CNIIARCHIVES
P130
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
L
ast week in Archives, we
revisited 1983 when Freddie
Spencer, Randy Mamola and Ed
-
die Lawson swept the podium at
the Italian GP at Monza. A first
for America and a historic day
indeed in 500cc Grand Prix/Mo
-
toGP racing. And this got us to
thinking: When was the last time
three Yanks hogged the podium
at a Grand Prix?
I thought for sure it would be in
the Nicky Hayden/John Hopkins/
Kenny Roberts Jr. era, seeing
as it's been nothing but rolling
tumbleweeds since then (bar, of
course, the mercurial Ben Spies
pulling the odd podium), but I
needed to go way back to 1993
to find the answer.
The last time there was
an all-American podium in
MotoGP came at the season
opening Australian 500cc
Grand Prix at Sydney Motor-
sport Park (then known as
Eastern Creek) that I attended
as an annoying, autograph hunt-
ing 10-year-old.
This was the height of the
American/Australian domination
of the class of kings, and the
year that would ultimately prove
the final in the long-running
duel of two of the sport's most
revered names, Wayne Rainey
and Kevin Schwantz.
The 1993 season was almost
guaranteed to be a two-horse
tumbleweeds since then (bar, of
course, the mercurial Ben Spies
needed to go way back to 1993
Eastern Creek) that I attended
1993 Australian Grand Prix Video
THE LAST
TIME–FOR
NOW
(Right) The field assembles
for the 1993 Australian
Grand Prix with Kevin
Schwantz (34) on pole
from Wayne Rainey (1),
Daryl Beattie (4) and Doug
Chandler (red umbrella).
We look back at e last time MotoGP
saw an a-American podium.
