European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday March 20, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 25 racing Roundup it s Rainey is. Schwantz in Japan while the second round in the world driving championship gets under Way on sunday with the grand prix of Brazil the first event in the 1990 motorcycle season kicks off in Japan. In the car world defending world Champion Ayrton Senna of Brazil and challenger Alain Prost of France Are the Best bets for the Drivers Crown. A similar situation exists in the top class so acc motorcycle racing division where the title is up for grabs Between two riders a both of them americans. Defending his world title is the popular californian Wayne Rainey while texan Kevin Schwantz is the Only rider Likely to dethrone him. Schwantz was run Crup last year. Its our opinion that Schwantz who rides for the Suzuki factory team will come through this season. The texan is overdue he a faster than Rainey and if he can  consistency his main problem hell finally win the 500cc world championship. The most spectacular rider in grand prix racing Schwantz has 11 victories Over the past two years to Rainey a 10, and he a won the japanese opener in Suzuka twice before in 1988 and �?T89. He finished third there last year behind the winning Rainey Roberts Yamaha and australian rider Wayne Gardner Honda. Wayne Rainey Kevin Schwantz a a discussing the Outlook for his 1991 Campaign the amiable texan said recently that a a it a going to be Tough. Every year the standards seem to get higher but this years Bike seems real Good. We have a new Chassis and engine and we be switched to Dunlop tires which Means we had a lot of adjustments to make before the package came together. But in a satisfied with  Schwantz who also has recorded the Lions share of pole positions and Lap records during his past two seasons with Suzuki rates the defending Champion Rainey As the rider to beat. But he says hell also be keeping an Eye on Rainey a new Yamaha teammate John Kocinski of Arkansas. Kocinski who won the world Crown in the 250cc division for Roberts Yamaha last year has moved up to the top 500cc category. Other riders rated High by Schwantz include Ilonda teammates Michael Doohan and Wayne Rainey both of Australia Spain a Sito Pons also Honda and californian Eddie Lawson a four time world Champion who is Riding this year for the italian Cage a firm. Lawson left the Roberts Yamaha team at the end of the 1990 season to join Caliva. Riding with Schwanz this season on the Lucky strike Suzuki team is Didier de Radigue of Belgium and Kevin Magee of Australia who suffered a severe head injury Early last season and has not raced since. The opening race in Japan is something of a trial run for Magee the Suzuki team says pointing out that he has passed All of his medical tests with flying colors and that the world Cycle governing body fim has allowed Magee to return to racing earlier than the usual 12-month period required for such injuries. Suzuki says it wants to give Magee every Chance to recover and that his one off ride at Suzuka comes after a lengthy program of discussions and motorcycle tests. A / Quot. Magee who also Rode for the Roberts Yamaha team and partnered Rainey in 1989, simply says a i can to wait to get going  a a regarding grand prix Cycle racing in general it provides some of the closest Competition you la Ever witness. We always liked Kenny Roberts remark about this. Roberts who Heads his own highly successful Roberts Yamaha organization is the first american Ever to win the 500cc Crown and he went on to capture two More before he retired from racing. During an interview we had with Roberts in his grand prix Riding Days he said a everyone complains about the Lack of close racing in formula one. Arid a lot of other car categories too. Instead of complaining those Guys should go to Cycle races and watch us. We race so close we have to be pried apart by  a a and when you see six or seven riders coming into a High Speed turn with Little or no space Between them you la agree with Roberts. It is strictly spectacular stuff. And highly dangerous As Well. In world championship grand prix Cycle racing most events include i25cc, 250cc and 5 h cd Cycle races As Well As Sidecar racing so you get your Money a Worth. And the Price of tickets for grand prix motorcycle racing still remains reasonable when com pared to ticket prices for formula one automobile a races.  a a a a a this years world motorcycle championship series consists of 15 races and 10 of them Are in Europe. After the japanese opener in Suzuka on sunday the bikers go to Australia and to the United states then open the european season on May 12 with the grand prix of Spain in Jerez de la Frontera. The european season goes through aug. 25 with the finale it Brno Czechoslovakia. Then races in Brazil and Malaysia close out the season. Turning to Auto racing Brazil s Ayrton Senna will be going All out sunday to make it two wins in a Row. He took the opener in Phoenix ariz., on March 10 and next up is his Home grand prix at the into Lagos circuit in silo Paulo. Last years race there was a disaster of sorts for the brazilian and hell be doing everything he can to make amends before the Home crowd. After winning the 1990 opener in Phoenix lie went to Brazil As the big favorite. And he had what appealed to be an insurmountable Lead when he crashed into the Tyrrell Ford driven by Japan a Satoru Nakajima. With Only 30 laps to go Senna had been in the process of lapping the japanese Driver when the crash came. Senna pitted his Mclaren i Honda for Quick repairs and instead of what appeared to be a certain Victory lie finished third. And who won his Arch enemy Alain Prost of France. It was Proste a sixth brazilian grand prix Victory and his first for Ferrari in Only his second Outing with the fabled italian team. Probably no Victory except for his first one Ever came sweeter. But Back to this sundays race. Senna will probably win it because he will certainly have full motivation and the new Mclaren car powered by the equally new 12-Cylinder Honda engine appears to have the Edge a if we can use the Phoenix race As an example. The brazilian grand prix will be shown live sunday on the eur sport Channel beginning at 5 ., and on Rel plus beginning at 4 30  Where to go this weekend in Italy the opening round in the italian National touring car championship will be staged sunday at Monza with supporting races also on the program. Practice will Lake place on saturday. The Monza circuit is located just outside the City of Monza which is a few Miles North of Milan. In Germany the first International adar motorcycle ice Speedway races will be held saturday at the Hanns Martin Schleyer Hall in Stuttgart. Top ice Speedway riders from six different nations Are in to Rcd for the event which is scheduled to Start at 8  Ticket prices Range from 20 to 40 Marks. The Star and Stripe eager to end Grid hiatus Orlando Fla a Kevin Sweeney has never seen the City which he represents in the new world league of american football As a quarterback for the Montreal machine. Then again the soft spoken Sweeney Hasni to played competitive football for the last 18 months either. Sweeney 27, will be facing angry pass rushes before he glimpses Montreal since the machine inaugurates its Olaf season in Birmingham ala., Montreal a Kevin Sweeney saturday night before playing Host to Barcelona Spain at olympic stadium on april 1. A we had a scrimmage against Orlando Thunder last week a said Sweeney referring to a Olaf opponent. A there Wasny to supposed to be any hitting but i got hit a few times. A getting into live action Tike that was a Good experience be cause its been one and a half years since in be had bodies coming around me in All different directions. A i played in an National football league exhibition game for the san Francisco 49ers against the Denver Broncos a year ago in August so that a a Long time to go without playing football. But 1 feel a lot better about things  Sweeney had the misfortune of try ing to make a 49ers�?T squad whose quarterbacks were Joe Montana and Toteve Young. Tie was released and he tumbled into football oblivion until the birth of the Olaf where Montreal selected him As the second quarterback Overall in the draft behind Birmingham a Brent Pease. Sweeney s most glorious moments in the nil had come in \ 1988 As a member of the Dallas cowboys for whom he toiled during the players strike a year earlier. In the second half of a game against the new York giants the cowboys were trailing 23-0 when Danny White their starting quarterback was knocked out of the game. Sweeney was summoned from the trainers room and he proceeded to throw three touchdown passes As the cowboys almost eked out an upset Victory. At one Point Lawrence Taylor the giants All pro linebacker lunged at Sweeney injuring a pectoral muscle in the process. A i got up off the ground and he a still laying there groaning a recalled Sweeney. A a in a thinking. A of my god what have i done a a How Many times growing up had i watched to and heard announcer Brent Musberger say something like a Well  done it again a he a knocked out All three Atlanta quarterbacks today a and Here i am standing above him going a what have i done a a Sweeney was handed the starting assignment the following week but suffered a resounding defeat against the Minnesota Vikings then had to face the Cincinnati bengals who went on to the super bowl that year. Sweeney went on to the football unemployment line until the Olaf surfaced. A one of the reasons wanted to do this was because it would give me a Chance to be exposed to a different culture a Sweeney said. He will get that exposure not Only in Montreal but in european cities such As Barcelona Frankfurt Germany and London which have Olaf franchises