West tops V-twins
Australia's Ant West easily emerged top rider on a V-Twin machine and recorded his 10th points-scoring result from 13 starts in his first 500cc motorcycle world championship season yesterday in Malaysia.
West finished 12th in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang on a Dee Cee Racing Honda V-Twin. The 20-year-old from the Gold Coast completed the race 1-min 2.289-secs ahead of the next best rider on a two-cylinder machine, Australian Brendan Clarke, riding a Shell Advance Honda NSR500V.
Australia's Ant West easily emerged top rider on a V-Twin machine and recorded his 10th points-scoring result from 13 starts in his first 500cc motorcycle world championship season yesterday in Malaysia.
West finished 12th in the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang on a Dee Cee Racing Honda V-Twin. The 20-year-old from the Gold Coast completed the race 1-min 2.289-secs ahead of the next best rider on a two-cylinder machine, Australian Brendan Clarke, riding a Shell Advance Honda NSR500V.
The result by West in the 21-lap race at Sepang equalled his previous best finish in this year's championship. He was also 12th in the Portugal Grand Prix at Estoril on September 9, and in the Australian round at Phillip Island on October 14.
West, who finished sixth in the 250cc world championship in 2000 before moving up to the 500cc class this year, started from 19th position on the grid in the race at Sepang, which was held in hot and humid conditions. He was 16th after the opening lap and steadily improved positions as the race wore on. He was ahead of his main V-Twin-mounted rival this year, Haruchika Aoki, when the Japanese rider withdrew after six laps.
Valentino Rossi, who clinched this year's 500cc title in the previous round at Phillip Island, won the race at Sepang on a Nastro Azzuro Honda in 44-mins 46.652-secs, finishing ahead of fellow-Italian Loris Capirossi on a West Pons-Honda, and Australia's Garry McCoy on a Red Bull Yamaha. Italian Max Biaggi, second in the championship, crashed out early after his Marlboro Yamaha made contact with the Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki of 2000 world championship Kenny Roberts. The incident eliminated both riders from the race.
"In the early laps I was caught up with by (Haruchika) Aoki, (Jose-Luis) Cardoso's V4, and (Kurtis) Roberts, changing positions and going back and forth." Said West. "That meant I lost touch with the people in front. I was able to pull away when I got to the front of the group I was with, but I was too far away to catch anybody. I was riding completely by myself. After that I didn't have any problems with the bike. I was trying to keep my mind on the job with nothing to do except ride around in circles and try to keep my lap times consistent."
