1989 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix

Last updated
Flag of Japan.svg   1989 Japanese Grand Prix
Race details
Race 1 of 15 races in the
1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Suzuka circuit map (1987-2002).svg
Date26 March 1989
Official nameGrand Prix of Japan [1] [2] [3]
Location Suzuka Circuit
Course
  • Permanent racing facility
  • 5.821 km (3.617 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider Flag of Japan.svg Tadahiko Taira
Time 2:11.860
Fastest lap
Rider Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Schwantz
Time 2:11.800
Podium
First Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Schwantz
Second Flag of the United States.svg Wayne Rainey
Third Flag of the United States.svg Eddie Lawson
250 cc
Pole position
Rider Flag of the United States.svg John Kocinski
Time 2:17.040
Fastest lap
Rider Flag of the United States.svg John Kocinski
Time 2:16.720
Podium
First Flag of the United States.svg John Kocinski
Second Flag of Spain.svg Sito Pons
Third Flag of Italy.svg Luca Cadalora
125 cc
Pole position
Rider Flag of Italy.svg Ezio Gianola
Time 2:26.980
Fastest lap
Rider Flag of Italy.svg Ezio Gianola
Time 2:26.490
Podium
First Flag of Italy.svg Ezio Gianola
Second Flag of Japan.svg Hisashi Unemoto
Third Flag of Japan.svg Koji Takada

The 1989 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 24 to 26 March 1989 at the Suzuka Circuit.

Contents

500 cc race report

Wayne Rainey gets the lead and opens a small gap in the first lap, with Kevin Schwantz moving into second to chase him down. Wayne Gardner and Freddie Spencer go off-track, but get back in the race, while Doohan has a mechanical and Pierfrancesco Chili crashes out.

Schwantz soon catches and passes Rainey at the chicane in a typical late-braking move that leaves Rainey without much room. Rainey, not wanting to let Schwantz through, almost hits Schwantz’ back wheel and loses a lot of time. Schwantz will repeat the chicane pass two more times. From about half-race on, Rainey and Schwantz get in an epic fight, seemingly incapable of wanting to let the other take the lead. Rainey is so committed to staying in front of Schwantz that he does a downhill wheelie on the approach to the hairpin; on this lap alone they swap the lead at least 5 times.

Last lap sees Rainey ahead on the straight, but Schwantz passes into Turn One and manages to hold the lead to the finish line. Crossing the line, Rainey’s arm-flailing betrays his fury, but he manages to extend a hand of congratulations as he comes alongside Schwantz on the cool-down lap. Lawson battles his way through a handful of riders to take 3rd.

Rainey says of the last lap: “I couldn’t see my pit board so I was watching the circuit’s own lap counter over the start line. That clicks down as the leaders go underneath it, but I didn’t realize that. I read L2. I was following Kevin and thinking: why’s he riding so wild when there’s still another lap left? He was being real aggressive, and I was sitting right on him, planning how the next lap I’d draught him on the back straight, then not let him pass me at the chicane. Then we came across the start-finish line and there was the checker. It really pissed me off. Towards the end of 1988 we’d started saying hello to one another. It wasn’t just the two of us anymore. Now our rivalry started to heat up again.” [4]

Ezio Gianola, riding his bike at the 125cc race, which he went on to win. Ezio Gianola 1989 Japanese GP.jpg
Ezio Gianola, riding his bike at the 125cc race, which he went on to win.

500 cc classification

Pos.RiderTeamManufacturerLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
1 Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Schwantz Suzuki Pepsi Cola Suzuki 2248:48.370320
2 Flag of the United States.svg Wayne Rainey Team Lucky Strike Roberts Yamaha 22+0.420217
3 Flag of the United States.svg Eddie Lawson Rothmans Kanemoto Honda Honda 22+30.6701015
4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wayne Gardner Rothmans Honda Team Honda 22+35.190413
5 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kevin Magee Team Lucky Strike Roberts Yamaha 22+36.420511
6 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Niall Mackenzie Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini Yamaha 22+39.540810
7 Flag of France.svg Christian Sarron Sonauto Gauloises Blondes Yamaha Mobil 1 Yamaha 22+48.470119
8 Flag of Japan.svg Tadahiko Taira Yamaha Motor Company Yamaha 22+48.54018
9 Flag of Japan.svg Norihiko Fujiwara Yamaha Motor Company Yamaha 22+1:09.280167
10 Flag of Japan.svg Shinichi Itoh Team HRC Honda 22+1:09.280126
11 Flag of the United States.svg Bubba Shobert Cabin Racing Team Honda 22+1:18.990145
12 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ron Haslam Suzuki Pepsi Cola Suzuki 22+1:23.880134
13 Flag of Japan.svg Shunji Yatsushiro Team HRC Honda 22+1:25.670193
14 Flag of the United States.svg Freddie Spencer Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini Yamaha 22+1:26.00092
15 Flag of Japan.svg Kunio Machii Yamaha Motor Company Yamaha 22+1:29.480151
16 Flag of the United States.svg Randy Mamola Cagiva Corse Cagiva 22+1:45.80017
17 Flag of Japan.svg Takazumi Katayama Yamaha 22+1:46.24022
18 Flag of France.svg Dominique Sarron Team ROC Elf Honda Honda 22+2:12.13023
19 Flag of Japan.svg Katunori Shinozaki Suzuki 21+1 Lap26
20 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Marco Gentile Fior MarlboroFior21+1 Lap27
21 Flag of Japan.svg Keiji Kinoshita Honda 21+1 Lap28
22 Flag of Japan.svg Yoshimasa Matsumoto Honda 20+2 Laps30
23 Flag of Spain.svg Francisco GonzalesClub Motocross Pozuelo Honda 20+2 Laps31
Ret Flag of the United States.svg Doug Polen Suzuki Retirement20
Ret Flag of Italy.svg Alessandro Valesi Team Iberia Yamaha Retirement24
Ret Flag of Japan.svg Osamu Hiwatashi Suzuki Retirement18
Ret Flag of Japan.svg Hikaru Miyagi Honda Retirement21
Ret Flag of Japan.svg Norio Iobe Honda Retirement25
Ret Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mick Doohan Rothmans Honda Team Honda Retirement6
Ret Flag of Italy.svg Pierfrancesco Chili HB Honda Gallina Team Honda Retirement7
DNS Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Simon Buckmaster Racing Team Katayama Honda Did not Start29
Sources: [5] [6]

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References

  1. "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1989". Archive.li. Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2018-09-07.
  2. Mitchell, Malcolm. "1989 500cc Class (FIM Grand Prix World Championship) Programmes - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
  3. Mitchell, Malcolm. "Suzuka Circuit - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
  4. Scott, Michael: "Wayne Rainey", pages 135-136. Haynes Publishing, 1997.
  5. "1989 Japanese MotoGP - Motor Sport Magazine Database". 13 June 2017.
  6. "motogp.com · JAPANESE GRAND PRIX · 500cc Race Classification 1989". www.motogp.com.
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