Jean-Michel Bayle

Last updated
Jean-Michel Bayle
Jean-Michel Bayle 1993 USGP.jpg
Jean-Michel Bayle at the 1993 U.S. Grand Prix
NationalityFrench
Born1 April 1969 (1969-04) (age 55)
Manosque, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
Motocross career
Years active1986 - 1992
Teams Honda
Championships 1988 125cc World Champion
1989 250cc World Champion
1991 AMA 250cc Supercross Champion
1991 AMA 250cc National Champion
1991 AMA 500cc National Champion
Jean-Michel Bayle
Nationality Flag of France.svg French
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years 1992 - 1999, 2002
First race 1992 250cc French Grand Prix
Last race 2002 MotoGP Italian Grand Prix
Team(s) Aprilia, Yamaha, Modenas
StartsWinsPodiums Poles F. laps Points
820030336

Jean-Michel Bayle (born 1 April 1969) is a French former professional motorcycle racer. He was one of the most successful riders of his era, achieving success at the highest levels in both motocross and road racing. [1]

Contents

Biography

Born in Manosque, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Bayle won the FIM 125cc motocross world championship in 1988, and the 250cc motocross world championship a year later. He competed in the United States in 1991, becoming the only rider ever to win all three major AMA motocross championships in the same year (Supercross, 250cc and 500cc). Having won many of the major motocross championships, Bayle became one of the few riders to switch motorcycling disciplines, going from dirt track motocross events to pavement based road race events.

He competed in the 250cc road racing world championship for the Aprilia factory racing team during the 1994 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, and in 1996 moved up to the 500cc class for the Kenny Roberts-Yamaha team. [2] He scored points once in 1999. [3] He managed one pole position in the 250cc class and 2 poles in the 500cc division but, never managed to finish on the podium. [2] In 2002, he teamed with Sébastien Gimbert and Nicolas Dussauge to win the Bol d'or and the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance races. [1] Bayle suffered serious injuries during the 2002 season and retired from road racing competition.

He still competes in motocross and enduro [4] events and campaigned in the French observed trials national championship. Bayle was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000. [1]

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearClassBike12345678910111213141516Pos.Pts
1992 250cc Honda JPN AUS MAL SPA ITA EUR GER NED HUN FRA
24
GBR BRA RSA NC0
1993 250cc Aprilia AUS
19
MAL
16
JPN
21
SPA
14
AUT
17
GER
14
NED
16
EUR
18
RSM
18
GBR
8
CZE
Ret
ITA
19
USA
Ret
FIM
12
22nd16
1994 250cc Aprilia AUS
10
MAL
7
JPN
11
SPA
8
AUT
11
GER
11
NED
6
ITA
8
FRA
5
GBR
5
CZE
6
USA
Ret
ARG
7
EUR
8
8th105
1995 250cc Aprilia AUS
Ret
MAL
6
JPN
Ret
SPA
9
GER
6
ITA
Ret
NED
Ret
FRA
11
GBR
Ret
CZE
11
BRA
Ret
ARG
DNS
EUR
Ret
15th37
1996 500cc Yamaha MAL
6
INA
8
JPN
8
SPA
7
ITA
5
FRA
Ret
NED
8
GER
10
GBR
Ret
AUT
9
CZE
6
IMO
4
CAT
Ret
BRA
7
AUS
5
9th110
1997 500cc Modenas MAL
Ret
JPN
14
SPA
13
ITA
8
AUT
14
FRA
Ret
NED
Ret
IMO
8
GER
Ret
BRA
8
GBR
DNS
CZE
Ret
CAT
Ret
INA
Ret
AUS
16
18th31
1998 500cc Yamaha JPN MAL SPA ITA FRA MAD NED GBR GER CZE
8
IMO
5
CAT
Ret
AUS ARG
7
16th28
1999 500cc Modenas MAL
12
JPN
Ret
SPA FRA
Ret
ITA
Ret
CAT
Ret
NED GBR GER CZE IMO VAL AUS RSA BRA ARG 28th4
2002 MotoGP Yamaha JPN RSA SPA FRA
14
ITA
13
CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR BRA PAC MAL AUS VAL 24th5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Rainey</span> American motorcycle racer (born 1960)

Wayne Wesley Rainey is an American former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he won the 500cc World Championship three times and the Daytona 200 once. He was characterized by his smooth, calculating riding style, and for his intense rivalry with compatriot Kevin Schwantz, between 1987 and 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giacomo Agostini</span> Italian motorcycle racer (born 1942)

Giacomo Agostini is an Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed Ago, he amassed 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championship titles. Of these, 68 wins and 8 titles came in the 500 cc class, the rest in the 350 cc class. For these achievements obtained over the course of a career spanning 17 years, the AMA described him as "...perhaps the greatest Grand Prix rider of all time". In 2000, Agostini was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame as a MotoGP Legend, while in 2010, he was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Schwantz</span> American motorcycle racer

Kevin Schwantz is an American former professional motorcycle road racer. He was the world champion of the 1993 FIM Road Racing World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Lawson</span> American motorcycle racer

Eddie Ray Lawson is an American former professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1983 to 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luca Cadalora</span> Italian motorcycle racer

Luca Cadalora is an Italian former professional motorcycle racer who is the 1986 125 cc World Champion, 1991 and 1992 250 cc World Champion and 8-time Premier Class race winner. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1984 to 2000.

Jim Pomeroy was an American professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1972 to 1973 and in the Motocross World Championships from 1973 to 1976, before returning to compete in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1977 to 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Mamola</span> American motorcycle racer

Randy Mamola is an American former professional motorcycle racer and television sports presenter. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing between 1979 and 1992. A 13-time Premier Class race winner, Mamola was one of the most charismatic Grand Prix road racers of his generation, becoming a favourite because of his interaction with race fans both on and off the track as well as his aggressive and spirited riding style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Spencer</span> American motorcycle racer

Frederick Burdette Spencer, sometimes known by the nickname Fast Freddie, is an American former world champion motorcycle racer. Spencer is regarded as one of the greatest motorcycle racers of the early 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarno Saarinen</span> Finnish motorcycle racer

Jarno Karl Keimo Saarinen was a Finnish professional Motorcycle racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1968 to 1971 as Yamaha privateer, before receiving the Yamaha factory's full support in 1972 and 1973. In the early 1970s, he was considered one of the most promising and talented motorcycle road racers of his era until he was killed during the 1973 Nations Grand Prix in Italy. Saarinen's death led to increased demands for better safety conditions for motorcycle racers competing in the world championships. He remains the only Finn to have won a solo motorcycle road racing world championship. Saarinen was inducted into the F.I.M. MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Ward (motorsports)</span> American motorcycle racer

Jeffrey Ward is a British-American former professional motocross racer, auto racing driver and off-road racer. He won the AMA Motocross Championship five times and the AMA Supercross Championship twice and the Motocross des Nations seven times. After retiring from motorcycle competition, Ward turned to auto racing, finishing in second place at the Indianapolis 500 and winning a race at the Texas Motor Speedway. He then competed in off-road truck racing and rallycross. Ward was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and, was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on 12 August 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franco Uncini</span> Italian motorcycle racer

Franco Uncini is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racing. He was 1982 FIM Road Racing World Champion with Suzuki. He was inducted into the F.I.M. MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger De Coster</span> Belgian motorcycle racer

Roger De Coster is a Belgian former professional motocross racer and current Motorsport Director of KTM and Husqvarna North America. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1966 to 1980, most prominently as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team where he won five FIM 500cc Motocross World Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heikki Mikkola</span> Finnish motorcycle racer

Heikki Antero Mikkola is a Finnish former professional motocross racer and motocross team manager. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1967 to 1979, most prominently as a member of the Husqvarna factory racing team where he became the first competitor to win both the 250cc and 500cc world championships.

Brad Lackey is an American former professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1970 to 1972 and, in the Motocross World Championships from 1973 to 1982. Lackey was notable for becoming the first and only American to win the 500cc motocross world championship in 1982. Nicknamed "Bad Brad", Lackey was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and, in 2013 he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Hannah</span> American motorcycle racer

Robert William Hannah is an American former professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1975 to 1989, most notably as a member of the Yamaha factory racing team. He was one of the most successful motocross racers in AMA history, with 70 AMA race victories and seven championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kork Ballington</span> South African motorcycle racer

Hugh Neville "Kork" Ballington is a South African former professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1976 to 1982, most prominently as a member of the Kawasaki factory racing team with whom he won four FIM road racing world championships. Ballington was inducted into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kocinski</span> American motorcycle racer

John Kocinski is a retired American Grand Prix motorcycle road racer whose successes include winning the 1990 250cc World Championship, and the 1997 Superbike World Championship title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kel Carruthers</span> Australian motorcycle racer (born 1938)

Kelvin Carruthers is an Australian former professional Motorcycle racer and racing team manager. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1966 to 1970, and in AMA road racing competitions from 1971 to 1973. Carruthers is prominent for winning the 1969 250cc World Championship. After his motorcycle riding career, he became race team manager for world championship winning riders Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson.

Yvon Duhamel was a French Canadian professional motorcycle and snowmobile racer. A six-time winner of the White Trophy, the highest award in Canadian motorcycle racing, he was one of the most accomplished motorcycle racers in Canadian motorsports history. His motorcycle racing career spanned the transition from the 60 horsepower four-stroke motorcycles of the 1960s, to the 100 horsepower two-stroke motorcycles of the 1970s. Duhamel was a versatile rider competing in numerous motorcycle racing disciplines including; trials, motocross, ice racing, drag racing, flat track racing and most prominently in road racing as a member of the Kawasaki factory racing team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Åke Jonsson</span> Swedish motorcycle racer

Åke Jonsson is a Swedish former professional motocross racer. He was one of the top riders in the Motocross World Championships during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Jonsson came close to winning the world championship title in 1968, 1970 and in 1971 when he led the championship going into the final round when, a mechanical failure ruined his bid.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Jean-Michel Bayle at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 Jean-Michel Bayle at MotoGP.com
  3. "1999' 500 Grand Prix Race Results". Archived from the original on 2001-02-24. Retrieved 2006-07-20.
  4. https://enduro24.gr/san-simera-1-apriliou/