The Sachsenring is a special venue for Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki rider Kenny Roberts, with a string of good results for the defending World Champion and this weekend will mark his 100th Grand Prix start.

So far in a year of record-breaking speeds and ultra-close racing, the top rostrum spots have eluded champion Roberts and his new team-mate. But the Sachsenring - shortest but no longer the slowest track of the year - is unique, which sets the stage for the small change in circumstances that will make all the difference.

At only 2.3 miles, the Sachsenring packs a lot of corners and plenty of variety into its short lap. Even though distance has been extended by 200 metres for this year, and the straight lengthened for higher average speeds, the basic character of the track remains - mainly slow corners, taken at part throttle at high angles of lean.

Kenny's record at the track is good. In 1998, his last year on the three-cylinder Modenas, he qualified on the second row of the grid, and finished just out of the top five, far ahead of the bike's usual form. In 1999, he started from pole position and won the race, and in 2000 he was on pole once again, finishing third in a desperately close race, the top five crossing the line in little more than 1.5 seconds.

That doesn't mean this year will be easy for the American or his Spanish pit-mate. All season long the team has been working to improve the throttle connection and part-throttle performance, and only if they have been successful can Kenny and Sete hope for more of the same.

"We are having a hard season," said team manager Garry Taylor. "Having said that, Kenny has been significantly faster at every comparable race track so far. Even so, his results have suffered. That proves how hard he is trying, and shows what a tough year this is."

Since the last GP, the Suzuki team has tested in England, with more tests planned during the four-week break after the German GP. "We're expecting some good things from the factory during the break, and to come back stronger for the last seven races of the season." continued Taylor.

Alex Criville, the best performing Team Repsol YPF Honda rider, is currently holding seventh position, 18 points behind Barros in fourth place. Criville’s teammate Tohru Ukawa is in tenth place in the championship, two points behind world champion Roberts.

Criville suffered a crash in last year’s race, but still arrives in good spirits at the Sachsenring thanks to set-up solutions that his team found in England. “In Donington, I had to start from way back on the grid and I couldn’t stop the front runners from getting away, but my lap times in the race were similar to the ones of the first group. If we can get the motorcycle to work well from the first day on, I’m sure to be up front in the race. Sachsenring is a very complicated circuit, especially for a 500, because the bike is at full lean angle almost all the time. A good grid position is crucial if you want to get a good result in the race.”

Second last year in the 250 class, Ukawa is well aware that he has a difficult task to complete this weekend. “I know that this is a very tricky circuit on a 500. But I like the Sachsenring, it suits my riding style very well. We lost a lot trying to find a good set-up in England, but here, I hope to start with a good pace from the beginning on Friday, and to have a chance to be with the front runners again.”

Dutch star Jurgen van den Goorbergh will get more bang from his bike in Germany. A new engine configuration to be used for the first time at the Sachsenring circuit should help him get the best out of his lightweight three-cylinder Grand Prix racer at the track where the bike has achieved its best results.

The England-based team will be taking an all-new "Big Bang" variation of the V3 500cc motor - a configuration that delivers the power more smoothly, so that the rider can open the throttle earlier in the corner.

Combined with the good braking, handling and high corner speeds achieved by the low, light KR3, and in the hands of a rider who revels in the tight going of the Sachsenring circuit, this reinforces already high hopes for the 2001 bike and rider combination to achieve a best result yet.

Van den Goorbergh has already achieved three top-ten finishes so far this year, but circumstances conspired against him and the Proton at the last two races, at the first of the "Big Four" circuits where ultimate horsepower is less important than faithful road-holding. At the last round at England's Donington Park, he was denied his first front-row start on the bike by less than a tenth of a second, then had a potentially strong race spoiled when he was knocked off the track by another rider, recovering well out of touch with the leading group.

Previously at the Sachsenring the continual tight turns have seen earlier versions of the three-cylinder machine perform admirably. In 1998, last race of the Mk1 machine, the Modenas qualified on the front row of the grid, and finished sixth and seventh, ridden by Kenny Roberts Junior and Ralf Waldmann. Last year, the current Mk3 machine was ridden by Luca Cadalora, and the Italian was on course for a possible front row when a heavy crash spoiled his weekend.

"I believe we can get our best results so far at the Sachsenring. I'm really aiming for the front row in qualifying, after just missing it at Donington, and for our best race result as well. We need to have everything perfect with the bike, and then it should be possible", commented Jurgen.

"For sure I'm looking forward to testing the new engine. What you need at this circuit is not so much power but good driveability. We tested a similar engine at Donington, and it was getting there - but we need to get the carburation closer for it actually to be better than the old engine. The configuration cut the vibration a lot, making it nicer to ride. I like the track, and I've always had good results there. A lot of people complained when we first went, and it is too short for a 500 really, but it's a lot of fun. You have a lot of power on those short corners, and you need to control it very carefully. And there are some fluent sections as well. Plus the fantastic atmosphere with the big crowds. I'm looking forward to it."

Marlboro Yamaha's Carlos Checa looks forward to the German GP as another opportunity for getting back on track after a difficult few events.

Two weeks ago at Donington Park the Spaniard rode a strong race to fifth, ten seconds off a top-three finish. That result, at a track he’s never been keen on, gave Checa’s spirits a much-needed lift after DNFs at two of the previous three Grand Prix. Now the Marlboro Yamaha man is confident he can keep building momentum, even though he faces another venue that holds little appeal.

"Donington is my favourite track and the Sachsenring is my second favourite," smiles Checa, his voice laden with irony. "But that doesn’t matter, I’m a professional rider and it’s not my job to like circuits or dislike them. It’s my job to work with my crew to find a set-up that suits each track and then to do my best in the race. Having said that, I’m looking forward to the circuits that follow Germany, but I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t get a good result this weekend."

Last year Checa had a torrid time at the ‘Ring. He fell heavily during Saturday morning practice, suffering concussion and a consequent trip to the local hospital. He bravely elected to race the next day and finished a dogged ninth. The previous year he was really flying aboard his factory YZR500s, finishing fourth, just a fraction off the podium, despite his arms pumping up.

Despite those memories, Checa is confident that he will be on the pace for the 2001 German GP. "We were held back at the start of the season by crashes and injuries, now I feel like I really know the bike," he adds. "We’ve improved the set-up at the last couple of races and I’ve felt comfortable on the bike since Assen. We’ve been working to take some weight off the rear, to make it comfortably loose, and to put some weight on the front, to minimise front-end push. We’ve done okay at that, now we just need to work at fine tuning front-end balance."

It must be said though that Valentino Rossi almost made Donington look easy and will be the man to beat this weekend.  He looks so at home on the 500 now and the Honda looks to be making more power as Rossi appeared to be short shifting everywhere in the aim of trying to keep the front wheel at a reasonable height.  Every gear-change the front would float a few inches above the surface of the track, even over half way down Donington's main straight at times.  But all that power will require some mastering around the tight German circuit.

"I don't normally like slow tracks but the Sachsenring is okay, you can have some fun there," says the 22-year old who scored his fifth win of 2001 in Britain two weeks back to extend his advantage over arch-rival Max Biaggi (Yamaha) to 26 points. "Last year I managed to get to the front at the Sachsenring because I was good on the brakes into two important corners, largely thanks to my team making such a good job of suspension set-up. In fact I should've won the race but I made a mistake on the last lap and that cost me the win. I'll try not to do the same this time!"

Rossi recently traveled to Suzuka for Eight Hour tests following the British GP and returns to Japan shortly after Germany. "Suzuka means a lot of extra work," adds Rossi, who crashed out of last year's event. "But the race is very important to Honda, so I'm happy to do it, and anyway, I want to win it! Switching back and forth between my 500 and the four-stroke doesn't make things any easier but it's not a huge problem for me."

The man who beat Rossi on the final lap of last year's German GP was fellow Honda rider and acknowledged Sachsenring expert Alex Barros (West Honda Pons NSR500). The Brazilian established the lap record at the track's inaugural GP in 1998, set a new record in '99 and then won last year's race. Not surprisingly, he's looking forward to this year's event.

"If you're competitive at a circuit and you've got the right set-up, you enjoy yourself, because you can use your bike's potential and push yourself to the limit," he says. "Just because you like a track doesn't mean you'll enjoy yourself there. You might be riding at your favourite circuit, but if things aren't going well, you hate it!"

Barros scored third at Donington Park a fortnight ago and knows he's got to start winning races if he wants to get back in the title hunt. "I had a great race with Valentino at the Sachsenring last year, just beating him, and I need to do the same again," adds Barros who is currently fourth overall, 14 points behind team-mate Loris Capirossi (West Honda Pons NSR500).

Capirossi was in the thick of the battle for victory at Sachsenring 2000 but got barged off line during a frantic final lap by Kenny Roberts (Suzuki). He stayed on board to cross the line sixth, just three seconds down on winner Rossi.

"I think we can expect another close race this time, it's that kind of racetrack," says the third member of Italy's band of 500 title contestants. "Last year I was still recovering from a hand injury when we raced in Germany, so I'm looking forward to being fully fit, and getting a podium finish to make up for last time."

Birthday boy Anthony West is confident he can continue his series of points-scoring results in this year's 500cc motorcycle world championship when the series resumes at the revised Sachsenring circuit in Germany on Sunday.

West, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Tuesday (July 17), believes his Dee Cee Racing Honda V-Twin will be more competitive against the fleet of 16 four-cylinder works machines on the tight German Grand Prix track than on most other championship venues.

"If you look at all the tracks in the championship this is probably the slowest, so it gives the 'Twins' a better chance than usual to get some decent points which would be a good birthday present," said Australia's 500cc rookie.

"They've made some changes to the layout, but the front section is still very tight with mostly second and third-gear corners – it seems like the bike is always leaning over as you flick it from one turn leading into the next."

West has scored championship points in four of his six 500cc starts this year, including the past two rounds at Assen in the Netherlands on June 30 and at Donington Park in Britain on July 8.

He inspected the revised layout after arriving at the Sachsenring on his birthday, and said the main change had been in the final section leading onto the start-finish straight.

"There used to be a high-speed chicane which was flat, but now there's a couple of left turns going down the hill and than back up it," said West. "I've walked around the track and there aren't as many corners as before so I think it should be more interesting."

West said his confidence for round nine of this year's championship had been boosted by his sixth-place finish on a production-based TSR Honda in the 250cc grand prix at the Sachsenring in 1999.

"In that race I was able to run with the factory bikes, and beat some of them because they couldn't use their horsepower advantage on this track," he said. "It's basically the same situation this weekend, although there's more factory bikes in 500s than there were in the 250s."

West believes a factor in his ongoing improvement this year is placing more emphasis on fine-tuning his race-package during practice and qualifying.

"On a 'Twin' you're probably never going to qualify that well in the dry, so we've been working hard on improving our race set-up," he said. "That's made my lap times more consistent in the races, especially at Donington where I was the first 'Twin' and I was able beat some of the V4s."

Another young Australian will be racing a 500 this weekend after getting word of the ride while at school earlier this week!  Brendan Clarke, who turned 18 in February, will take a seat on a Shell Advance factory kitted Honda V-twin this weekend with an opportunity for more rides in the blue-riband class should Walker's injuries continue to consign him to the sidelines.

The head injuries Walker sustained in a high speed crash at the Dutch TT in Assen last month are still cause for concern, and despite his brave effort to race in his home GP at Donington on 8 July, he has been advised to sit out this race.

"It will be the most powerful and the lightest bike I have ever raced so it will be a step up and a great challenge," said Clarke.

"If I can finish amongst the leading V-twins, I will be happy. It might be a bit weird to see the likes of Rossi, Biaggi and Capirossi on the track with me, but I will have to try to slip in behind and stick with them for as long as I can."

Young British rider, Leon Haslam, is expected to take over Walker's full factory four-cylinder Honda NSR500, while Clarke will take over Haslam's V-twin.

Clarke was enjoying a successful debut full-time season in the Shell Advance Australian Road Racing Championships, leading the 250cc Production and running a close second in the 600cc Supersport classes with his Tony Armstrong Springwood Suzuki team before he was called up.  Clarke also wrapped up the Australian Aprilia Challenge series this year after setting lap records at each round.

He had to make a hasty exit from St Francis College in Crestmead, south of Brisbane to get ready for the flight.

"I got the call in the middle of maths class," said Clarke. "It was a real big shock. Ever since I saw Wayne Gardner racing when I was four or five, I wanted to be World 500 Champion. We had plans to go over to Europe later in the year to see a Grand Prix but I didn't think I would be racing in one this soon."

All in all the German GP this weekend is shaping up to be one of the seasons hottest and as usual we will give you the best coverage right here.