It hasn’t been much of a season for Team Winfield/Motorex Kawasaki manager Jan DeGroot. Team leader Pit Beirer fought most of last season for the title, and ultimately finished second, but the team failed to win a GP in 2000. That all changed today, as DeGroot’s riders finished first and second at the season-ending 250cc GP in Roggenburg, Switzerland, with Beirer getting the overall and Mickael Maschio winning the second moto for second overall.
“It’s like a little present for Jan,” said Beirer, who will switch to Free Time Yamaha in 2001. “I’m happy to win one for him before I left.”
The conditions were sloppy, and Claudio Federici disproved the notion that Italians can’t ride in the mud, posting consistent finishes for third overall.
Things wers so muddy for the second moto in the 500cc division that organizers opted to cut out the huge hill on one end of the track, and after a flawless first outing, Joel Smets proved himself to be human, crashing early on and finishing back in the pack, covered in mud. Yamaha rider Marnicq Bervoets capitalized on the situation, slithering to the moto-two win and the overall.
“I’m kind of happy to win,” said Bervoets. “Joel had a great year, and I wasn’t able to push him towards the end. Yamaha is going to work hard in the off-season, and hopefully I can do better next year.”
Swede Johnny Lindhe had a consistent day, ending the season with his highest overall placing of the year – a third. Much of that was thanks to a great moto-two runner-up finish behind Bervoets, and one spot ahead of Miska Aaltonen’s Husky.
MOTO TWO RESULTS:
250: 1. Mickael Maschio (Yam); 2. Pit Beirer (Kaw); 3. Pierri Paget (Hon); 4. Claudio Federici (Yam); 5. Frederic Bolley (Hon); 6. Michal Kadlecek (Suz); 7. Gordon Crockard (Hon); 8. Mark Jones (Hon); 9. Marko Kovalainen (Yam); 10. Ryan Hughes (Hon).
500: 1. Marnicq Bervoets (Yam); 2. Jonny Lindhe (Hus); 3. Miska Aaltonen (Hus); 4. Peter Johansson (KTM); 5. Erwin Machtlinger (Hon); 6. Gert-Jan Van Doorn (VOR); 7. Joakim Karlsson (Hon); 8. Avo Leok (KTM); 9. Darryl King (Hus); 10. Willie Van Wessel (Hus).
OVERALL RESULTS:
250: 1. Pit Beirer (Kaw); 2. Mickael Maschio (Yam); 3. Claudio Federici (Yam); 4. Gordon Crockard (Hon); 5. Yves Demaria (Yam); 6. Pierrick Paget (Hon); 7. Michal Kadlecek (Suz); 8. Marko Kovalainen (Yam); 9. Frederic Bolley (Hon); 10. Joshua Coppins (Suz).
500: 1. Marnicq Bervoets (Yam); 2. Miska Aaltonen (Hus); 3. Johnny Lindhe (Hus); 4. Joel Smets (KTM); 5. Peter Johansson (KTM); 6. Erwin Machtlinger (Hon); 7. Darryl King (Hus); 8. Andrea Bartolini (Yam); 9. Massimo Bartolini (Yam); 10. Avo Leok (KTM).
