FEATURE
P62
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
T
he new Argentine circuit
at Termas de Rio Honda
was received with great
acclaim. Cleverly designed with
motorcycles in mind, with com-
puter-aided cambers and careful
corner combinations, it pleased
every rider.
There was one particular rea-
son. Speed. It joined the calen-
dar as the second-fastest circuit
of the year. In fact, Dromo's (the
track designers) computers had
predicted an even faster lap time
to move the average speed be-
yond Phillip Island. Human frailty,
in the form of Marc Marquez, fell
short. The best-lap average was
109.8 mph, compared with Aus-
tralia's 112.9. But it was faster
than both Mugello (109.2) and
Silverstone (109.0).
The numbers, however, do
not impress anyone with a sense
of history. Today's bikes may be
much faster. Today's circuits and
average speeds, however, are
much slower.
The fastest-ever GP was won
by Barry Sheene at the old Spa
Francorchamps in 1977, at an av-
erage of 135.067 mph. But Spa
was just one of several tracks
where riders spent long spells
at blistering speeds, slipstream-
ing and hoping not to seize. Be-
SPEED IN GRAND PRIX RACING
WE GO BACK IN TIME IN GRAND PRIX RACING…
WHEN SPEED WAS EVERYTHING
THE
D A N G E R Z O N E