Eirik
26-04-2000, 02:19 PM
Grand Prix motorcycle racing arrives in Europe on Sunday for the biggest event of the year, the Gran Premio Marlboro de España at Jerez. After the three opening rounds of the MotoGP World Championships in South Africa, Malaysia and Japan, expectancy is at fever pitch for the opening round in Europe with a race day crowd of around 120,000 expected on Sunday and a weekend crowd of over 180,000 spectators.
No wonder those fans will be flocking to the 4.423-km (2.748-miles) Jerez circuit in Southern Spain after an explosive opening to the season with three separate winners in the 500cc class. American Telefonica Suzuki star Kenny Roberts Jr. arrives at Jerez with a four-point lead in the championship from Spaniard Carlos Checa, with Australian Garry McCoy a further three points adrift in third place, riding and sliding the Red Bull Gauloises Yamaha.
It's a massive race for all Spanish riders and Checa, after his consistent start to the campaign, is seeking his first victory of the season to put the pressure on Roberts Jr.
"The first two races were great and I finished second in both, but the third in Japan wasn't so good and we struggled with feel for some reason but we've been working since to make sure we overcome the problem," explained Checa, who finished a disappointing 10th in the corresponding race last year, riding the Marlboro Yamaha. "That is a long way behind me and this year is totally different. Last year, the bike didn't work for my style and the pressure of racing at home got to me. It will be different this time. When you're happy on the bike, you don't feel the pressure."
The pressure will certainly be on World Champion Alex Crivillé, who's made such a disappointing start to the defense of his crown. However, there were signs in Japan that Crivillé and the all-conquering Repsol-YPF NSR Honda had turned the corner. Crivillé eventually finished sixth but had taken his turn in the lead before going off the circuit, before rejoining the fray. Crivillé has won the last three Grand Prixs at Jerez and is confident after the race in Japan.
"After Suzuka, we know if we run into serious problems we have the resources needed to recover," revealed the champion. "The whole team worked extremely hard to get us back in the championship. We're now competitive again and we intend to prove it at Jerez."
Crivillé is eighth in the championship and Honda will be looking to him for his fourth consecutive Jerez victory to finish a run of six Grand Prixs without a victory for the Japanese factory. Teammate Tadayuki Okada and Sete Gibernau seek their first Grand Prix victories at Jerez while World 250cc Champion Valentino Rossi will be looking to repeat victories on 125 and 250cc machinery when he races the 500cc Nastro Azzurro Honda for the first time in Europe. The impressive Emerson Honda Pons duo of Italian Loris Capirossi and Brazilian Alex Barros will have had time to fully recover from the injuries they sustained in the second round in Malaysia.
Japanese Yamaha rider Norick Abe will be looking to repeat his magnificent victory in Japan while Italian Max Biaggi will be recovering from his disappointing start to the season that promised so much for the former 250cc World Champion.
Nobuatsu Aoki, Suzuki teammate to leader Roberts Jr., has fought his way through the pain barrier after crashes in Malaysia and Japan to hold a superb fifth place in the championship, while the Aprilia twin cylinder challenge of Jeremy McWilliams and Tetsuya Harada should be suited to the 13-bend Jerez circuit that requires a smooth and neat riding style. Spaniard David de Gea hopes to give the new Modenas KR engine its debut in the Proton Team KR machine.
It's been just as exciting in the 250cc class with three Japanese and one European rider fighting a no-holds-barred battle at the front and it will be interesting to see how they fare in the next 10 Grand Prixs, all in Europe, starting in Jerez. Shinya Nakano, riding the Chesterfield Tech 3 Yamaha, leads the way after victories in South Africa and Malaysia but series newcomer Daijiro Katah is determined to give him a hard time. Riding the Axo Honda Gresini machine, Katoh rides for the first time in Europe, but if those first three races are any indication, he will adapt easily. He currently lies second in the championship after winning in Japan, just five points adrift of Nakano. French rider Olivier Jacque, Yamaha teammate to Nakano, has made a good start and is third with the Shell Advanced Honda of Tohru Ukawa in fourth place, despite crashing out in Malaysia.
It's even closer in the 125cc class with just nine points separating the first five riders. Youichi Ui, riding the Spanish Derbi, leads the way after his maiden victory in Japan. But breathing down his neck are the very experienced Honda pair of Noboru Ueda and World Champion Emilio Alzamora. Italian Roberto Locatelli was leading in Japan when he crashed his Diesel Vasco Rossi Racing Aprilia, but after his victory the week before in Malaysia he still holds fourth place in the championship, two points ahead of the Honda of Italian Mirko Giansanti.
No wonder those fans will be flocking to the 4.423-km (2.748-miles) Jerez circuit in Southern Spain after an explosive opening to the season with three separate winners in the 500cc class. American Telefonica Suzuki star Kenny Roberts Jr. arrives at Jerez with a four-point lead in the championship from Spaniard Carlos Checa, with Australian Garry McCoy a further three points adrift in third place, riding and sliding the Red Bull Gauloises Yamaha.
It's a massive race for all Spanish riders and Checa, after his consistent start to the campaign, is seeking his first victory of the season to put the pressure on Roberts Jr.
"The first two races were great and I finished second in both, but the third in Japan wasn't so good and we struggled with feel for some reason but we've been working since to make sure we overcome the problem," explained Checa, who finished a disappointing 10th in the corresponding race last year, riding the Marlboro Yamaha. "That is a long way behind me and this year is totally different. Last year, the bike didn't work for my style and the pressure of racing at home got to me. It will be different this time. When you're happy on the bike, you don't feel the pressure."
The pressure will certainly be on World Champion Alex Crivillé, who's made such a disappointing start to the defense of his crown. However, there were signs in Japan that Crivillé and the all-conquering Repsol-YPF NSR Honda had turned the corner. Crivillé eventually finished sixth but had taken his turn in the lead before going off the circuit, before rejoining the fray. Crivillé has won the last three Grand Prixs at Jerez and is confident after the race in Japan.
"After Suzuka, we know if we run into serious problems we have the resources needed to recover," revealed the champion. "The whole team worked extremely hard to get us back in the championship. We're now competitive again and we intend to prove it at Jerez."
Crivillé is eighth in the championship and Honda will be looking to him for his fourth consecutive Jerez victory to finish a run of six Grand Prixs without a victory for the Japanese factory. Teammate Tadayuki Okada and Sete Gibernau seek their first Grand Prix victories at Jerez while World 250cc Champion Valentino Rossi will be looking to repeat victories on 125 and 250cc machinery when he races the 500cc Nastro Azzurro Honda for the first time in Europe. The impressive Emerson Honda Pons duo of Italian Loris Capirossi and Brazilian Alex Barros will have had time to fully recover from the injuries they sustained in the second round in Malaysia.
Japanese Yamaha rider Norick Abe will be looking to repeat his magnificent victory in Japan while Italian Max Biaggi will be recovering from his disappointing start to the season that promised so much for the former 250cc World Champion.
Nobuatsu Aoki, Suzuki teammate to leader Roberts Jr., has fought his way through the pain barrier after crashes in Malaysia and Japan to hold a superb fifth place in the championship, while the Aprilia twin cylinder challenge of Jeremy McWilliams and Tetsuya Harada should be suited to the 13-bend Jerez circuit that requires a smooth and neat riding style. Spaniard David de Gea hopes to give the new Modenas KR engine its debut in the Proton Team KR machine.
It's been just as exciting in the 250cc class with three Japanese and one European rider fighting a no-holds-barred battle at the front and it will be interesting to see how they fare in the next 10 Grand Prixs, all in Europe, starting in Jerez. Shinya Nakano, riding the Chesterfield Tech 3 Yamaha, leads the way after victories in South Africa and Malaysia but series newcomer Daijiro Katah is determined to give him a hard time. Riding the Axo Honda Gresini machine, Katoh rides for the first time in Europe, but if those first three races are any indication, he will adapt easily. He currently lies second in the championship after winning in Japan, just five points adrift of Nakano. French rider Olivier Jacque, Yamaha teammate to Nakano, has made a good start and is third with the Shell Advanced Honda of Tohru Ukawa in fourth place, despite crashing out in Malaysia.
It's even closer in the 125cc class with just nine points separating the first five riders. Youichi Ui, riding the Spanish Derbi, leads the way after his maiden victory in Japan. But breathing down his neck are the very experienced Honda pair of Noboru Ueda and World Champion Emilio Alzamora. Italian Roberto Locatelli was leading in Japan when he crashed his Diesel Vasco Rossi Racing Aprilia, but after his victory the week before in Malaysia he still holds fourth place in the championship, two points ahead of the Honda of Italian Mirko Giansanti.