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