1990 United States motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1990 United States motorcycle Grand Prix was the second round of the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of April 6–8, 1990 at Laguna Seca.[4]

  1990 United States Grand Prix
Race details
Race 2 of 15 races in the
1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
DateApril 8, 1990
Official nameU.S. Budweiser International Grand Prix[1][2][3]
LocationLaguna Seca Raceway
Course
  • Permanent racing facility
  • 3.602 km (2.238 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider Wayne Gardner
Time 1:25.908
Fastest lap
Rider Kevin Schwantz
Time 1:25.838
Podium
First Wayne Rainey
Second Mick Doohan
Third Pierfrancesco Chili
250 cc
Pole position
Rider Luca Cadalora
Time 1:28.866
Fastest lap
Rider John Kocinski
Time 1:29.178
Podium
First John Kocinski
Second Luca Cadalora
Third Wilco Zeelenberg

500 cc race report

Eddie Lawson's season went from bad to worse: during practice his brakes failed at speed, and he hit the straw bales hard, shattering his right ankle. He would be sidelined until round 8 at Assen.

Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz both got away together at the start; Rainey's front wheel lifted, and maybe because of that, he and Schwantz touched as they headed toward the hairpin. The order as they made their way to the Corkscrew was Rainey, Schwantz, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Kevin Magee. Magee soon crashed out of the race, which was red-flagged because an ambulance needed to get on the track, Magee suffering severe head injuries and ending his season. He recovered, but never raced again at the same level.

At the new start, Schwantz got to the hairpin first, followed by Sito Pons and Rainey. Rainey soon passed Pons and a gap formed to the fight for third, between Gardner, Pons and Doohan. On the uphill approach to the Corkscrew, Gardner highsided up and out.

Commentating for Australian broadcaster Nine Network, two-time 500cc world champion Barry Sheene remarked his clear disapproval towards the safety standards at Laguna Seca after Gardner's crash:

"If the Americans are bigger and better at everything, then why don't they build a decent racetrack?"

Barry Sheene[5]

Rainey passed on Turn 11, and was able to keep Schwantz behind him for a lap. As they went through Turn 11 with 5 laps to go, Schwantz highsided, and injured his wrist too much to continue, which was later discovered to be a fracture.

500 cc classification

Pos. Rider Team Manufacturer Time/Retired Points
1 Wayne Rainey Marlboro Team Roberts Yamaha 50:55.379 20
2 Mick Doohan Rothmans Honda Team Honda +30.386 17
3 Pierfrancesco Chili Team ROC Elf La Cinq Honda +59.233 15
4 Christian Sarron Sonauto Gauloises Yamaha +1:13.006 13
5 Jean Philippe Ruggia Sonauto Gauloises Yamaha +1:22.592 11
6 Juan Garriga Ducados Yamaha Yamaha +1 Lap 10
7 Randy Mamola Cagiva Corse Cagiva +1 Lap 9
8 Alex Barros Cagiva Corse Cagiva +1 Lap 8
9 Peter Lindén Honda +3 Laps 7
10 Nicholas Schmassman Team Schmassman Honda +3 Laps 6
Ret Kevin Magee Lucky Strike Suzuki Suzuki Retirement
Ret Kevin Schwantz Lucky Strike Suzuki Suzuki Retirement
Ret Wayne Gardner Rothmans Honda Team Honda Retirement
Ret Ron Haslam Cagiva Corse Cagiva Retirement
Ret Sito Pons Campsa Banesto Honda Retirement
DNS Eddie Lawson Marlboro Team Roberts Yamaha Crash in practice
DNS Tadahiko Taira Tech 21 Yamaha Did not start
DNQ Hansjorg Butz Honda Did not qualify
Sources:[6][7]

References

  1. "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1990". 25 July 2015. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015.
  2. Mitchell, Malcolm. "1990 500cc Class (FIM Grand Prix World Championship) Programmes - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
  3. Mitchell, Malcolm. "Laguna Seca Raceway - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
  4. "Moto GP statisics". Moto GP. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  5. Sheene, Barry (Commentator) (8 April 1990). United States Motorcycle Grand Prix (Television production). Nine’s Wide World of Sports. If the Americans are bigger and better at everything, then why don't they build a decent racetrack?
  6. "1990 United States MotoGP - Motor Sport Magazine Database". 13 June 2017.
  7. "motogp.com · UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX · 500cc Race Classification 1990". www.motogp.com.
Previous race:
1990 Japanese Grand Prix
FIM Grand Prix World Championship
1990 season
Next race:
1990 Spanish Grand Prix
Previous race:
1989 United States Grand Prix
United States Grand Prix Next race:
1991 United States Grand Prix
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