AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX NEWS
Oct. 3 1999
read all this on a dead tree in about three weeks

Mick Doohan says he will decide whether he's to quit racing by the end of the month. The reigning 500 world champ still hasn't ruled out a comeback this year but the chances of him riding again in 1999 at least seem very, very slim.
"I'd say I'll know by then exactly what's going on for the future," he said at Phillip Island. "Whether I'll still be competing as a rider in 2000 or whether I'll be involved in some other role."
Doohan was at the Australian GP for promotional duties, to talk with riders and sponsors about his proposed 500 team and to ride two parade laps on Sunday morning. Some parade laps - he took off from the pits throttle wide open and looked scary fast. Obviously delighted to be back on a bike, despite serious problems with his right leg and left arm, Doohan told the hugely crowd later: "I'll be back to ride here next year." So those two laps may have been enough to convince the Aussie to fight back from his lingering injuries for a 12th GP season.
"Some TV guy said I must be a maniac for taking off the way I did, so I guess that's what I am!" he grinned after his first ride in almost five months. "I probably should've gone a bit slower but riding bikes fast is what's kept me in the sport for so long - I just love it. I've definitely still got the feel for it."
Doohan will know later this week if he will be able to ride at the final GPs of '99 in Brazil and Argentina. "I'm flying back to San Francisco to see the doctors who've been looking after me," added Doohan, who was limping dreadfully over the weekend and close to tears during a press conference on Friday. "They'll take a look at the injuries and we'll go from there. Hopefully all's okay and I won't need any more surgery, because if I do, I won't be turning up to ride in South America. "I'm still not that special at getting around. If I'm on my legs too long, I need to take a rest. And if I really stay on them too long, I need a walking stick. After the crash at Jerez I really thought this would be a three-month injury - fix the bone and get going again but I broke the leg at the knee joint and I've got nerve damage, so it's all taken a lot longer than I expected. I can tell you I've not had a lot of enjoyment from sitting around and taking it easy! "I reckon I could hope back on the bike now and finish 11th or 12th, but what's the point? As I've said before, I race motorcycles, I don't ride them."

Valentino Rossi is still keeping Honda and Aprilia waiting on his plans for next season. The young Italian, who leads the 250 world championship, is being chased by Mick Doohan's proposed Honda 500 team, but wants to wait until he's wrapped up the 250 crown before deciding on his future.
Honda is super keen to get the high-profile crowd pleaser away from Aprilia's 250 squad and onto an NSR500, and Rossi continued his talks with Doohan's crew at Phillip Island. "For me it's necessary to wait until the final championship result before I make up my mind," said Rossi on Saturday. "If I win the 250 title, for sure it's possible I will go to 500s, but if I lose, I will want to stay in 250s one more year. Honda and Aprilia will just have to wait - hopefully they won't have to wait too long before the championship is over."
Rossi was lucky to escape injury when he was highsided off his RSW250 during Friday qualifying in Australia. "I was using a rear tire that was too hard," said Rossi, who escaped with a cut chin. "I felt it go but I couldn't catch it in time."

World 250 challenger Tohru Ukawa is set to quit the class at the end of the season. The former Japanese 250 champ is considering a move either to 500s or to World Superbike. It's believed HRC is keen for the Shell Advance man to switch to the four-stroke series, riding its new VTR1000 twin.
Ukawa has plenty of four-stroke experience - he's won the prestigious Suzuka Eight Hours for the last three years, riding a factory RC45 Superbike. Ukawa's place in 250s will probably be taken by Daijiro Katoh, Japanese 250 champ in '97 and twice winner of the Japanese GP at Suzuka. Katoh would run factory NSR250s, possible fettled by renowned GP engineer Erv Kanemoto.

French 250 ace Olivier Jacque could switch to 500s next year. The injury-hit Chesterfield Yamaha man, who has missed much of this year's 250 action due to a broken ankle, wants to move classes unless he's convinced his factory YZR250 will be capable of winning the 2000 250 title. The YZR is the best-handling 250 in GPs but still lacks crucial race-winning power against the Hondas and Yamaha's.
"We have some new engine parts here and the bike is getting better all the time," said Jacque, who took second at Phillip Island. "If the engine keeps improving at this rate, I'll want to stay in 250s. Otherwise I want to ask Yamaha to supply me with 500s for next year."

Aussie Garry McCoy and Regis Laconi did themselves no harm by finishing third and first at the recent Valencia GP - their results in the damp race were enough to convince Red Bull Yamaha to re-sign both men for the 2000 season. Until his Valencia win Laconi's future had looked in doubt, while McCoy has quickly endeared himself to the WCM outfit, both for his big-hearted riding style and his down-to-earth attitude.
All team boss Peter Clifford has to do now is find a sponsor to replace Red Bull. "We're very close to a deal with a major company," said Clifford at Phillip Island. McCoy - who was without a ride until WCM called him in to replaced struggling Simon Crafar - was delighted to sign for a first full season on a factory 500.
"I aim to show I can be a contender week in, week out," said the Camden man. "By continuing development and perfecting the settings for my style, I think we'll have a very strong package for 2000."
For Laconi next year will be his third with the team. "I've tasted victory and now I want more," said the Frenchman, who took third in Australia on Sunday. "It's good to get the deal done so I can relax and go all-out for the remaining races of the year."
 

Aussie entertainer Anthony Gobert could return to 500s full-time next year despite rumors he's already signed to join Carl Fogarty in Ducati's number-one World Superbike team. Gobert joined the MuZ 500 team in Phillip Island and will also ride the German V4 in South Africa this weekend. It's not yet known whether he will ride the bike in the final two South American GPs but he's already talking about staying with the squad into 2000.
"It would be really nice to try and ride for these guys next year," he said. "If not, I'd like to find a good World Superbike team."
Goey - who hadn't raced a 500 since the '97 British GP when he was sacked by Lucky Strike Suzuki for testing positive for marijuana - found his comeback to be hard work. He qualified 13th but crashed out of the race on the very first lap.
"A 500 is set-up so stiff and firm that you get a lot less feedback than you get from a Superbike. A Ducati on Dunlops is a really soft ride - you get a lot of feel for the limit pretty much straight away. Learning the Michelins is the biggest thing for me."
Despite insisting that his days of full-on hedonism are behind him -- "I don't party that much any more" - Goey was looking deadly Down Under with black-dyed hair, massive sideyburns and big black shades, just like Elvis in his drugs 'n' burgers era. Gobert's younger brothers Aaron and Alex were also racing at Phillip Island, both men scoring top-six finishes in the two 250 production support races.

Former world 500 number two Daryl Beattie says he is definitely out of racing for good, killing mid-season rumors that he might return to GPs in 2000, riding for old mate Mick Doohan. However, Beattie, who now commentates for Aussie TV channel Ten, was back on track at Phillip Island, riding a few laps on the new MV Agusta street bike.
"I did a handful of laps and my wrists were gone," said Beattie who quit racing at the end of '97. "When you're racing you just don't realize how strong you are - that only hits home when you've not been on a track for ages."

Grand Prix racing now has its own official video game - a PC version of GP500 was launched at Phillip Island by Hasbro Interactive. The game was developed with major input from game-crazy Suzuki 500 rider Kenny Roberts and features 14 GP tracks. Riders can choose from the full range of GP bikes, from factory V4s to V-twins and either race single events or a full world championship season.

Remarkable Brazilian stunt rider Antonio Farias turned up at Phillip Island to show the Aussies his daredevil two-wheel ballet. But Faras fell while practicing on Thursday, breaking a collarbone, his first fracture in 18 years of riding.