Okada wins 500cc title at Sentul motorcycle GP

Okada wins 500cc title at Sentul motorcycle GP

JAKARTA (JP): Tadayuki Okada of Japan outwitted world champion
Michael Doohan of Australia to claim the 500cc title at the
Indonesian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Sentul, near Bogor yesterday.

Okada, riding a Honda, clinched the title after passing Doohan
in the final lap of the 30-lap race. Okada clocked 43 minutes and
22.010 seconds.

Doohan, also riding a Honda, clocked 43:22.079.

Alex Criville of Spain was in third place with a time of
43:33.001. Two Japanese riders, Nobuatsu Aoki and Norick Abe,
were in fourth and fifth places respectively clocking 43:33.793
and 43:34.203 respectively.

Okada, Doohan and Criville are all from the Repsol Honda Team
while Aoki is from the Rheos Elf team and Abe is from the Yamaha
Rainey Team.

Sete Gibernau of Spain of the Yamaha Rainey Team and American
Kenny Roberts Jr. of the Marlboro Roberts Team both slipped to
eighth and ninth positions. Gibernau clocked 44:04.067 and
Roberts 44:04.822.

With the victory, Okada scored 194 points, far below Doohan
with 340 points.

In the 250cc race, Max Biaggi demonstrated that he is still a
world champion by clocking 41:35.549 to win the race.

Biaggi is from the Marlboro Kanemoto Team and his victory at
the Indonesian Grand Prix was his fourth.

Biaggi sped away from the first corner and led his rivals
throughout the 28 laps.

"I think the heat helped my championship hopes today. I love
these conditions, they're a real challenge for a rider. I never
gave up hope of the title," Biaggi said.

Second place went to Japan's Tohru Ukawa of the Bennetton
Honda Team who clocked 41:42.141. Olivier Jacques of France was
in third place with 41:43.528 while Tetsuya Harada, another
Japanese, was in fourth with 41:44.846.

Ralf Waldmann of Germany had to be satisfied with seventh
place clocking 41:53.120.

With his victory in the 250cc race, Biaggi scored 230 points,
Ukama 224 and Waldmann 223 points.

Valentino Rossi of Italy, the world champion in the 125cc
class, easily won the race clocking 41:14.511. It was Rossi's
11th victory.

Kazuto Sakata of Japan came in second with 41:17.539 and Jorge
Martinez of Spain in third with 41:17.539. Fourth and fifth
places went to Japanese riders Noboru Ueda and Tomomi Manako.
Ueda clocked 41:22.880 and Manako 41:23.440.

The Indonesian Grand Prix was opened by Vice President Try
Soetrisno. President Soeharto was a spectator of the 500cc race.
The Sentul race is the 14th leg of the world motor racing
championships. The 15th and final leg will be held on Phillip
Island, Australia on Oct. 5. (lnt)

Final results

500cc:
1. Tadayuki Okada (Jpn) Honda 43mins 22.010secs
2. Michael Doohan (Aus) Honda 43:22.079
3. Alex Criville (Spa) Honda 43:33.001
4. Nobuatsu Aoki (Jpn) Honda 43:33.793

250cc:
1. Max Biaggi (Ita) Honda 41:35.549
2. Tohru Ukawa (Jpn) Honda 41:42.141
3. Olivier Jacque (Fra) Honda 41:43.528
4. Tetsuya Harada (Jpn) Aprilia 41:44.846

125cc:
1. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Aprilia 41:14.511
2. Kazuto Sakata (Jpn) Aprilia 41:17.539
3. Jorge Martinez (Spa) Aprilia 41:19.749
4. Noboru Ueda (Jpn) Honda 41:22.880