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RACE WATCH
Doohan scores V-Four victories
Mick Doohan, that died-in-the-wool defender of wheel-spinning, tire-eating, 190-horsepower V-Fours, looked set to jump on the V-Twin bandwagon for selected GP races this year. But, citing a lack of machinery, Honda wouldn’t let him ride the lighter, more mellow NSR500V Unfazed, the Aussie claimed victories in three of the past four races on his trusty NSR500.
At the Japanese Grand Prix, Doohan failed to qualify on the front row for the first time in 30 starts, and his Honda suffered a flat tire in the race, dropping him to sixth place. Atop the winner’s podium, tears of joy filled the eyes of Yamaha rider Norifume Abe as he became the first Japanese rider in 14 years to win his home GP. “When I saw his tears, I had to hold back my own. It was a special moment,” said team owner Kenny Roberts.
Once the series moved to Europe, Doohan’s teammate, Alex Criville, stepped up the pace and provided Doohan with a new challenge. Thriving on Criville’s advances, Doohan came alive with three wins in a row despite his more relaxed ’96 attitude. “It’s early in the year and I am leading the championship, so I’m happy,” he said. “I’ve won the title twice and now I’m out to enjoy the racing.”
Criville placed second in Japan and then hounded Doohan all over the Continent. Distracted by fanatical fans running across the track at his home GP, the Spaniard crashed while attempting to retake the lead after Doohan made a last-corner pass. “I can’t believe it,” Criville said incredulously, “I lost the race because of the public.” Criville then scored another pair of deuces and sits third in the championship behind Doohan and Kanemoto Honda rider Luca Cadalora.
Meanwhile, America’s greatest hope, Scott Russell, scored his first podium finish at the Japanese GP. After this good fortune, he promptly broke six toes in a testing crash “trying too hard on cold tires.” Russell qualified 13th in Spain, but opted to sit out the race and the next round. Just four weeks after the injury, he was back on his Suzuki RGV500 for the French GP. The former World Superbike Champion said he didn’t want to “ride the bike halfassed anymore.” True to his word, the Georgian held on for fifth place in a race where just 15 of the 26 bikes finished, and is now seventh in the series. On a paternal note, Russell’s girlfriend recently gave birth to their first child, daughter Bayleigh.
Ty Davis: Kawasaki’s man for ail series
Defending National Enduro Champion Ty Davis is out to prove he’s America’s most versatile dirt rider. The Team Green speedster’s name appears on the leaderboard of no less than four AMA off-road disciplines: He leads the National Enduro series; is second in the Hare & Hound series; is in a three-way tie for seventh in Hare Scrambles; and stands 10th in the Grand National Cross-Country series. In addition, he recently won his first Baja 500, teamed with Paul Krause. And in mid-August, the busy racer will be in Finland to represent the United States at the 1996 ISDE with Steve Hatch, Randy Hawkins, Chris Smith, Rodney Smith and Scott Summers on the World Trophy Team.
Raining on Duhamel’s Superbike parade
wOur bike is good enough to be up front, so I had to put it there,” said Fast By Ferracci Team Owner Eraldo Ferracci. Disappointed with the results of rookie Superbike riders Shawn Higbee and Larry Pegram, Ferracci made a bold, decisive move. He drafted Alessandro Gramigni, the 1992 125cc World Champion, to ride alongside his newbees. The Italian immediately made an impression by taking fifth at soggy Mid-Ohio and splashing his way to a win at Road America. Regarding Gramigni’s performance, Ferracci said “I don’t know if I did the right thing, but 1 had to do something. I spend all the money, and was
getting sick of losing.”
Miguel Duhamel bounced back from his Laguna Seca crash with a win at Homestead. Being cautious not to throw his RC45 away in the wet, Duhamel carded fourth-and fifthplace finishes at Mid-Ohio and Road America. And at Loudon, in the dry, the defending champ took his first Superbike win in two months. For his efforts, the French-Canadian is 15 points behind series points leader Doug Chandler.
Malcolm Smith named to Hall of Fame
The man with the biggest smile in offroading, Malcolm Smith, was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame recently. The eight-time ISDE gold medalist joins Cannonball Baker, Roger
DeCoster, Joe Leonard, Dick Mann, Joe Petrali and Kenny Roberts on the list of motorcycling greats to garner Hall of Fame status. And Smith was in good company: New inductees included Henry Ford, stock car patriarch Lee Petty, drag racer Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins and boat racer Betty Cook.
Located in Novi, Michigan, the Motorsports Hall of Fame features a museum housing more than 75 racing cars, bikes, boats and even snowmobiles.
Smith recently led the inaugural Six Days of Baja charity ride. The event followed the original, 1250> mile Baja 1000 course and raised money for the Valle de Trinidad orphanage. "I've ridden in Baja for years," explained Smith. "The people have been very good to me, and I wanted to help. What better way than tn hnct in nnirn1 ridp9"
Polen hits the World Endurance circuit
Former U.S. and World Superbike Champion Doug Polen has struck a deal to ride on the factory Suzuki team with Terry Rymer for the final three FIM World Endurance races, including the Suzuka 8-Hours, which Polen won in 1994.
Polen’s racetrack endeavors this year have been a test of his personal endurance. In the Formula USA series on his The People’s Network-sponsored Team Suzuki Sport GSX-R750, he has yet to break into the top five. At Brainerd, he had a pair of off-track excursions and failed to score any points.
On the brighter side, Polen and the semi-retired Dale Quarterley took the one-hour AMA SuperTeams race win at Road America riding an EBSCO Media-sponsored GSX-R1100.
And on a more personal note, Polen and wife Dianne recently announced the birth of their first child, curiously named Martin Adam. Could this be an homage of sorts to Smokin’ Joe’s Team Operator Martin Adams? “Oh dear, is that what people thought?” Dianne said through her laughter. “No, no, no, we named him first after Doug’s dad Martin. Adam was the name I originally wanted, so we compromised.”
