Motorcycling / British Grand Prix: Gardner profits from emotional lift

WAYNE GARDNER, who in his dirt-track days was known as 'the wild boy from Wollongong', has a habit of milking an occasion for all it is worth. Not that he fails to give his all in any competition - his commitment remains unquestioned - but he does seem to be lifted by momentous times when his emotions enable him to extract a fraction more horsepower from his Honda.

The Australian, polite, down to earth, almost shy, has wept over all the great milestones in his career and his victory here yesterday in his last British 500cc Grand Prix was no exception. He cried when he had won the world championship in 1987, he had choked over his triumph in the inaugural Australian Grand Prix in 1989, he was overcome when he announced his retirement here on Friday and again yesterday, words almost failed him.

The 32-year-old, who will finish his grand prix career at Kyalami in September, had never won the British Grand Prix and it was probably the one achievement left for him to conclude a great career. 'What a way to end it,' he said after the race.

'I wanted to win here because I regard it as my home grand prix. The British gave me a big chance at the beginning of my career and I wanted to pay them back. So thanks to the Brits.'

Gardner's 18th 500cc grand prix victory, and his first for nearly two years, also served to protect the world championship lead of his team-mate and compatriot, Michael Doohan, who was absent here this weekend with a broken leg. Wayne Rainey, Doohan's closest rival in the standings, was held to second place by Gardner's determined run. Such was the American's effort to catch the Honda rider that he had to be lifted from his Yamaha after the race and taken to the medical centre with severe cramp and heat exhaustion.

It was later revealed that Rainey had been jostled by invading supporters at the end of the race and was also suffering from a bruised knee.

Doohan leads the chase for the title with 130 points from Rainey on 108 and Schwantz on 87 with two races remaining and 20 points for a win.

Spain's Juan Garriga was third yesterday on a Yamaha, followed by Eddie Lawson and Australia's Peter Goddard, while Britain's Terry Rymer finished sixth in his first grand prix.

Kevin Schwantz, the American who won the last three grands prix here, failed to finish after leaving his second-placed Suzuki with just five laps of the 30-lap race to go. After he picked himself up out of the gravel trap at Redgate Corner, he demonstrated his disgust with the marshals by snatching an oil flag and waving it furiously at the on-coming riders, suggesting his slide had been due to a lack of warning signals.

Carl Fogerty, one of the local favourites, and Schwantz's team- mate, Doug Chandler, also came to grief on the slippery patch, but officials said after the race that the offending area had been closely examined, no oil had been found and that the problem must have been caused by leaking coolant.

Gardner said he had felt his bike starting to slide at Redgate as he fought to maintain his slim lead over Rainey. 'But it gripped and came back up. It was a miracle,' he said.

BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Donington Park, 35 laps, 70 miles): 500cc: 1 W Gardner (Aus) Honda 47min 38.373sec (ave speed 94.45mph); 2 W Rainey (US) Yamaha 47:39.228; 3 J Garriga (Sp) Yamaha 47:44.228; 4 E Lawson (US) Cagiva 48:04.452; 5 P Goddard (Aus) Yamaha 48:42.464; 6 T Rymer (GB) Harris Yamaha 49:0.703. Fastest lap: Rainey 1:34.194 (95.54mph).

World Championship standings (after 11 rounds): 1 M Doohan (Aus) 130pts; 2 Rainey 108; 3 K Schwantz (US) 87.

(Photograph omitted)