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RACE WATCH
Still no stopping Doohan in 500cc GPs
Just when you think things are taking a turn for the better, they get worse.
We’re talking, of course, about this Australian fellow Mick Doohan’s domination of the 1992 500cc world roadracing championship. Something has got to be done about him if we’re to have an American world roadracing champion this year.
After blitzing the field in the first four rounds of the series, Doohan was finally beaten in Italy and Spain, only to win again by a huge margin in Germany. Doohan’s disappearing act is getting old. And no more so than to his main rivals, Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz.
At Mugello in Italy, Schwantz stopped Doohan’s winning streak at four races. The lanky Texan, recovering from a broken hand that caused him to sit out the Malaysian round of the series, forced Doohan into a second-place finish, after Rainey crashed while leading at mid-distance. Rainey’s Marlboro Yamaha teammate, John Kocinski, also recovering from a hand injury, finished third, his best result thus far this season. Schwantz’s Lucky Strike Suzuki teammate Doug Chandler was fourth.
“It’s too soon to say that this is the turning point in the championship, but we did prove that Doohan isn’t > unbeatable,” Schwantz said afterward.
A week later in the European GP at Catalunya, Spain, Doohan again finished second, after being passed by winner Rainey on the second-to-last lap. Chandler edged Schwantz for third place and Kocinski was fifth.
“That was my most important grand prix victory since my very first win,” Rainey said. “I’m really looking forward to the next race at Hockenheim (Germany).”
If Rainey had known what that race held in store, he would not have been so excited. The Californian crashed in qualifying, injuring his hand and ankle. He attempted to ride the GP, but retired after just a few laps.
Doohan won his fifth race of the season, defeating Schwantz on the ultra-fast circuit by a staggering 24 seconds. Doohan now leads Schwantz in the series point standings 130-77.
Amazingly, Wayne Gardner finished third in Germany, in his first race since suffering a badly broken leg at the Japanese opener. Gardner made a comeback attempt in Italy, but a practice tumble forced a rethink.
“I did not damage the leg I broke nine weeks ago, but the crash made me realize I should not ride when I’m not fully fit,” Gardner said.
Spaniard Alex Criville finished fourth at Hockenheim on his Campsa Honda with Kocinski fifth again.
In 250cc action, defending world champion Luca Cadalora won in Italy and Spain on his Rothmans Honda, and finished fourth behind the fast Aprilias of Pier-Francesco Chili, Massamilliano Biaggi and Loris Reggiani in Germany. Cadalora enjoys a huge lead over Reggiani in the points chase, 120-70. >
Russell on top in U.S. Superbike
June is the busiest month on the AMA national roadracing schedule, with four races scattered over five weekends. As this issue goes to press, half of them have been run. And although Scott Russell has been winless since Daytona, he remains atop the series standings.
In the fourth round of the series, held in the rain at Texas World Speedway, Two Brothers Racing’s Freddie Spencer took his first series win of the season, thanks in part to his Michelin rain tires. Similarly shod privateer Dale Quarterley put his recently purchased ex-Muzzy Kawasaki into second place, with Fast By Ferracci Ducati rider Pascal Picotte third on Dunlops. Russell and series rival Doug Polen both battled tire problems, with Russell finishing fifth and Polen an uncharacteristic 10th.
In the next round at Brainerd, Minnesota, Polen flat left ’em, winning by 23 seconds-an unheard of margin in AMA Superbike racing. Vance & Hines Yamaha’s Jamie James emerged from a duel with Muzzy Kawasaki’s Thomas Stevens in second, the defending champ settling for third. James’ teammate, Larry Schwarzbach, finished fourth, the best result so far of his brief Superbike career, and Picotte was fifth.
As the series heads to New Hampshire International Speedway for the 69th Loudon Classic, Russell leads Polen 65-63.
You can read about the Colin Edwards/Kenny Roberts Jr. battle elsewhere in this issue, but there was another development in the Texas 250 race that was noteworthy: Rick Kirk won, putting his Two Brothers Racing Honda RS250 in the winner’s circle for the first time in his career. Not only that, Kirk also won the 600 supersport race on his CBR600F2, giving Two Brothers a clean sweep of all the classes the team entered. Thomas Stevens rode injured teammate Tripp Nobles’ bike to the 750 supersport win, after Russell crashed out.
At Brainerd, Edwards won the 250 race, with Roberts second, returning Edwards to the top of the points tables. Commonwealth Honda’s Mike Smith resumed race-winning form to top the 600 supersport ranks, while CLASS Racing’s Jason Pridmore earned his first-ever 750 supersport win on his Kawasaki ZX-7R. □
