Newsgroup: it.sport
Titolo: Dorna NEWS - Beattie comes back with a bang

Daryl Beattie made a top-form return to racing today after missing the 
first two rounds after suffering concussion in a pre-season testing 
crash. The Lucky Strike Suzuki rider, Suzuka winner last year, moved to 
the top of the class in a streaming wet first practice session, waiting 
until the closing minutes before posting fastest time.
Earlier on the same lap, erstwhile leader Jean-Michel Bayle (Marlboro 
Yamaha) was knocked down first by V-twin Aprilia rider Doriano Romboni, 
and then again by current World Championship leader Alex Barros (Pileri 
Honda). The provisional front row ended up Beattie, Barros, Romboni, 
Bayle. Alberto Puig led the second row. The Fortuna Honda rider had
crashed earlier on a sodden track that saw a number of tumbles, but 
climbed back on to take the early lead in the session.
Lucky Strike Suzuki "Wild Card" rider Katsuaki Fujiwara was 
fifth-fastest, then Tadayuki Okada (Repsol Honda V-twin) and Alex 
Criville (Repsol Honda V4). Second Wild Card rider Takumi Aoki (Honda) 
was ninth, and defending World Champion Michael Doohan (Repsol Honda) 
tenth, ahead of returned injury victim Kenny Roberts Junior (Marlboro 
Yamaha)and top privateer Toshihiko Arakaki (Padgetts Yamaha). In spite 
of a number of crashes in the cold, wet conditions (32 fallers in all 
three classes), there were no serious injuries.
250cc - Ruggia on top
French rider Jean-Philippe Ruggia (Chesterfield Honda) risked everything 
to claim provisional pole in the 250 class, coming close to crashing 
several times in the closing laps before just edging ahead of Wild Card 
rider Noriyasu Numata (Lucky Strike Suzuki) by almost a second. Both the 
top two were faster than 500 top man Beattie.
Japanese riders crowded the top positions, with FCC Honda rider Yasumasa 
Hatakeyama third and Spaniard Luis d'Antin (MX Onda Honda) fourth. Row 
two was led by Osamu Miyazaki (Edo Aprilia), with Wild Card Kensuke Haga 
(Yamaha)next, then Frenchman Olivier Jacque (Chesterfield Honda) and 
Dutch privateer Jurgen vdGoorbergh (MQP Honda) eighth.
The usual top riders were well down in the bad conditions, preferring to 
save their efforts for tomorrow's final session. 
Ralf Waldmann (HB Honda) was 15th, defending World Champion Max Biaggi 
(Chesterfield Aprilia) 17th, and last weekend's winner Tetsuya Harada 
(Marlboro Yamaha) 33rd and last after only completing six laps.
125cc - Wild Card ahead
Japanese one-race Wild Card Masao Uzama (Honda) was the easy leader in 
the 125 class, almost two seconds faster than GP regular Emilio Alzamora 
(Cepsa-Honda) and defending champion Harachuki Aoki (Rheos Honda), with 
Malaysian GP winner Stefano Perugini (Nastro Azzurro Aprilia) fourth, 
completing the front row of the provisional grid.
Wet conditions saw a number of crashes, again without serious injury; 
and many established riders preferring to wait until tomorrow before 
risking all in the hope of a good starting position.
-- 
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Where's Abe?  I expected him to perform well at his home track.
Jeff R

Jeff R
He did . . .