Motorcycling: Schwantz discovers pleasure amid pain

(First Edition)

KEVIN SCHWANTZ lived up to the sport's macho image yesterday by taking part in qualifying for the Hungarian 500cc Grand Prix in Budapest with one arm in plaster and the other in pain from an infected cut. The Texan, who crashed heavily at the Dutch Grand Prix two weeks ago, was also recovering from a dislocated hip but was still fourth fastest on his Suzuki.

His American Suzuki team-mate, Doug Chandler, was fastest with a superbly controlled performance on a track made slippery by rain early on but which then dried steadily.

Schwantz, 53 points behind the world championship leader, Michael Doohan, who is absent after breaking his leg at Assen, said he had few troubles on the bike.

'It's not that bad really,' Schwantz, who broke his left forearm at Assen, said. 'The infected cut is inhibiting the movement but is quickly clearing up and I hope that by race day the right side of my body will be 100 per cent. I'm lucky that this track is almost all right hand corners so that I can ride even though my left arm and leg are still only about 60 or 70 per cent right.'

Practice times, Sport in Short, page 51