This weekend is likely to be the two-strokes’ swan song before the season ends at Valencia, Spain. The fast and flowing nature of Phillip Island gives the two-stroke rider the ability to exploit a strong point of the 500 – corner speed. Looking at the provisional qualifying sheet, there is only one four stroke on the front row, with the rest of the front row positions 2-4, respectively, occupied by the 500cc machines from Yamaha and Garry McCoy, Proton Team KR and Jeremy McWilliams, Jurgen vd Goorbergh and Kanemoto Racing Honda. Whether or not they will remain there, is a big question, as the riders all continue to refine setup, hope for calm wind conditions, and hope that the seagulls find a fishing boat to hang out on, rather than at trackside. I don’t blame them for being more interested in the racing, though – ahem………
A good start will be crucial for the 500s, because if a four-stroke beats them to the corner, the superior mid-corner speed of the 500 will be for naught. The four-stroke rider needs only to wait for the exit of the corner to use the wider, more manageable powerband to fire them down the straightaway, reaching the superior top speed. The 500 rider will likely end up abusing the tire driving out of the corner from a lower speed, leaving them with not much to work with in the final laps of the race.
Aprilia’s MotoGP bike is making a good showing so far. Despite being 11th in provisional qualifying, they are 5th fastest through the trap speeds – 315.3 kmh to Rossi’s leading 323.5 kmh. That’s a scant 5 mph.
Andrew Pitt is riding Kawasaki’s motogp entry for this weekend as Yanagawa continues to heal. Pitt’s home track knowledge has allowed him to avoid being last on the grid in qualifying while he comes to grips with the Kawasaki four-stroke, currently sitting in 15th.
The contract shell game continues, as well. Now that Edwards is signed with Aprilia, who will ride alongside Biaggi?, or Checa? Barros, who was strongly linked to a Kawasaki MotoGP contract, seems at least as likely to sign with Yamaha now, if the rumors are anything to go by. Big money from Kawasaki may not be enough, since Barros has now been able to wield the sword of competitive machinery on the RCV Honda. The inevitable teething and development of the Kawasaki probably doesn’t appeal to Barros now, after beating Rossi in his first race on the RCV and placing third in his second race. If Barros does go to Yamaha, will Kawasaki bring Izutsu to ride alongside Yanagawa?
Yamaha is also rumored to be courting Marco Melandri, who still has a little left to do to sew up the 250 MotoGP world championship. If Barros signs with Yamaha, whichever of the two teams (Factory Yamaha and Gauloises Tech 3) Barros signs with, Melandri will likely fill the slot on the other.
Whether it’s two-stroke or four-stroke, Honda or Yamaha, Rossi, Barros, Biaggi, McCoy, Ukawa, etc., Phillip Island usually delivers a great racing show.
