Doohan bounces back to win GP

Doohan bounces back to win GP

JAKARTA (JP): Defending 500cc champion Michael Doohan returned
to the world championship track in grand style by winning the
Indonesian Grand Prix race at Sentul circuit yesterday.

Doohan, on a Honda, took full advantage of starting from the
front grid, speeding his way to the best time of 43 minutes and
50.798 seconds without much challenge for his first title of the
year.

With a few major rivals missing, the 31-year-old Australian
saw a real test only in the form of Brazilian Alexandre Barros,
also riding a Honda. The Brazilian, however, was an ample 3.272
seconds behind the champion after the two-man show throughout the
race covering 118.950 kilometers.

Young Italian Loris Capirossi, on a Yamaha, came third with
43:57.590 to join the podium finish only for the second time
since last year.

The medal presentation was a special occasion with President
Soeharto handing out the trophies to the top three finishers.
Soeharto was glued to his seat for more than four hours watching
the world championship races, held here for the first time ever.

Doohan, who grabbed pole position on Saturday, took total
control of the race, despite a few attempts by Barros to get
ahead. The two-times champion pulled ahead in the last five laps
while Barros had problem with his tires.

Japanese rookie rider, Tadayuki Okada, who surprised team mate
Doohan in Friday's practice, ran out of the steam very early. He
left the track in the sixth lap due to engine trouble.

"It wasn't that easy. For the first ten laps I was actually
trying to see who was behind me, and I knew from qualifiers that
Alex was the most consistent," Doohan said after the race which
ran under a boiling 31 degree Celcius.

Barros remains on the top of the provisional standings with 40
points after yesterday's race. Doohan, who finished a
disappointing fifth in the season opener in Malaysia last week,
moved up to second place with just four points difference.

The two previous races saw Japanese riders stealing the show
as Tetsuya Harada outwitted title holder Massimiliano Biaggi of
Italy in the 250cc category and Masaki Tokudome won his first
125cc career title.

Harada, runner-up to Biaggi last season, displayed his mastery
in handling tight corners on his way to beat Biaggi. The Italian
pulled ahead only seven times before Harada wrapped up the 28
laps covering 103 kilometers in 42:13.486.

"I just tried to get in front and put Max behind. If Max had
got in front, there would have been a chance for him to get
away," Harada said of his battle against Biaggi.

Both Yamaha rider Harada and his Aprilia's rival Biaggi shared
the lead on the world championship standings with 45. They
swapped placings in the previous race in Malaysia.

There was also a two-man show in the 125cc when 25-year-old
Tokudome, on Aprilia, survived a neck-to-neck race against
defending champion and compatriot Haruchika Aoki in 41:38.797.
Aoki came in less than one tenth of a second behind.

Indonesian hopefuls Petrus Canisius and Ahmad Jayadi, managed
to cross the finish line for the 20th and 21st place
respectively. Ten riders, including Spaniard world number three
Emilio Alzamora, failed to complete the race. (amd)

History -- Page 13