Okada turns up the heat in qualifying practice<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Japanese 500cc rookie Tadeyuki Okada kept up his
\npressure on established riders, clocking the fastest time in the
\nqualifying practice of the Indonesian Grand Prix yesterday.<\/p>\n
Okada, who only made sixth place in the 250cc category last
\nseason, finished yesterday's practice in a best time of one
\nminute and 27.064 seconds he clocked in the 23rd of his 26 laps
\naround the 3.9-kilometer Sentul circuit, Bogor, West Java,
\novershadowing his Repsol Honda team mate and defending champion
\nMichael Doohan.<\/p>\n
Australia's Doohan, bidding for his third successive world
\nchampionship title, managed only the second placing in 1:27.138
\nhe set in the 24th lap.<\/p>\n
Okada upstaged Doohan en route to pole position in the season-
\nopening race in Shah Alam, Malaysia, last week. The Japanese,
\nhowever, crashed his bike in the 11th lap of the championship
\nrace, giving room to Italian Luca Cadalora of Kanemoto Honda to
\ntake the title. Doohan was only fifth in the season opener.<\/p>\n
Cadalora failed to live up to past form yesterday, clocking
\n1:27.990 for seventh place, behind countryman Loris Capirossi on
\nhis Yamaha.<\/p>\n
Brazil's Alexandre Barros, runner-up to Cadalora in Malaysia,
\nrode his Honda Pileri to third place.<\/p>\n
The 500c race proceeded without last year's second-best rider
\nDarryl Beattie of Lucky Strike Suzuki team. The 25-year-old
\nAustralian opted to abide by his doctor's suggestion not to race
\nin the Indonesian GP following an accident in Malaysia. Beattie
\nsaid he would return to the track in the Japanese GP on April 21.<\/p>\n
Heavy rain drenched the three-year-old circuit when the
\nqualifying practices were about to finish, with 250cc riders
\ncompleting their race.<\/p>\n
The organizers, however, shrugged off any worries about
\nunexpected disturbances caused by rain during the championship
\nraces tomorrow, scheduled to be set off by President Soeharto.<\/p>\n
World 250cc reigning champion Massimiliano Biaggi of Italy,
\nriding an Aprilia, ruled his favorite race in 1:29.692. Ralf
\nWaldmann of Germany, on a Honda, was second-fastest ahead of last
\nyear's runner-up Tetsuya Harada of Japan.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's 125cc young hopefuls, Ahmad Jayadie and Petrus
\nCanisius, making their world championship debut as wildcard
\nrecipients, finished among the four bottom-placed riders
\nincluding world number two Kazuto Sakata of Japan.<\/p>\n
Ahmad and Petrus, who were more than six seconds slower than
\nfront runner Naboru Ueda of Japan yesterday, will decide their
\nfates in today's second round qualifying practice, the final race
\nto determine pole positions for tomorrow's races. (amd)<\/p>\n
Results<\/p>\n
125cc:
\n 1. Naboru Ueda (Jpn) Honda 1:36.014
\n 2. Akira Saito (Jpn) Honda 1:36.136
\n 3. Peter Oettl (Ger) Aprilia 1:36.238
\n 4. Emilio Alzamora (Spa) Honda 1:36.243
\n 5. Haruchika Aoki (Jpn) Honda 1:36.490<\/p>\n
250cc:
\n 1. Max Biaggi (Ita) Aprilia 1:29.692
\n 2. Ralf Waldmann (Ger) Honda 1:30.340
\n 3. Tetsuya Harada (Jpn) Yamaha 1:30.720
\n 4. Nobuatsu Aoki (Jpn) Honda 1:30.993
\n 5. Oliver Jacque (Fra) Honda 1:31.145<\/p>\n
500cc:
\n 1. Tadayuki Okada (Jpn) Honda 1:27.064
\n 2. Michael Doohan (Aus) Honda 1:27.138
\n 3. Alexandre Barros (Bra) Honda 1:27.547
\n 4. Carlos Checa (Spa) Honda 1:27.569
\n 5. Doriano Romboni (Ita) Aprilia 1:27.712<\/p>",
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