THE BIOGRAPHY OF BARRY SHEENE

Sheene was born in London, England the second child of parents Frank (resident engineer at the Royal College of Surgeons) and Iris. He grew up in Queen's Square, Holborn, London.
His love of motorcycles grew, as did his ambition to become a world-class racer.
He became the British 125cc champion aged just 20, and finished second in the World Championships for that class a year later.
Sheene won the newly formed Formula 750 European championship for Suzuki in 1973. A spectacular crash at the Daytona 200 in 1975 threatened to end his career, His injuries included a shattered left thigh, a broken right arm, a fractured right wrist, a broken collarbone and several broken ribs, he recovered and was racing again seven weeks afterwards.
In 1973 he won the Formula 750 World Championship and in 1976 he won five 500cc Grands Prix, bringing him the World Championship. He repeated as champion in 1977 with six victories.




Sheene's battle with Kenny Roberts at the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone has been cited as one of the greatest motorcycle Grand Prix races of the 1970s. After the 1979 season, he left the Heron-Suzuki factory team, believing that he was receiving inferior equipment to his team-mates. He shifted to a privateer Yamaha machine, but soon started receiving works equipment. In 1981, Kenny Roberts was the reigning World 500cc Champion for the third time, and Barry Sheene, now on a competitive Yamaha, was determined to regain the championship. Ironically, Sheene and Roberts battled all season and let Suzuki riders Marco Lucchinelli of Italy and American Randy Mamola beat them for the top two spots. Roberts finished third and Sheene fourth for the 1981 championship. A 1982 crash largely ended Sheene as a title threat, and he retired in 1984. He remains the only rider to win Grand Prix races in the 50cc and 500cc categories.
Sheene was known for being outspoken in his criticism for what he considered to be dangerous race tracks, most notably, the Isle of Man TT course, which he considered too dangerous for world championship competition. He was a colourful, exuberant character who used his good looks, grin and Cockney accent to good effect in self-promotion, and combined with an interest in business was one of the first riders to make a lot of money from endorsements.[ He is credited with boosting the appeal of motorcycle racing into the realm of the mass marketing media. He also tried his hand as a TV show host, including the ITV series Just Amazing!, where he interviewed people who had, through accident or design, achieved feats of daring and survival (including the former RAF air gunner, Nicholas Alkemade, who survived a fall of 18,000 feet without a parachute from a blazing Avro Lancaster bomber over Germany in March 1944). Sheene and his wife Stephanie also starred in the low-budget film Space Riders.
He moved to Australia in the late 1980s in the hope of relieving some of the pain of injury-induced arthritis, moving to a property near the Gold Coast. He combined a property development business with a role as a commentator on motor sport, first at Nine Network with Darrell Eastlake, then moving with the TV coverage of the motorcycle Grand Prix series to Network Ten.
In later years, Sheene became involved in historic motorcycle racing. A little-known piece of trivia is that Sheene invented the motorcycle back protector, with a prototype model he made himself out of old helmet visors, arranged so they could curve in one direction, but not the other. Sheene gave the prototype along with all rights to the Italian company Dainese - they and other companies have manufactured back protectors since then.
He died in 2003 of cancer of the stomach and oesophagus, and is survived by his wife Stephanie McLean and two children, Sidonie and Freddie
Following reconstruction of the Brands Hatch Circuit in England for safety concerns after requests by the F.I.M., the Dingle Dell section was changed for safety, and shortly after Sheene's death the new section was renamed Sheene's Corner in his honour. The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2001. At the 2004 season, V8 Supercars Australia made a memorial medal, calling it the Barry Sheene Medal. A memorial ride from Bairnsdale, Victoria to Phillip Island is held by Australian motorcyclists annually, before the MotoGP held at the island.


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THE BIOGRAPHY OF KEVIN SCHWANTZ

Kevin Schwantz born 19 June 1964 in Houston,Texas USA
The sole 500cc title earned in 1993 does not effectively summarise the impact that Texan Kevin Schwantz had on the motorcycle racing world championship. The Suzuki stalwart amassed a huge legion of fans around the world with his flamboyant all-action riding style and propensity for spectacular crashes as he chased victory at each Grand Prix as if each race were his last.
Schwantz entered the international stage after some stand-out results competing in his native superbike series. Loyal to Suzuki throughout his career he made his Grand Prix debut at Assen in 1986 and became a full-time member of the series in 1988, stamping his unique mark on the championship right away by winning the opening race at Suzuka in Japan.


The years of 1988 and 1989 saw Schwantz accumulate eight wins and 13 podiums, but also saw him suffer late falls (in Spain and Belgium) when in grasp of further success, lending weight to a reputation as superlative but inconsistent rider. He was nevertheless one of the main 500cc stars in a golden period which also features the likes of Eddie Lawson, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Wayne Rainey.
In the following four seasons Schwantz would regularly battle with recognised peers and develop the RGV500 with his distinctive natural talent. He finished runner-up in 1990 and it was around this time that his long-standing rivalry with Rainey.
The Americans tussled in a private duel over a three-year period with Schwantz taking victories at Assen and Hockenheim which riled his Yamaha foe. Rainey chalked up three titles but Schwantz was equally prominent, increasing his win tally to 19, with 21 podiums between 1990 and 1992.
Their personal relationship improved by the 1993 campaign and by this time Schwantz was adopting a more relaxed and steady approach to his results, Rainey-style, in order to obtain the crown that many felt was long overdue. Rainey’s career-ending accident at Misano, with two rounds remaining, left the door open for Schwantz but also essentially nullified the achievement for the then 29 year old.
The injury niggles and bone breaks – most significantly to his wrists – began to tell by the time of his title defence in 1994. He finished fourth and then tearfully announced his retirement a short way into the 1995 term.

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THE BIOGRAPHY OF KENNY ROBERTS

Kenny Roberts born 31 December 1951, in Modesto, California, USA
As a child growing up in Modesto, Roberts was originally interested in horseback riding.He rode his first motorcycle at the age of 12 when a friend dared him to ride a mini bike. Roberts accepted the challenge and the experience thrilled him. He built his own motorcycle attaching his father's lawn mower engine to a bicycle frame. Roberts began his career in dirt track racing after attending a local race in Modesto and, deciding that he wanted to compete himself. His father purchased a Tohatsu bike for him but, once it proved itself uncompetitive as a race bike, he moved up to a more powerful Hodaka motorcycle.
Roberts seemed to have a natural talent for dirt track racing and began winning local races. In 1968, his race results drew the attention of a local Suzuki dealer named Bud Askland who offered to sponsor Roberts aboard a Suzuki motorcycle.Roberts was allowed to compete professionally when he turned 18 and, on the day after his eighteenth birthday, he entered his first professional race at San Francisco's Cow Palace, finishing in fourth place.


Racing career
A.M.A. Grand National Championship
Realizing that Roberts would need more help if his racing career was going to progress, Askland introduced Roberts to airline pilot and amateur motorcycle racer, Jim Doyle who would become Roberts' personal manager. In 1971, Doyle and Roberts approached Triumph's American distributor to ask about the possibility of a sponsored ride but, were told that Roberts was too small for one of their bikes. They then turned to the American Yamaha importer's team who agreed to make Roberts a factory sponsored rider at the age of 19. Yamaha asked the head of their American racing program, former 250cc world champion Kel Carruthers to help guide Roberts' racing career. It would mark the beginning of a long and lucrative relationship between the two men. Carruthers ended his riding career after the 1973 season to concentrate full time on managing Roberts' and Yamaha's efforts in the A.M.A. Grand National Championship, a series which encompassed events in four distinctive dirt track disciplines plus road racing.
In 1971, Roberts won the A.M.A. Rookie of the Year Award. In his first professional race as an expert class rider in 1972, Roberts rode to victory at the Grand National short-track race in the Houston Astrodome. Roberts made a name for himself that year by battling the dominant Harley-Davidson factory dirt track team aboard an underpowered Yamaha XS 650 motorcycle, making up for his lack of horsepower with sheer determination. He finished the season ranked fourth in the country. In 1973, in just his second season as an expert, Roberts won the national championship, amassing a record 2,014 points in the 25-race series.
While Roberts had a natural talent for riding motorcycles on dirt surfaces, on paved road circuits, the motorcycle felt unsettled beneath him while negotiating a turn. After observing Finnish rider Jarno Saarinen win the 1973 Daytona 200 using a riding style where he shifted his body weight towards the inside of a turn, Roberts tried the technique and found that it helped settle the motorcycle. He adopted the cornering style and exagerated the body shift to a greater extent than Saarinen had by extending his knee out until it skimmed the track surface. With his new riding technique, Roberts began to excel in road race events. The one area where Yamaha motorcycles outperformed Harley Davidsons was in road racing, where the Yamaha TZ 750 was the dominant motorcycle of the era.
In the 1974 Daytona 200, after early leader Gary Nixon retired, Roberts battled for the lead with former 500cc world champion, Giacomo Agostini before an overheated engine forced him to settle for second place. In April 1974, Roberts ventured to Europe for the first time to compete in the prestigious Imola 200 road race for 750cc motorcycles. He made a positive impression against the best road racers in the world, once again finishing second to Agostini. He then travelled to England with a team of American riders to compete against a team of British riders in the 1974 Transatlantic Match races. The conventional wisdom at the time was that American riders, who competed mostly in dirt track races, couldn't race on asphalt at the same level as the British riders, who specialized in road racing events. Roberts dispelled any such notions by winning three of the six races and finishing second in the remaining three races. Roberts was the top individual points scorer in the event with 93 points, five more than Barry Sheene, the top British rider.
Roberts returned to compete in the 1974 Grand National championship and would win his first national road race at Road Atlanta. On August 18, Roberts won the Peoria TT race to complete a Grand Slam of the five different events on the Grand National calendar. He claimed his second consecutive Grand National championship, winning six races and surpassing his 1973 points record by scoring 2,286 points in the 23 race series, collecting points in all 23 races. Roberts also entered his first world championship event, finishing third in the 1974 250cc Dutch TT.
Roberts continued his road racing successes in 1975, winning three out of four races in the 1975 Transatlantic Match races. After having won the national championship in 1974, Roberts faced an increasingly difficult battle in dirt track races as, Harley Davidson continued to improve their XR750 dirt tracker while Yamaha struggled to maintain the pace. Roberts made up for his bike's lack of power with an almost fearless, determined riding style. He would battle Harley Davidson factory rider Gary Scott throughout the 1975 season but, mechanical breakdowns hampered his title defense. He had been leading the Daytona 200 when mechanical problems yielded the victory to his Yamaha teammate Gene Romero. At the Ascot TT, Roberts battled from 17th place to take the lead before a broken sprocket ended his race Roberts' fearless riding style was highlighted at the Indy Mile Grand National. In a desperate effort to keep Scott within reach in the points chase, Yamaha wedged a Yamaha TZ 750 two-stroke road racing engine inside a dirt track frame. On a bike that was considered unrideable due to its excessive horsepower, Roberts came from behind on the two-stroke, and overtook the factory Harley-Davidson duo of Corky Keener and Jay Springsteen on the last lap for one of the most famous wins in American dirt track racing history. Afterwards, Roberts was famously quoted as saying, "They don't pay me enough to ride that thing". Despite accomplishing another Grand Slam, this time accomplishing the feat in one season, Roberts would relinquish his crown, finishing second to Gary Scott in the 1975 national championship.
Although Roberts won four Grand Nationals in 1976, he continued to experience mechanical misfortunes as well as a horsepower deficit to the Harley Davidson motorcycles in the mile and half-mile dirt track events. He had been leading the Daytona 200 once again when tire troubles forced him to make a lengthy pit stop, as Johnny Cecotto went on to win the race. He dropped to third in the national championship as Jay Springsteen claimed the title for the Harley Davidson team. He returned to England in April 1977, winning four out of six races at the 1977 Transatlantic Match races. Roberts then travelled to Italy where he raced in the Imola 200, leaving no doubt he was capable of competing at the international level by winning both legs and setting a new track record. He returned to the United States to compete in the Grand National championship where he won five of the six road races that made up the pavement portion of the series. In the road race event at Sears Point, Roberts started the race at the back of the pack and passed the entire field within four laps to win the race. Despite being in contention for much of the season, Roberts was unable to win any of the dirt track events and eventually finished the year in fourth place.

1978
First American world champion

When it became apparent that Yamaha couldn't develop a dirt track motorcycle capable of competing with the dominant Harley Davidson dirt track team, the American Yamaha importer, Yamaha USA, offered to send Roberts to Europe in 1978 to compete in the World Championship Grand Prix series along with Kel Carruthers to act as his mentor and crew chief. Roberts also secured the financial backing of the Goodyear tire company. The team planned to compete in the 250cc world championship as well as the Formula 750 series in order to have more practice time to learn the tracks but, their main focus would be on the 500cc class, considered the premier class at the time. His main competition in the 500cc world championship would come from Suzuki rider Barry Sheene, winner of the two previous titles. Roberts said that he was initially indifferent about competing in Europe but, when he read that Sheene had labeled him as,"no threat", he made up his mind to compete. Few observers gave Roberts any chance of winning the championship, citing the fact that it would take him at least one season to learn the European circuits.
Roberts' riding style, bred on the dirt tracks of America, revolutionized road racing. Prior to his arrival in Europe, riders focused on attaining high entry speeds into corners, leaving braking until the last possible moment. Roberts did just the opposite, braking early then, getting back on the throttle which resulted in the rear tire spinning. The motorcycle technology of the late 1970s featured engines with power in excess of what the frames and tires of the day could handle. The resulting tire spin created a style of riding more reminiscent to dirt track riding, where sliding the rear tire to one side is used as a method to steer the motorcycle around a corner.
The 1978 season started off with Roberts winning the Daytona 200 in a dominating fashion. After several near misses where he was forced to retire while leading the event, Roberts lapped the entire field enroute to his first Daytona victory. He then won a rain-shortened Imola 200 race and was the second highest individual scorer behind Pat Hennen at the 1978 Transatlantic Match races. The 1978 world championship chase did not start well for Roberts at the season-opening round in Venezuela. Although Roberts won the 250cc Grand Prix, Sheene claimed the victory in the 500cc Venezuelan Grand Prix while Roberts' Yamaha suffered a mechanical failure. In the second round at the Spanish Grand Prix, Roberts improved with a second place behind fellow American Pat Hennen. Roberts then won his first-ever 500cc Grand Prix with a win in Austria, quickly followed by two more victories in France and Italy, along with two second place finishes in Holland and Belgium. With the 500cc championship points lead in hand, Roberts made the decision to abandon the 250cc championship after the Dutch TT in order to concentrate on the premier class. Sheene had come down with a debilitating virus at the Venezuelan round but, a string of podium finishes and a victory at the Swedish Grand Prix combined with Roberts' failure to score any points in Finland, allowed him to close the points gap.
The two championship contenders arrived in England for the British Grand Prix with only three points separating them. The race would end in controversy when torrential rains during the race along with pit stops for tire changes by both Roberts and Sheene, created confusion among official scorers. Eventually Roberts was declared the winner with Sheene being awarded third place behind privateer Steve Manship who did not stop for a tire change. In the final race of the season in Germany, Roberts finished in third place, ahead of Sheene in fourth place to claim the first world championship for an American rider in Grand Prix road racing history. He also scored four victories to finish second behind Johnny Cecotto in the Formula 750 world championship and, won two races to finish fourth in the 250cc world championship.

1979
The rebel leader

The 1979 season began disastrously for Roberts when he suffered career-threatening back injuries and a ruptured spleen in a pre-season crash while testing a motorcycle in Japan. His injuries caused him to miss the season-opening Grand Prix in Venezuela but, he completed an impressive recovery by winning the second round in Austria, followed by a second place in Germany and another victory in Italy. Controversy again surrounded Roberts at the Spanish Grand Prix when, Spanish race organisers, knowing that Roberts had to race to maintain his points lead, refused to pay him starting money as guaranteed by the F.I.M. regulations. An angered Roberts proceeded to win the race then, refused to accept the winner's trophy. The F.I.M. initially suspended the championship points leader for his actions however, the suspension was later reduced to probation.
Further controversy ensued at the Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa circuit. The circuit had been paved just days before the race creating a track that many of the racers felt was unsafe due to diesel seeping to the surface Roberts and the new championship points leader, Virginio Ferrari, instigated a riders' revolt and refused to race. Once again, the F.I.M. responded by suspending Roberts and Ferrari. The F.I.M. later reduced this to another probation. The event highlighted the animosity between Roberts and the F.I.M. concerning track safety. Roberts further irritated the F.I.M. when he began talking to the press about forming a rival racing series to compete against the F.I.M.'s monopoly
The series then moved on to Britain, where Roberts would be involved in one of the closest races in Grand Prix history. Roberts' battle with Sheene at the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone has been cited as one of the greatest races of the 1970s. Minutes before the start of the race, Roberts' Yamaha blew a seal and sprayed the bike with oil. His crew managed to replace the seal in time but, Roberts went to the starting line with his gloves coated with oil, causing his hand to slip on the throttle during the race The race began with Roberts, Sheene and Dutch rider Wil Hartog breaking away from the rest of the field of riders. Hartog eventually fell behind as Roberts and Sheene continued to battle for the lead. The event featured numerous lead changes throughout the 28 lap race, with Roberts winning ahead of Sheene by a narrow margin of just three-tenths of a second. A third place finish in the season-ending French Grand Prix, along with a crash by his main championship rival Ferrari, secured his second consecutive world championship.
In December 1979, Roberts made good on his threats when he along with the other top world championship riders, released a letter to the press announcing their intention to break away from the F.I.M. and create a rival race series called the World Series. When Roberts first arrived on the Grand Prix scene, motorcycle racers were competing for prize money as little as $200 at venues such as Imatra in Finland that featured railroad crossings and hay bales wrapped around telephone poles. In 1956, the reigning 500cc world champion, Geoff Duke and thirteen other riders were given six month suspensions for merely threatening to strike. Roberts adopted a confrontational, sometimes belligerent stance with race promoters, challenging the previously accepted poor treatment that motorcycle racers of the day were accustomed to receivingAlthough the competing series failed to take off due to difficulties in securing enough venues, it forced the F.I.M. to take the riders seriously and make changes regarding their safety. During the 1979 F.I.M Congress, new rules were passed increasing prize money substantially and in subsequent years, stricter safety regulations were imposed on race organizers.

1980
A third world championship

In February 1980, Roberts made a remarkable return to the American Grand National Championship for two races at the season opening Houston TT and short-track events held in the Houston Astrodome over two evenings. After more than a year away from dirt track competitions, Roberts won the Houston TT race to tie Bart Markel's career record of 28 Grand National victories. He followed that the next evening with a third place in the Houston short-track national.] Returning to England once again for the 1980 Transatlantic Match races, Roberts was once again the top individual points scorer as he led the American team to victory over the British.
For the 1980 Grand Prix season, the Yamaha factory made the Yamaha USA team of Roberts and Carruthers the de facto factory racing team. The season got underway two months late due to cancellation of Austrian and Venezuelan rounds. Barry Sheene had been replaced by Randy Mamola as the top Suzuki rider as, Sheene had been dissatisfied with the Suzuki's efforts and had turned to a privateer Yamaha team. Roberts won the first three races as the Suzuki team appeared to be in disarray but, by the third race, the Suzukis of Mamola and Marco Lucchinelli were making things more difficult for Roberts. Roberts' Yamaha suffered a deflating front tire in Holland forcing him to pull out of the race but, his main championship rivals also suffered setbacks with Cecotto, Ferrari and Hartog all missing races due to injuries and Sheene suffering mechanical breakdowns. Suzuki riders went on to win the last four races but, Roberts had built up a sufficient point lead to hold on and clinch his third consecutive 500cc world championship.

1981
A reversal of fortune

In 1981, Yamaha introduced a new square-four engined bike, similar to Suzuki's RG500. Roberts raced to a second place finish behind Marco Luchinelli at the non-championship Imola 200 race. Roberts' bike had a suspension failure in the Grand Prix season opener at Austria but, he rebounded to win the next two races in Germany and Italy. Roberts' title hopes suffered a setback at the Dutch TT at Assen when, his Yamaha's front brake pads were installed incorrectly causing his front wheel to lock up on the starting line, ending his race before it had started. He came back to score a second place behind Lucchinelli in Belgium but, was once again struck by misfortune when a bad case of food poisoning forced him to miss the San Marino Grand Prix. He then narrowly lost the British Grand Prix to Jack Middelburg by three-tenths of a second before ending his season with a seventh place in Finland and a retirement in Sweden. Suzuki team riders Mamola and Lucchinelli battled to the final race of the season before the Italian claimed the championship with a total of five Grand Prix victories, with Mamola finishing in second and Roberts in third place.
Roberts switched to Dunlop tires for the 1982 season as, Goodyear pulled out of motorcycle racing. New competition had arrived as Honda entered their new two-stroke NS500 ridden by defending champion Lucchinelli, former 350cc world champion, Takazumi Katayama and newcomer Freddie Spencer. Roberts won the season-opening round in Argentina on the old square-four Yamaha but, then switched to the new OW61 YZR500 V-four bike. He came in third at the Austrian Grand Prix then, sat out the French Grand Prix at Nogaro as he and the other top riders boycotted the race over unsafe track conditions. Roberts then won the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama ahead of Sheene and, scored a second place behind Suzuki rider Franco Uncini in Holland. In a portent of things to come, Roberts was leading the Belgian Grand Prix when his Dunlop tires lost their grip and he had to settle for fourth place as Spencer went on to win his first Grand Prix for Honda Roberts then injured his knee and finger at the British Grand Prix and had to miss the Swedish round but, by then the world championship had been claimed by Uncini with a total of five victories while Roberts fell to fourth place. By the end of the 1982 season, Roberts had won 16 500cc Grand Prix races, more than double that of any of his contemporaries.
1983
Roberts versus Spencer

Roberts announced that the 1983 season would be his final year in Grand Prix competition. Yamaha team manager Giacomo Agostini had been unable to agree on a contract with rider Graeme Crosby so, A.M.A. Superbike champion Eddie Lawson was brought in as Roberts' new teammate. The 1983 battle for the championship between Roberts and Honda's Spencer would be considered one of the greatest seasons in motorcycle Grand Prix history, along with the 1967 500cc duel between Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini. Roberts began the season with his YZR500 having problems with overheating and rear suspension while, Spencer started strongly, winning the first three races and five out of the first seven. Roberts was leading the second race in France when, his Yamaha split an expansion chamber causing it to lose power as Spencer won, with Roberts falling to fourth place. In Round 3 at Monza, Roberts crashed while leading Spencer three laps from the finish. Roberts came back to win the German Grand Prix but, then finished second to Spencer in Spain in a race Spencer called one of the toughest of his career. Things began to go Roberts' way at the Austrian Grand Prix as Roberts won while Spencer's Honda suffered a crankshaft failure. In the Yugoslavian Grand Prix, Roberts' Yamaha failed to start immediately while Spencer charged to an early lead, leaving Roberts to fight through the field to finish in fourth place. Roberts then went on a three-race winning streak with victories in Holland, Belgium and England while, Spencer stayed close with a third place and two second place finishes.
The championship then moved to the penultimate round at the Swedish Grand Prix with Spencer holding a two point lead over Roberts. Roberts led Spencer going into the last lap of the race. Heading down the back straight, Spencer placed his Honda right behind Roberts' Yamaha as they reached the second to the last corner, a ninety degree right-hander. As both riders applied their brakes, Spencer came out of Roberts' slipstream and managed to get inside of the Yamaha. As they exited the corner, both riders ran wide off the track and into the dirt. Spencer was able to get back on the track and back on the power first, crossing the finish line just ahead of Roberts for a crucial victory. Roberts considered Spencer's pass to be foolish and dangerous and, exchanged angry words with him on the podium. Roberts would have to win the final round at the San Marino Grand Prix with Spencer finishing no better than third place in order for Roberts to win his fourth world championship. In a fitting end to a great career, Roberts won his last-ever Grand Prix race however, Spencer was able to secure second place to claim the world championship. The two riders dominated the season with each claiming six victories in the 12 race series.

1984
Roberts continued to ride in selected events in 1984. In March, he battled Spencer to win his second consecutive Daytona 200 and third win overall In July, Roberts won the first leg of the Laguna Seca 200 then, finished second to Randy Mamola in the second leg as, Mamola was declared the winner based on agregate times . In September, he appeared at the Springfield Mile Grand National dirt track race riding a Mert Lawwill-prepared Harley Davidson XR750 but, failed to make the final. In July 1985, Roberts won the pole position at the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race held in Japan.[62] Teamed with Tadahiko Taira, the duo were leading the race until the final hour when, mechanical problems dropped them back to seventeenth place. Roberts returned to compete in the 1986 Suzuka 8 Hours, this time teaming up with American Mike Baldwin. He qualified second behind Wayne Gardner but, failed to finish the race.


Career statistics

In a 13 year professional racing career, Roberts won two Grand National Championships and three 500cc world championships including; 32 Grand Nationals and 24 Grand Prix road races. He also won the Daytona 200 three times and was a six-time winner of the Laguna Seca 200. He was the second A.M.A. rider after Dick Mann to accomplish the Grand Slam of winning all five events of the Grand National Championship.

Race team manager and owner

After his Grand Prix racing career ended in 1983, Roberts briefly considered an auto racing career before deciding to field a Grand Prix team. In 1984, he entered a team into the 250cc world championship with riders Wayne Rainey and Alan Carter using Yamaha bikes. In 1986 he moved up to the 500cc world championship with riders Randy Mamola and Mike Baldwin. After returning to the United States to compete in the A.M.A. Superbike championship, Wayne Rainey re-joined the team in 1988, finishing in third place in his inaugural 500cc season, then, improving to second place behind Eddie Lawson in 1989. In 1990, Roberts secured the financial support of the Marlboro cigarette company and, his team became the official Yamaha factory racing team. Roberts team riders Rainey and John Kocinski won the 500cc and 250cc world championships in 1990, making Roberts the most successful team manager in Grand Prix racing at the time. Rainey went on to win three consecutive 500cc world championships for Roberts' teamAfter Rainey was left paralyzed in a crash at the 1994 Italian Grand Prix, the Roberts team continued racing with Luca Cadalora as their main rider but, struggled during a period dominated by Honda and Mick Doohan.
In 1997, Roberts stunned the racing world when he left Yamaha after more than 25 years to start his own motorcycle company. Roberts had grown weary of battling over the direction he felt the Yamaha team needed to pursue. Basing his new company in England to take advantage of the Formula 1 industry, Roberts built a three cylinder, two-stroke engine with the engineering assistance of Tom Walkinshaw Racing. He decided to take advantage of rules allowing lighter weights for three cylinder motorcycles after observing the agility and handling advantage of Spencer's Honda NS500 during the 1983 season. Unfortunately, by the time the motorcycle had been developed, tire technology had improved to the point where any advantage over four cylinder bikes had been negated. The motorcycle did manage to win a pole position with rider Jeremy McWilliams taking the top qualifying position at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix against the new breed of 990cc four-stroke MotoGP motorcycles.
With the introduction of the MotoGP class in 2002, Roberts' team developed a five cylinder bike called the KR5. The team was originally well-funded by Proton of Malaysia but, by the middle of the 2004 season, it became apparent that the Roberts team wasn't able to field an engine capable of competing with the dominant Japanese factories. Roberts turned to the KTM factory to provide engines for the 2005 season however, after ten races KTM abruptly withdrew their support on the eve of the Czech Republic Grand Prix, forcing the team to miss several races.] Honda stepped in to help Roberts' team for the 2006 season by providing five-cylinder engines as, Robert's son, Kenny Roberts, Jr., rode the Team Roberts KR211V bike to a sixth place in the championship including two podium results. The 2007 season saw the introduction of a new MotoGP engine formula using 800cc four-stroke engines. Roberts would once again secure engines from Honda for the Team Roberts KR212V race bike but, the results were not as hoped and funding for the team faded. After the 2007 season, Roberts pulled out of MotoGP competition due to the lack of sponsorship.

Legacy

Roberts' riding style where he forced the motorcycle's rear wheel to break traction to steer around a corner, essentially riding on paved surfaces as if they were dirt tracks, changed the way Grand Prix motorcycles were riddenFrom 1983 to 1999, every 500cc world championship was won by a rider with a dirt track racing background. Roberts' cornering method of hanging off the motorcycles with his knee extended forced him to use duct tape as knee pads and, eventually led to the introduction of purpose-built knee pucks used by all motorcycle road racers today. His battles with the Grand Prix establishment eventually led to the adoption of stricter safety standards for Grand Prix race organizers He was one of the first riders to challenge the F.I.M. over the way they treated competitors and helped improve prize money as well as the professionalism of the sport. It wasn't until Roberts planned his rival race series in 1980 that the F.I.M. was forced to change the way in which they dealt with motorcycle racers.
Throughout his career, Roberts has been a strong proponent of raising the image of motorcycle racing among the general public. During his riding career, he made a point of returning from Europe during the mid-season break in the Grand Prix calendar to race in the Laguna Seca 200 as a way to increase the profile of the event in order for it to gain Grand Prix status. In 1993, Roberts took on the role of promoter, providing financial backing for the 1993 United States Grand Prix In the 1990s when Grand Prix racing faced diminishing numbers of competitors due to increasing costs, Roberts demanded that Yamaha provide engines to privateer teams in order to bolster the numbers of racers.
Roberts' son, Kenny Roberts, Jr., won the 2000 500cc World Championship, making them the only father and son duo to have won the title. In a somewhat ironic twist, Roberts has stated that he considers himself a dirt tracker at heart and only took up road racing because it was necessary to do so if a rider was going to compete for the Grand National championship. He also stated that he would have preferred to remain in the United States to compete in the Grand National championship if Yamaha or another manufacturer had been able to construct a dirt track racer capable of competing with Harley Davidson.

Honors

Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1990.
Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992.
Inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.
The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2000.

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THE BIOGRAPHY OF PHILIP WILLIAM READ

Phil Read’s spectacular career saw him compete in the World Championship over a period of 16 years in the '60s and '70s, winning 52 Grands Prix and seven World titles across four different classes, battling against other great names such as Giacomo Agostini, Mike Hailwood and Barry Sheene.



He made his Grand Prix debut in 1961, making a handful of appearances that year across the 125cc, 350cc and 500cc categories and took victory in the Isle of Man TT 350cc race onboard Norton machinery.
Phillip William Read (born 1 January 1939 in Luton, England) is an English former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer nicknamed "The Prince of Speed." Although he would often be overshadowed by his contemporary, Mike Hailwood, he would become the first man to win world championships in the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc classes.

By 1964, he had won his first world title - and a first for Yamaha - when he conquered the 250cc championship courtesy of five Grand Prix victories in the quarter litre class. The following season he retained the title as he won seven of the nine 250cc Grands Prix and finished second in the other two.
On a new four cylinder 250cc Yamaha in 1966 Read missed out on the title to Honda’s Mike Hailwood and although he pushed his countryman close the following year it was Hailwood who again emerged with the 1967 title.
However, in 1968 Read became a World Champion again, in fact winning two titles as he added the 125cc crown and then controversially another 250cc championship to his list of achievements. Having taken the single cylinder honours he denied his team-mate Bill Ivy the 250cc title at the last Grand Prix of the year, a move which did not go down well with his Yamaha bosses.
Although Read did not receive factory Yamaha support from that point on and only made sporadic World Championship appearances over the next couple of years – whilst the major Japanese factories were incidentally withdrawing from Grand Prix racing - he returned to the 250cc scene full time in '71 to reclaim the title.
In 1972 he got the opportunity to ride an MV Agusta 350cc and the next season the Italian brand also provided him with a 500cc ride. The Englishman repaid the favour by winning the premier class title consecutively in '73 and '74, before finishing runner-up to a Yamaha-riding Giacomo Agostini in '75.
Read retired from World Championship racing in 1976.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Most successful British GP rider with 121 podiums.
8 World Championships.
52 GP wins, comprising;
10 125cc GP wins
27 250cc GP wins
4 350cc GP wins
11 500cc GP wins

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THE BIOGRAPHY OF WAYNE RAINEY

Wayne Rainey’s story is one of multiple World Championships, fierce on-track battles and, ultimately, triumph over terrible adversity away from the racing circuit. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest riders of his era.Wayne Rainey is the last of the great American multi-World Champions to have graced MotoGP. The Californian won three 500cc titles in a row from 1990 to 1992 and joined the ranks of those such as Kenny Roberts Snr., Freddie Spencer and Eddie Lawson in a hefty US legacy that has also been augmented by the likes of Kevin Schwantz, Kenny Roberts Jnr. and Nicky Hayden



Wayne Wesley Rainey, born October 23, 1960 (age 50) in Downey, California, United States, is an American former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he won the 500cc World Championship three times and the Daytona 200 once.[2][3] He was characterized by his smooth, calculating riding style
Racing career
Rainey began his career racing in the A.M.A. Grand National Championship, a series that encompassed four distinct dirt track disciplines plus road races.[3] In 1981, he finished the Grand National season as the 15th ranked dirt track racer in the country.[4] Following his success in the Novice 250cc roadrace class, Kawasaki hired him to compete in the 1982 AMA Superbike Championship as a teammate to the then defending National Champion Eddie Lawson.[3] The following year, Lawson moved to the Grand Prix circuit and Rainey took over the role of leading rider, earning the 1983 National Championship for Kawasaki.
In 1984, he accepted an offer to ride for the newly formed Kenny Roberts Yamaha squad in the 250cc class of the Grand Prix World Championship. A less than successful season (1 podium and difficulty push-starting the bike) saw him returning home in 1985 to join the Maclean Racing team in U.S. 250 and Formula 1 classes, and then on to the American Honda team from 1986 to 1987 where he raced Superbike and F1. It was during the 1987 Superbike National Championship that his intense rivalry began with Kevin Schwantz as the two battled it out for the titleRainey won the Championship, but the fierce rivalry between the two competitors was just beginning. So intense was their rivalry that they continued their battle during the 1987 Trans-Atlantic Match Races in which they were supposedly teammates competing against a team of British riders.
In 1988 Rainey returned to Europe, again joining Team Roberts Yamaha, this time in the premier 500cc division riding the YZR500. His arch-rival Schwantz followed him to Europe, signing to race the 500cc class for Team Suzuki. The two would continue their rivalry on race tracks all across Europe, driving each other to higher levels of competitiveness. In 1988, Rainey and his Team Roberts Yamaha teammate Kevin Magee would also win the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in Japan. In the 1989 campaign, Rainey would finish second overall. From 1990 to 1992, Rainey hit his stride earning three consecutive 500cc crowns for Yamaha. Rainey was well on his way to his fourth-consecutive title in 1993. He was leading the championship points and leading the GP when he suffered his career-ending crash at the Italian Grand Prix in Misano. He slid into the gravel trap at high speed, breaking his spine against the raked surface designed as a safety feature for car racing. The injury handed the title over to his great rival, Schwantz. Rainey's injuries would render him permanently paralyzed from the chest down.
After turning to Williams team owner and fellow paraplegic Frank Williams for advice, Rainey later became the team manager for Marlboro Yamaha for a few years. After the 1995 season, Schwantz retired from the Grand Prix circus, partly due to nagging injuries and partly because losing the one great rival that had fired his competitive intensity made him view his own mortality much more clearly.
Rainey has refused to give up racing despite his disability and now races a hand-controlled Superkart in the World SuperKart series based in Northern California. He lives in Monterey, California in a house which was built overlooking the Laguna Seca circuit shortly before his career ending accident. The nearby circuit has named a corner in his honor, the Rainey Curve, a medium-speed, acute left-hander that follows the famous Corkscrew. Rainey was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. the FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2000. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 2003, he was one of the subjects of the motorcycle racing documentary film, Faster.

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THE BIOGRAPHY OF WAYNE MICHAEL GARDNER

Wayne Michael Gardner OAM (born 11 October 1959 (1959-10-11) (age51) in Wollongong, New South Wales) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and touring car racer. His most notable achievement was winning the 1987 500cc Motorcycle World Championship, becoming the first Australian to win motorcycling's premier class.[1] His success on the world motorcycle racing circuit earned him the nickname The Wollongong Whiz.



Gardner began his racing career in 1977 at age 18, riding a second-hand Yamaha TZ250 bike in the Australian championship and finishing second on debut at Amaroo Park. He went on to record his first win a few weeks later at Oran Park Raceway.
He won his first 500 cc race at the Jarama circuit in Spain in 1986, the 500 cc World Championship in 1987 and the inaugural Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island in 1989.[1][2] For his entire Grand Prix career, Gardner raced for the Rothmans Honda team and was joined on that team by fellow Australian Michael Doohan in 1989.
Gardner also won four Suzuka 8 Hours races in 1985, 1986, 1991 and 1992.
Gardner retired from motorcycle racing following the 1992 season but stayed closely involved with the sport, helping various riders like Daryl Beattie early in their careers. He rode at special events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed on classic Honda motorcycles and raced again at the Goodwood race meeting against fellow bikers James Whitham, the late Barry Sheene and ex-Formula One driver Damon Hill.

Following his retirement from the 500cc championship, Gardner turned his interests to four-wheeled motorsport.He began his touring car career in 1992, driving the Raider Motorsport built Bob Forbes Racing VN Commodore, leased by Graham Moore for the 1992 Bathurst 1000. In 1993 Gardner won a race at the Australian Grand Prix weekend and finishing third in the prestigious Bathurst 1000, driving a Holden Commodore.Many incidents while driving for the Holden Racing Team in 1993 led to him being given the nickname Captain Chaos, and actually led to his brief suspension from the team for that year's Sandown 500. For the 1994 season he formed his own team, Wayne Gardner Racing, where he raced for three seasons with team mate Neil Crompton. The team folded after a partial 1999 season with a leased car from Perkins Engineering, but he continued racing V8 Supercars until 2002, with the highlight of taking pole position for the 2000 Bathurst 1000. Wayne Gardner is also noted[by whom?] for winning the first round in the V8 Supercar Championship's inaugural season in 1997, at Calder Park Raceway.

Gardner also made a foray into the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, racing a works Toyota Supra, in 1996 and raced in this competition until his retirement from motorsport in 2001.[9][10] He won a round of the championship in 1999 (at Fuji Speedway) and 2001 (at Sportsland SUGO). He also had the distinction in 2001 of being the only Toyota driver to finish every race that season, and he also finished every race in the points.

Gardner made a one-off appearance at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans. Gardner was entered in the Riley & Scott with Philippe Gache and fellow ex-motorcycle rider Didier de Radiguès. They qualified 26th, but failed to finish due to engine problems after completing 155 laps.[11]
Wayne Gardner donated his handprints in 1993 to assist endangered species and world peace causes with Davson's Artists For Life charity.
Gardner
Wayne Michael Gardner OAM PROFILE

1959
born in Australia

1974
Australian Minibike championship; runner-up

1979
Castrol 6 Hour Production race; winner 750cc with John Pace

1981
Daytona; finished 4th

1982
world TT F1 championship, Honda 1000; 1 win (Portuguese)
British TT F1 championship
wins Castrol 6 Hour with Wayne Clarke

1983
wins British TT F1 championship
voted "Motorcycle Man of the Year" in UK

1984
500 cc GP debut with Honda(1984)
best finish 3rd at Swedish GP
finished 7th overall from 5 races out of 12 rounds

1985
joins factory Honda team
wins Suzuka 8 hour
4th overall on Honda V3 500cc

1986
runner-up with Honda V4 500cc
3 GP wins
wins Suzuka 8 hour

1987
wins 500cc world championship with Honda
7 wins (Spanish,Italian, Austrian, Yugoslav, Swedish, Czech, Brazilian GPs)

1988
4 wins
2nd overall
retires from motorcycle racing and moves to car racing

1991
wins Suzuka 8 hour

1992
wins Suzuka 8 hour

1993
starts 4 wheel racing career
Australian Touring Car Championship (V8 Supercar)

1994
team owner and driver - Gardner Holden team
Australian Touring Car Championship (V8 Supercar)

1998
All Japan GT championship with Toyota
2003
February: announce retirement from motorsport

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THE BIOGRAPHY OF DAIJIRO KATO

Daijiro Kato Japanese: 加藤 大治郎; Katō Daijirō ; ( July 4, 1976- April 20, 2003) was a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racerand the 2001 World Champion in the 250cc class.

Kato was born in Saitama, and started racing miniature bikes at an early age, becoming a four-time national champion in the Japanese pocket-bike championship.
He began road racing in 1992, and entered his first Grand Prix in 1996, as a wild-card rider. In the 250cc class, Kato finished third after debuting at his home circuit of Suzuka Circuit. The next year, he won the Japanese Championship, and again entered the Japanese Grand Prix with a wild card, winning the race at this occasion.


In spite of these successes, Kato didn't ride his first full Grand Prix season until 2000, when he started in the 250cc, riding a Honda. He won four races that season (of which two in Japan), and placed third in the championship. In 2001, he dominated the 250cc championship. He won no fewer than 11 races, a record in 250cc, and easily won the title. In that season season he set a new record for the most points in a single season in 250cc class with 322 points.
The following season, Kato moved up to the MotoGP class (formerly 500cc) racing for Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) in the Fortuna Gresini Racing team. Some strong performances on the Honda NSR500 two-stroke bike in the first half of the season including second place at the 2002 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez circuit, meant he was given a full factory supported four-stroke Honda RC211V for the rest of the season; his best result on the RC211V was a second place at the Czech Grand Prix at Brno.

For 2003, Kato remained at the Gresini team, now with sponsorship from Telefónica movistar brought by new teammate Sete Gibernau joining from Suzuki. On April 6, 2003 during the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Kato crashed hard and sustained severe head, neck and chest injuries. He was estimated to have hit the wall near the Casio Triangle chicane of the circuit at around 125mph (200 km/h). Kato spent two weeks in a coma following the accident before dying as a result of the injuries he sustained. The cause of death was listed as brain stem infarction.
In 2006, the Misano World Circuit honoured Kato, who lived part of the season in the area, by naming a new access road to the circuit Via Daijiro Kato. That circuit's offices are located on the road named in his memory

On April 6, 2003, during the first race of the 2003 MotoGP season at Suzuka, Kato crashed hard and sustained severe head, neck and chest injuries. He was estimated to have hit the wall near the Casio Triangle chicane of the circuit at around 125mph (200 km/h). Many questions were raised regarding the actions of the corner workers immediately following the crash. Kato was thrown back onto the track after hitting the wall and was lying next to the racing line Normally, when a motorcycle and/or rider are incapacitated on the race track, a red flag is waved and the race stopped so the track can be safely cleared. This did not happen following Kato's accident. Instead, the corner workers dragged his body off the track and threw him on a stretcher, actions that are not in accordance with tending to someone with suspected neck and spinal cord injuries. The race was not stopped.
Kato spent two weeks in a coma following the accident before dying as a result of the injuries he sustained. The cause of death was listed as brain stem infarction. Many of the MotoGP riders wore black armbands or placed small #74's on their leathers and bikes at the following race in South Africa to pay tribute to the fallen racer. His teammate, Sete Gibernau, has worn a #74 on his racesuit since winning the race in his memory. There has not been a Grand Prix motorcycle race held at Suzuka following Kato's crash, with safety issues at the facility being cited as the reason.
During the 2003 Suzuka 8 Hours race held that July, Honda paid tribute to Kato, a two-time Suzuka winner, by bearing his racing number on the Sakurai Honda bike of Tadayuki Okada and Chojun Kameya (who in Turn 1 crashed on spilt oil on the second lap), along with the bikes of Nicky Hayden and Atsushi Watanabe. Once Tady and the others returned to the pits with their broken bikes, the former 500cc rider was permitted to go back out with a spare bike, as a mark of respect, but was ineligible to win since his original bike was badly damaged. Two hours later, Tady returned to the pitlane to retire the bike amid mass applause from the crowd. At the end of the race, the other Sakurai bikes of Yukio Nukumi and Manabu Kamada (who were still racing), went on to the rostrum to show off Daijiro's helmet bearing his number on the visor, and a photo of him on the bike, as a mark of respect.
Afterwards the FIM retired Kato's number, and since then the bike number 74 has not been used by any rider since.

Racing highlights
1993
•All Kyushu Area Championship: SP250, GP125, GP250 classes.
•Ranking: Championship winner in all 3 classes.

1994
•All Japan Road Race Championship: GP250 class.
•First win at round 9 at TI Circuit in Aida, Okayama.
•Ranking: Seventh.

1995
•All Japan Road Race Championship: GP250 class.
•Ranking: Fifth.

1996
•All Japan Road Race Championship: GP250 class.
•Ranking: Second.
•Kato participated as a wild card rider at the world grand prix championship GP250 race in Japan and finished third.

1997
•All Japan Road Race Championship: GP250 class.
•Ranking: Championship winner.
•Kato again participated as a wild card rider at the world grand prix championship GP250 race in Japan and won the race.
•Kato raced the Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan and finished ninth.

1998
•All Japan Road Race Championship: GP250 class.
•Ranking: Eighth.
•Kato again participated as a wild card rider at the world grand prix championship GP250 race in Japan and won the race a second time.

1999
•All Japan Road Race Championship: GP250 class.
•Ranking: Second.

2000
•Grand Prix World Championship: GP250 class.
•Ranking: Third.
•Kato was awarded the Rookie-of-the-Year prize in the GP250 class.
•Kato, teaming with fellow Japanese rider Tohru Ukawa, won the Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan.

2001
•Grand Prix World Championship: GP250 class.
•Ranking: Championship winner.
•Kato set a new grand prix world record by winning 11 races throughout the 2001 season. He was also recognized for his efforts to the public by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Science and Technology.

2002
•Grand Prix World Championship: MotoGP/500cc class.
•Ranking: Seventh.
•Kato was awarded the Rookie-of-the-Year prize in the MotoGP/500cc class.
•Kato, this time teaming with American rider Colin Edwards, won the Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan for a second time.

2003
•Grand Prix World Championship: MotoGP class.
•Suffered a fatal crash at the first race at Suzuka

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