From: CHERA@LURE.LATROBE.EDU.AU (ARMSTRONG,Roy)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles.racing
Subject: SUZUKA - Gardner, Magee score Australian quinella
Date: 27 Jul 92 00:33:01 GMT
Organization: La Trobe University
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.22

From 'The Age' Melbourne 27th July 1992

Australian Wayne Gardner and Darryl Bettie raced to a surperb victory 
in the prestigious Suzuka eight-hour endurance motorcycle race in 
Japan today.
Gardner became the first rider to win the teams event four times when 
he and Bettie completed 208 laps in the eight hours, 7.117 seconds on 
a factory Honda.
Another Australian, Kevin Maggee, a two-time winner at Suzuka, 
combined with Scot Niall Mackenzie on a Yamaha to finish second, 
31.803 seconds behind Gardner and Beattie. 
It was Gardner's fourth win in the race since 1985 and Beattie's 
first victory in the event in two starts. Magee won in 1987, riding 
with West German Martin Wimmer, and again the following year with 
American Wayne Rainey. 
With just one hour remaining, the Australians were involved in a 
close battle for the lead with Japanese Honda team, Shinichi Itol and 
Satoshi Tsujimoto.
When Beatte began his final stint on the machine, he led Itoh by the 
slender margin of 3.229 seconds. The result was decided in the 
closing stages when Itoh lost control of his machine as he rode over 
an oil patch and crashed out of the race.
Japanese Honda riders, Shinya Takeishi and Kenichiro Iwahashi 
finished third.
The other Australian to finish in the top 10 was Albury's Rob 
Phillis, who was sixth on a Kawasaki with New Zealander Aaron Slight.
Another leading Australian team, Peter Goddard and Mike Dowson, 
retired after four hours because of engine problems. 
Gardner, who will contest the 500cc British Grand Prix next Sunday, 
said the race was especially demanding this year because of the hot 
weather. "This was the hardest race of my four wins here" he said
"Im realy happy we won, but at the same time I feel a little sorry 
for Itoh and Tsujimota, because they came on strong late in the 
race".
Beattie believes that his team's decision to make an unscheduled 
pitstop towards the end of the race was crucial to their victory. "We 
made a short pitstop to top up on fuel and make sure we got the bike 
home" said Beattie. "I saw both Itoh crash and, in fact, I just 
missed the same patch of oil myself."
The 21 year old Queenslander said the victory at Suzuka was the most 
important result of his career. Earlier this year he made his 500cc 
World Championship debut in the Australian Grand Prix at Eastern 
Creek, where he finished third.


Safe riding Roy.
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