Great news for those who have been following GP racing closely during the 1980s and early 1990s. Or racing enthusiasts out in the open, legendary three-time 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey will be riding his 1992 World Championship-winning YZR500 again at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (June 23-26) at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (June 23-26). That is the first time in 29 years that Rainey will be seen again on his own race bike.
After all, that has been the case since the unfortunate accident at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix, which left Rainey paralyzed from the chest. Not the first time Rainey has ridden the bike again, admittedly – that happened in 2019 on the circuit of suzuka, aboard a converted Yamaha R1. But this is more than one step further. Rainey’s ride is largely made possible by Yamaha itself, which has rebuilt the 30-year-old Yamaha YZR500 so that Rainey can control it completely from the handlebars. Rainey himself has had a four-decade career in motorsport, first as a three-time world champion, then as a team manager and currently director of MotoAmerica.
Wayne Rainey himself is delighted: “I am incredibly happy to not only attend my first Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer, but also to take my 1992 Yamaha YZR500 up the famous hillclimb. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. I want to thank the Yamaha Motor Company for prepping my 1992 YZR500 and modifying it so I can ride it, MotoAmerica for helping me make the whole project a success, and the Duke of Richmond for actually making this project a reality. I can’t wait to meet the fans from all over the world for the Goodwood Festival of Speed.” Great, we are already looking forward to it.
Tickets to Goodwood cost between 52 and 211 euros, depending on the number of days. Need more info, or do you want to order tickets? Which can here†
Wayne Rainey
For those who don’t know the American, let’s take a look at his downright impressive figures. On 82 500cc GP starts, Wayne Rainey won a whopping 24 races and took 64 podium finishes, while his battles with arch-rival Kevin Schwantz proved grateful fodder for motorcycle history. At the time of his accident in 1993, Rainey was leading the world championship and just three races away from winning his fourth title.
After his accident, Rainey became team manager of the Marlboro Yamaha Team before retiring in 1998. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007, was named an FIM Grand Prix ‘Legend’ in 2000 and had a turn at Laguna Seca named after him. More than rightly so.
– Thanks for information from Motornieuws.be