end of this season. Rainey’s asking price reportedly is $2 million per season, and Cagiva so far has been the only team willing to pay that kind of money.

Lawson made good on the promise he showed in Holland when he won the next race, held in the rain at the Hungaroring in Hungary. It was a classic, tactical win by a seasoned veteran, as Lawson capitalized on his decision to use grooved slicks, rather than rain tires like his competitors. When the rain stopped late in the race, Lawson closed at the rate of a few seconds per lap, and eventually passed leader Doug Chandler to win by 15 seconds.

“That result meant so much to the Cagiva factory and without a doubt, it’s the most satisfying win of my 31 grand prix victories,” Lawson said. “It would be great to win a couple more grands prix before I finally retire from racing.”

Chandler finished second on the number-two Lucky Strike Suzuki, with Budweiser Yamaha’s Randy Mamola, always a threat in wet weather, third, the injured Schwantz fourth and Rainey fifth.

The following weekend at MagnyCours in France, Rainey looked like his old self, leading every lap to claim his second win of the season. The Marlboro Roberts Yamaha team had gotten new “Honda-style” motors, and Rainey and teammate Kocinski put them to good use.

Wayne Gardner finished second on his Rothmans Honda to show that there’s still some life left in the old dog, while Kocinski came out on top of a battle with Garriga for third. Lawson finished fifth.

Chandler has had a bittersweet time lately, qualifying on the pole in Hungary and France, but crashing in Holland and France. Teammate Schwantz also crashed in France, further dashing his hopes of a world championship. With three rounds remaining in the series, Doohan leads Rainey 130-93. Schwantz lies third with 87 points, ahead of Chandler with 72 and Kocinski with 67.

Rothmans Honda’s Luca Cadalora needed to beat fellow Italian Loris Reggiani in France to clinch his second successive 250cc world championship, but the best he could do was a third place to Reggiani’s first. Reggiani ran second late in the race behind Aprilia teammate Pier-Francesco Chili, but Chili let him past on the final lap to take the win.

Motocross superstar Jean-Michel Bayle made his roadracing debut in the 250cc French GP. The 23-year-old Frenchman qualified in the 38th-andfinal starting position, and then proceeded to finish 24th out of 25 finishers, one lap behind the leaders. While Bayle’s result may disappoint his many fans, it should be noted that his qualifying time-set on a modified production Honda RS250-was just four seconds slower than pole-sitter Pier-Francesco Chili’s factory Aprilia, a feat many accomplished roadracers would find difficult to pull off.

“Roadracing is my future and I’m determined to make it,” Bayle said prior to the race. “I can’t just ride in the middle of the pack. If I’m not a top 500cc rider within a couple of years, I’ll quit and go car racing.” E3