Honda’s Valentino Rossi beat Yamaha’s Garry McCoy and Max Biaggi to win the Japanese 500cc Grand Prix at Suzuka, the three leaders crossing the line within a second. Defending 500cc World Champion Kenny Roberts was seventh, and Leon Haslam was the 13th and final finisher, just behind 12th-place Haruchika Aoki.

Chris Walker and Jose Luis Cardoso crashed on the first lap; other crashers included Sete Gibernau, Noriyuki Haga, Carlos Checa, Akira Ryo and Tohru Ukawa. Retirees included Johan Stigefelt, Olivier Jacque and Mark Willis.

Results follow:

1. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 44:51.501
2. Garry McCoy, Yamaha, -0.724 seconds
3. Max Biaggi, Yamaha, -0.956
4. Norick Abe, Yamaha, -1.176
5. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, -3.256
6. Alex Barros, Honda, -14.515
7. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, -22.876
8. Loris Capirossi, Honda, -28.732
9. Alex Criville, Honda, -34.478
10. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, -53.765
11. Jurgen v.d. Goorbergh, Proton, -58.688
12. Haruchika Aoki, Honda, -1:17.338
13. Leon Haslam, Honda, -1:17.681

CCS issued a press release announcing significant membership growth in 2001 compared to the same period in 2000.

According to the release, “The Championship Cup Series has seen a dramatic increase in the number of CCS licenses issued to riders from last year’s inaugural season with SFX Motor Sports Group on board as the promoter of all Formula USA/CCS race
events taking place across the United States. The following are year-to-date figures representing a 34.8% increase from 2000.

“Licenses issued to riders from CCS in 2001, 2654.

“Licenses issued to riders from CCS in 2000, 1970.”

The release quoted CCS Road Race Manager Kevin Elliott as saying “This increase of 684 licenses in 2001 represents an increase of 34.8 percent to date. I would like to thank everyone who has had a hand in this. It is truly a group effort and it wouldn’t happen without the help and dedication of the entire CCS staff.”

More information about the Championship Cup Series is available at www.ccsracing.com.

Loris Capirossi put in a blistering lap almost two seconds underneath the lap record to take pole for Sunday’s 500cc Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit, Japan.

Capirossi turned a lap at 2:04.777 in Saturday afternoon’s final 500cc qualifying session. Top times follow:

1. Loris Capirossi, Honda, 2:04.777
2. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 2:05.588
3. Max Biaggi, Yamaha, 2:05.703
4. Garry McCoy, Yamaha, 2:05.833
5. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 2:05.924
6. Norick Abe, Yamaha, 2:05.927
7. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 2:06.140
8. Alex Barros, Honda, 2:06.295
9. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 2:06.469
10. Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, 2:06.597
11. Alex Criville, Honda, 2:06.714
12. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 2:06.858
13. Jose Luis Cardoso, Yamaha, 2:06.993
14. Sete Gibernau, Suzuki, 2:07.121
15. Akira Ryo, Suzuki, 2:07.580
16. Jurgen vd Goorbergh, Proton, 2:08.419
17. Haruchika Aoki, Honda, 2:08.906
18. Chris Walker, Honda, 2:09.129
19. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 2:09.409
20. Leon Haslam, Honda, 2:10.478

Daijiro Katoh went half-a-second quicker in the final 250cc qualifying session at Suzuka and will start on the pole for Sunday’s 250cc Grand Prix of Japan. Marco Melandri did not better his first-session time but will still start second on the grid. Top times follow, listed down to 22nd place because 10th through 22nd are all on the same second:

1. Katoh, Honda, 2:07.414
2. Melandri, Aprilia, 2:08.546
3. Locatelli, Aprilia, 2:08.633
4. Debon, Aprilia, 2:09.295
5. McWilliams, Aprilia, 2:09.363
6. Battaini, Aprilia, 2:09.450
7. Matsudo, Yamaha, 2:09.563
8. Harada, Aprilia, 2:09.683
9. Rolfo, Aprilia, 2:09.741
10. De Puniet, Aprilia, 2:10.013
11. Porto, Yamaha, 2:10.046
12. F. Nieto, Aprilia, 2:10.251
13. Nohles, Aprilia, 2:10.261
14. Aoyama, Honda, 2:10.264
15. Sekiguchi, Yamaha, 2:10.463
16. Nakatomi, Honda, 2:10.477
17. Boscoscuro, Aprilia, 2:10.497
18. Hofmann, Aprilia, 2:10.528
19. Alzamora, Honda, 2:10.594
20. De Gea, Yamaha, 2:10.598
21. Yuzy, Yamaha, 2:10.678
22. Allemand, Yamaha, 2:10.732

Katja Poensgen qualified 31st out of 32 qualifiers, with two entrants (D. Tomas of Spain and C. Barros of Brazil) not qualifying because their times were not within 107 percent of pole time. Poensgen took three seconds off her first-session time and turned a 2:15.821.

Originally scheduled for Sunday, November 4, the final round of the FIM Grand Prix World Championship season at Nelson Piquet Circuit in Rio, Brazil, has been moved up one day. The Brazilian Grand Prix will now be held on Saturday, November 3rd, with practice and qualifying also moved up a day each to Thursday and Friday, November 1-2.

Honda’s Valentino Rossi was quickest in Saturday morning 500cc practice for the Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka, the only rider to break into the 2:05s with a 2:05.715.

Top times follow:

1. Rossi 2:05.715
2. Haga 2:06.369
3. Ukawa 2:06.659
4. Biaggi 2:06.872
5. Roberts 2:06.985
6. Abe 2:07.116
7. Barros 2:07.122
8. Criville 2:07.162
9. Checa 2:07.219
10. Nakano 2:07.264
11. Capirossi 2:07.551
12. McCoy 2:07.631
13. Gibernau 2:08.035
14. Cardoso 2:08.366
15. Goorbergh 2:08.751
16. Ryo 2:09.197
17. Walker 2:09.655
18. Jacque 2:10.570
19. Haslam 2:10.930
20. Aoki 2:11.918

Daijiro Katoh was the quickest man on a 250 and Youich Ui was the quickest man on a 125 in the first round of qualifying for the Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit on Friday afternoon, Japan time.

Top times follow:

250cc First Qualifying Session
1. Daijiro Katoh Honda 2:07.943
2. Marco Melandri Aprilia 2:08.546
3. Naoki Matsudo Yamaha 2:09.563
4. Jeremy McWilliams Aprilia 2:09.742
5. Tetsuya Harada Aprilia 2:09.898
6. Roberto Locatelli Aprilia 2:10.005
7. Roberto Rolfo Aprilia 2:10.009
8. Franco Battaini Aprilia 2:10.255
9. Fonsi Nieto Aprilia 2:10.264
10. Emilio Alzamora Honda 2:10.673
11. Shahrol Yuzy Yamaha 2:10.678
12. Sebastian Porto Yamaha 2:10.892
13. Hiroshi Aoyama Honda 2:11.414
14. Klaus Nohles Aprilia 2:11.518
15. David De Gea Yamaha 2:11.619


125cc First Qualifying Session
1. Youichi Ui Derbi 2:15.334
2. Hideyuki Nakajoh Honda 2:16.293
3. Masao Azuma Honda 2:16.485
4. Noboru Ueda TSR-Honda 2:16.534
5. Hiroyuki Kikuchi Honda 2:16.713
6. Max Sabbatani Aprilia 2:16.843
7. Steve Jenkner Aprilia 2:16.902
8. Gianluigi Scalvini Italjet 2:17.139
9. Antonio Elias Honda 2:17.163
10. Stefano Perugini Italjet 2:17.229

Max Biaggi turned the quickest time in the first 500cc Qualifying session, on Firday afternoon (Japan time) of the Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka Circuit.

Top qualifiers follow:

1. Biaggi 2:06.056
2. Abe 2:06.426
3. Rossi 2:06.475
4. Nakano 2:06.510
5. Barros 2:06.599
6. Ukawa 2:06.630
7. Criville 2:06.714
8. Capirossi 2:06.765
9. Roberts 2:06.921
10. Haga 2:06.935
11. Checa 2:07.222
12. Gibernau 2:07.276
13. McCoy 2:07.558
14. Ryo 2:08.264
15. Cardoso 2:08.469
16. H. Aoki 2:08.906
17. Goorbergh 2:09.330
18. Walker 2:10.250
19. Jacque 2:11.790
20. L. Haslam 2:12.298

Daijiro Katoh was quickest in Saturday morning 250cc practice and Youchi UI was quickest in Satruday morning 125cc practice at Suzuka Circuit for the Grand Prix of Japan. Top times follow:

250cc Practice
1. Katoh 2:08.431
2. Locatelli 2:09.279
3. Nieto 2:09.289
4. Matsudo 2:09.575
5. Melandri 2:09.600
6. Battaini 2:09.617
7. Debon 2:09.908
8. Alzamora 2:09.978
9. McWilliams 2:09.979
10. Sekiguchi 2:10.739

Katja Poensgen was 31st quickest of the 34 250cc entrants, at 2:18.443.


125cc Practice
1. Ui 2:14.597
2. Azuma 2:15.211
3. Perugini 2:15.518
4. Cecchinello 2:15.607
5. Ueda 2:15.627
6. Giansanti 2:16.035
7. Elias 2:16.120
8. Borsoi 2:16.174
9. A. Nieto 2:16.470
10. Sanna 2:16.563

Yoichi Ui qualified fastest and earned the pole for Sunday’s 125cc Japanese Grand Prix, topping the time charts in the final qualifying session held Saturday afternoon Japan time. Top times follow:

1. Ui, Derbi 2:14.686
2. Poggiali, Gilera 2:14.832
3. Cecchinello, Aprilia 2:14.941
4. Azuma, Honda 2:14.986
5. Jenkner, Aprilia 2:15.253
6. Borsoi, Aprilia 2:15.292
7. Ueda, TSR-Honda 2:15.614
8. Perugini, Italjet 2:15.899
9. Sabbatani, Aprilia 2:16.265
10. Nakajoh, Honda 2:16.293
11. A. Nieto, Honda 2:16.414
12. Scalvini, Italjet 2:16.537
13. Hules, Honda 2:16.602
14. De Angelis, Honda 2:16.648
15. Kikuchi, Honda 2:16.713