European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 22, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A amps Randy Barnett Drivers prepare or the Start of a drag race last season at Bockenheim West Germany. Bockenheim s big aug. 19 event is one of 14 on Europe s drag race Calendar this year gentlemen smrt your  Alain Prost of France the defending formula one Champion has left the Mclaren Honda team to drive for Ferrari. By Randy Barnett motor sports editor i he c or Tom is about to Rise Oil the motor racing scone in Europe and it you want to see some of the action you la have plenty of Opportunity. From late March through october races abound every weekend in practically every european nation. I he stages Tor the production Are Many from the round the houses Street c inc Uit in sophisticated Monaco in formula one racing to the mountains of Italy Tor the Motoc Ross action. I Low Many racing c categories Are featured in i Uroper i Leres a Brief rundown on just the major ones world championship formula one grand prix racing the world sports car championship motorcycle grand prix world championship i utopian i historic car championship the German National championship for touring cars sedans and the world championship Motocross series plus truck racing and drag Rac ing. There is much More but that s the Basic picture. Lust As last year 16 formula one grand prix races will be staged worldwide 10 of them in Europe a Good Deal for formula one fans Here. In the sports car world championship series where Mercedes rules As Champion seven of the 10 scheduled rounds will be held in Europe. The 24 hours of be mans would make it eight but be mans does not count for championship Points this year. Regardless this classic continues despite problems with racing officialdom it will be held on the weekend of june 16-17. In world championship motorcycle racing where americans continue to Rule in the top 500cc class 12 of the 16 scheduled races will be held in Europe. The season opens this sunday with the japanese grand prix at Suzuka. This year the 80cc division has been eliminated and the championships will consist of races for 500cc, 250cc and 125cc classes plus cycles with sidecars. Motorcycle racing is the closest and most dangerous of All and Cycle fans rarely see a runaway Victory by any rider. The californian Kenny Roberts three time 500cc world Champion and now a team owner put it Best when he once said Quot we race so close they have to pry us apart with  following is a Brief rundown on these three top categories and a bit on the German touring car championship As Well. In the formula one world driving championship the season is already under Way. The opening . Grand prix round was staged March 11 at Phoenix Ariz. The brazilian grand prix follows this sunday in Sao Paulo while the european opener a the san Marino grand prix a is set for May 13 at Imola Italy the Brilliant brazilian Driver Ayrton Senna world Champion in 1988, won the Phoenix opener aboard i Mclaren Honda and he did it in style. He will go into his Home grand prix in Sao Paulo this weekend As the favorite and he will have More than 100,000 brazilians cheering him on. The Frenchman Alain Prost is the defending Champion and he drives this year for Ferrari. Prost has won three titles and leads in the record books with 19 grand prix victories. He was Senna s partner on the Mclaren Honda team last year but quit at the end of the season after endless controversies with his teammate a both on track and off. The season ended with the two Mclaren Drivers not speaking to each other and they remain arc enemies. Senna and Prost were locked in a run for the 19 19 driving championship right to the end and it was settled in Prost s favor after Prost and Senna crashed into each other during the japanese grand prix. Protests threats of lawsuits and threats of Banning Senna followed and this year s run for the championship is being billed by Many motor sports magazines As Quot the year of Senna s  at this Early stage it appears that Senna will get it. The Mclaren Honda team Winner of last year s formula one constructor s championship appears As Strong As Ever and if its All conquering vi0 engine is challenged Honda is ready to go with a new vi2. That s bad news for Ferrari Benetton Ford Williams Renault and the rest of the Field. The opener in world championship sports car racing is april 8 at Suzuka Japan with the first european race scheduled for april 29 at Monza Italy. The German Mercedes team is highly favored to retain its title. Returning to Competition in 1988 after an absence of More than 30 years Mercedes finished second behind Jaguar in its first year Back and then won the title last season with seven victories in eight outings. The impressive Mercedes outfit also won the 24 hours of be mans which was also a no championship event last season. It s ironic that this world classic remains outside the sports car championship but arguments about safety and television rights Are keeping it from that status. Another top racing series in Europe is the German touring car championship one that also invites International entries and top Drivers. The defending Champion is italian Roberto Ravaglia who piloted a Bow m3 to the 1989 title. Some of the top firms in Germany Are entered in this series a Bow Mercedes opel and Ford Lor example a and this year Audi is also among the competitors with the German Ace Hans stuck driving. For the past two years stuck has been racing Audi Quattroy in the american trans am and Simsa to series. Audi won the trans am in 1988 and finished second last year in the Simsa to Competition. This year s touring car opener is at zolder Belgium on april 1, with Flocke Nheim the next Stop on april 8. There Are 13 races in the series. In motorcycle racing the Kenny Roberts Yamaha Marlboro team is highly favored and a Sharp Battle for the 500cc Crown is expected Between californians Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey both Riding for Roberts. Lawson is the defending Champion he s won tour title Sand he left rothmans Honda last season to return to Yamaha. Rainey the no. 1 Roberts rider fist year has yet to win a championship and he would like nothing better. He finished second to Lawson in 1989, and he will be going All out to put Lawson in that same position by the end of this season. Other top 500cc teams include rothmans Honda with former world Champion Wayne Gardner and Michael Doohan both of Australia the Lucky strike Suzuki team with texan Kevin Schwantz and the australian Kevin Magee Campsa Honda with the Spanish rider Sito Pons and Gau loises Yamaha with the Frenchman Christian Sarron. While Lawson and Rainey Rule As favourites the texan Schwantz could upset them both. Schwantz. Who also Rode for Suzuki last year had the most victories of the season six but it was a Case of Quot win or  if he finds some consistency this season the popular texan could win the title. 8 stripes Magazine March 22, 1990