Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

. wIlh 30 "' ..... . - J ' .329 .321 " .2036 .2033 .168 .164 .137 .130 .119 .115 .094 .086 075 074 .071 beginning of the end of that dominance came after Rainey's career-ending accident at Misano in 1993. Since then American riders have won only four GPs (two by Kocinski and two by Schwantz). We haven't heard the American National Anthem at a GP since July 24,1994, when Schwantz won the British Grand Prix at Donington Park, scoring the 25th and final win of his great career. Our 500cc losing streak has now extended to 32 races. So wi th our lone 500cc rider, Kenny Roberts Jr., still winless, we can only take some comfort in the fact that Great Britain is in even a bigger slump, 0 for 203 to be exact (and Mamola and I have been told that British TV viewers are tired of hearing about this "O-for" and wish we would shut up about it). The last British rider to win a 500cc GP was Sheene, back in 1981 at Anderstorp, Sweden, on a crisp, August day with scattered -clouds and showers. That race, by the way, is mainly remembered in GP history because Marco Lucchinelli finished ninth to win the 83 24 WJnnInp % .379 .323 .321 ,289 127 31 .244 104 97 25 19 102 18 8 .240 .196 ,176 .145 4 13 .090 .... IIiDI 58 22 20 34 62 106 55 44 145 (Above) Randy Mamola won only 13 times In his 145 starts, but he was a runner-up In the World Championship two times. (Left) Kevin Schwantz Is ranked sixth In winning percentage, fifth In pole position percentage, seventh in podium appearance percentage, fifth in fastest lap percentage and sixth In average points per start. ...... ... ~:II ~~M:7 64 39 69 78 ...... .091 II.1J P' % 771 .672 .651 .614 52 .510 31 51 .500 .490 40 18 20 412 .409 .375 Futut LRp % .413 ,290 .283 ,265 ,250 .186 ,185 ,165 .118 SOOcc World Championship from Mamala, spooked by the rain, who cfidn't score, fueling the myth that "Yanks can't ride in the rain." Mamola went on to overcome his rain jitters to become, perhaps, the best rain rider of.his generation. We're trying to confirm this with stats from Dr. Raines, but sometimes there is nothing in the official results which 'gives weather conditions. Speaking of streaks, at present the longest significant ongoing streaks in GP racing are all held by Honda or Honda riders. Honda has. 43 consecutive podium finishes in the SOOcc class, 38 in 125 and 22 in 250. Ralf Waldmann has the longest current consecutive podium streak with U. Doohan has now scored in his last 23 starts, followed by Waldmann who has scored in the last 14. Honda looked like it had an outside shot at one of GP racing's "unbeatable" record streaks. Going into the last round of the 500cc championship last year, Honda had a string of 11 straight wins, nine behind MV Agusta's record of 20 in a row (1968-69) - but when Criville nailed Doohan on the last lap the streak went down the road along with the two HRC works riders. Here are some vital stats, especially in the 500cc class. We are limited to recent GP history, from 1976 to the present, on the true number of starts, but we are working with the FIM and recognized (Right) Kenny Roberts won 22 times in only 58 500cc GP starts for an amazing winning percentage of .379. Not even Roberts could match Wayne Rainey when It came to average points per start or podium appearance percentage • two areas whenl Rainey Is unmatched. .109 .103 .091 iliiliJ;1,..__ . CIlI ocomg .....ted to present system> , (Left) England's Barry Sheene Is seventh on the alltime win percentage list. Grand Prix historians to bring into the picture the complete results of riders from the earlier years of racing. When all the information is available, I am sure that the stats of riders like Hailwood, Nieto, Surtees, Duke and Ubbiali. will be overwhelming compared to the best of today's riders, while the final line for 15time World Champion Giacomo Agostini, winner of 122 Grands Prix (68 in SOOcc racing and 54 in the discontinued 350cc class) will be truly Ruthian in its majesty. (N

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