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Mick Doohan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Doohan aboard the Rothmans Honda NSR500, 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 4 June 1965 Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Australian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | Jack Doohan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Michael Sydney Doohan AM [1] (born 4 June 1965) is an Australian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion, who won five consecutive 500 cc World Championships.
Originally from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Doohan attended St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace and Aspley State High School, Brisbane. He raced in Australian Superbikes in the late 1980s, and also won both races as Superbike World Championship visited Oran Park in 1988 as well as the second leg of the Japanese round held earlier in the year. In a break-out season he also won the final Australian motorcycle Grand Prix to be held in the TT format at Mount Panorama before the race became a round of the World Championship the following year and moved to Phillip Island. He is one of the few 500 cc or MotoGP World Champions to have won a Superbike World Championship race. [2]
He made his Grand Prix debut for Honda on an NSR 500 cc two-stroke motorcycle in 1989. Late in the 1990 season Doohan claimed his first victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix on his way to third in the championship. In 1991, he was paired with his fellow Australian Wayne Gardner on a Honda RVF750 superbike and won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. He competed successfully throughout the early 1990s and appeared to be on his way to winning his first world championship when he was seriously injured in a practice crash before the 1992 Dutch TT. He suffered permanent and serious damage to his right leg due to medical complications and, at one stage, faced amputation of the leg. At the time, Doohan was 65 points in the lead of the championship, but could not compete for eight weeks after the crash. After an arduous recovery, he returned to racing for the final two races but could not prevent Yamaha rider Wayne Rainey from winning his third consecutive title (by four points from Doohan). In 1993 he struggled with the healing of his leg and the ability to race the Honda at elite level, stating later that in that year it was all he could do to just keep his ride at Honda. It was also during this time he switched to a left thumb-operated rear brake, as his right foot is no longer able to perform this function. [3]
In 1994 however, he won his first 500 cc World Championship. Thereafter, until 1998, he dominated the class, winning five consecutive 500 cc World Championships. In 1997, his most successful year, Doohan won 12 out of 15 races, finished second in another two, and crashed out of the final race of the season at his home GP while leading by more than six seconds. In the 1996 Queen's Birthday Honours, Doohan was inducted as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his contribution to the sport of motor racing. [4]
Despite up to eight rivals on non-factory HRC Honda motorcycles Doohan's margin of superiority over them was such that in many races Doohan would build a comfortable lead and then ride well within his limits to cruise to victory. Although pure riding skill clearly played a large part in his success, the ability of his chief race engineer, Jeremy Burgess, to perfect the suspension and geometry of a racing motorcycle may have given him an advantage over his rivals. Between 1994 and 1998 the bike was said not to have had many changes, with Honda engineers reportedly becoming frustrated at Doohan's reluctance to try innovations such as electronic shifting (it was only when Rossi came to Honda in 2000 that Honda engineers had their head with Rossi willing to try more innovations).[ citation needed ]
One notable trait of Doohan's post-crash riding style was the use of a thumb-operated rear brake developed during 1993 owing to the reduced range of motion in his ankle. This was operated by a "nudge" bar similar to a personal water craft throttle, but mounted on the left handlebar. In 1999 Doohan had another accident, this time in a very wet qualifying session for the Spanish Grand Prix. He again broke his leg in several places and subsequently announced his retirement. Jeremy Burgess, Doohan's chief engineer for his entire career, later became Valentino Rossi's chief engineer. After Doohan retired he went to work as a roving adviser to Honda's Grand Prix race effort. At the conclusion of the 2004 season, Doohan and Honda parted company. [5]
In June 2011, Doohan made an appearance at the Isle of Man TT. Doohan completed a parade lap, and was most enamored by the thrill and spectacle of the Snaefell Mountain Course. He then went on to pay tribute to his former Honda racing teammate, Joey Dunlop. [6]
After his success in Grand Prix motorcycle racing he got a chance to test a Formula One race car, the Williams FW19, at Circuit de Catalunya (in Spain) in April 1998. He found the car difficult to drive and crashed against a guard rail. [7] In 2001, Doohan drove a Mercedes Benz CLK55 AMG works rally car with his co-driver Mark Stacey in the 2001 Targa Tasmania rally. He was in thirteenth place on day three when he crashed the car; he and Stacey were uninjured after the incident. [8]
On 8 August 2006, Doohan appeared in Darwin Magistrates Court to face charges over a weekend fracas at a strip club. He was fined $2,500 after pleading guilty to assaulting a bouncer and failing to leave a licensed premise. No conviction was recorded. [9]
Doohan married Selina Sines, who had been his partner for the previous eleven years, on Tuesday 21 March 2006, on Hamilton Island; the couple have two children, including racing driver Jack Doohan. [10]
Doohan helped design an Intamin Motorbike Launch Roller Coaster, named Mick Doohan's Motocoaster. The ride is located at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Queensland. [11] Doohan's name was removed from the ride's branding in May 2022, and it is now known simply as Motocoaster. [12]
Doohan was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1996 and received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000. [1] [13] He was awarded the "Key to the City" by the City of Gold Coast in 1997. [14] He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2009. [15] The first turn at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is named after him.
In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, Doohan was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for his role as a "sports legend". [16]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Pos | Pts | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | ||||
| 1988 | Yamaha | GBR | GBR | HUN | HUN | GER | GER | AUT | AUT | JPN 31 | JPN 1 | FRA | FRA | POR | POR | AUS 1 | AUS 1 | NZL | NZL | 12th | 30 |
| Season | Class | Motorcycle | Team | Number | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd | WCh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Rothmans Honda | 27 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 9th | – |
| 1990 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Rothmans Honda | 9 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 179 | 3rd | – |
| 1991 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Rothmans Honda | 3 | 15 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 224 | 2nd | – |
| 1992 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Rothmans Honda | 2 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 136 | 2nd | – |
| 1993 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Rothmans Honda | 2 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 156 | 4th | – |
| 1994 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Honda Team HRC | 4 | 14 | 9 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 317 | 1st | 1 |
| 1995 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Repsol YPF Honda Team | 1 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 248 | 1st | 1 |
| 1996 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Team Repsol Honda | 1 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 309 | 1st | 1 |
| 1997 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Repsol YPF Honda Team | 1 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 340 | 1st | 1 |
| 1998 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Repsol Honda | 1 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 260 | 1st | 1 |
| 1999 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | Repsol Honda Team | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33 | 17th | – |
| Total | 137 | 54 | 95 | 58 | 46 | 2283 | 5 | |||||
| Class | Seasons | 1st GP | 1st Pod | 1st Win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WChmp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500cc | 1989–1999 | 1989 Japan | 1989 Germany | 1990 Hungary | 137 | 54 | 95 | 58 | 46 | 2283 | 5 |
| Total | 1989–1999 | 137 | 54 | 95 | 58 | 46 | 2283 | 5 | |||
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap) [17]
| Year | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 500cc | Honda | JPN Ret | AUS 8 | USA 8 | SPA Ret | NAT Ret | GER 3 | AUT 8 | YUG 6 | NED 9 | BEL 8 | FRA 8 | GBR | SWE | CZE | BRA 4 | 9th | 81 | |
| 1990 | 500cc | Honda | JPN Ret | USA 2 | SPA 4 | NAT 3 | GER Ret | AUT 3 | YUG 4 | NED 4 | BEL 6 | FRA 4 | GBR 4 | SWE 4 | CZE 9 | HUN 1 | AUS 2 | 3rd | 179 | |
| 1991 | 500cc | Honda | JPN 2 | AUS 2 | USA 2 | SPA 1 | ITA 1 | GER 3 | AUT 1 | EUR 2 | NED Ret | FRA 2 | GBR 3 | RSM 3 | CZE 2 | VDM 2 | MAL 3 | 2nd | 224 | |
| 1992 | 500cc | Honda | JPN 1 | AUS 1 | MAL 1 | SPA 1 | ITA 2 | EUR 2 | GER 1 | NED DNS | HUN | FRA | GBR | BRA 12 | RSA 6 | 2nd | 136 | |||
| 1993 | 500cc | Honda | AUS Ret | MAL 4 | JPN 7 | SPA 4 | AUT 2 | GER Ret | NED 2 | EUR 2 | RSM 1 | GBR Ret | CZE 3 | ITA 2 | USA Ret | FIM | 4th | 156 | ||
| 1994 | 500cc | Honda | AUS 3 | MAL 1 | JPN 2 | SPA 1 | AUT 1 | GER 1 | NED 1 | ITA 1 | FRA 1 | GBR 2 | CZE 1 | USA 3 | ARG 1 | EUR 2 | 1st | 317 | ||
| 1995 | 500cc | Honda | AUS 1 | MAL 1 | JPN 2 | SPA Ret | GER Ret | ITA 1 | NED 1 | FRA 1 | GBR 1 | CZE 2 | BRA 2 | ARG 1 | EUR 4 | 1st | 248 | |||
| 1996 | 500cc | Honda | MAL 5 | INA 1 | JPN 6 | SPA 1 | ITA 1 | FRA 1 | NED 1 | GER 2 | GBR 1 | AUT 2 | CZE 2 | IMO 1 | CAT 2 | BRA 1 | AUS 8 | 1st | 309 | |
| 1997 | 500cc | Honda | MAL 1 | JPN 1 | SPA 2 | ITA 1 | AUT 1 | FRA 1 | NED 1 | IMO 1 | GER 1 | BRA 1 | GBR 1 | CZE 1 | CAT 1 | INA 2 | AUS Ret | 1st | 340 | |
| 1998 | 500cc | Honda | JPN Ret | MAL 1 | SPA 2 | ITA 1 | FRA 2 | MAD Ret | NED 1 | GBR 2 | GER 1 | CZE Ret | IMO 1 | CAT 1 | AUS 1 | ARG 1 | 1st | 260 | ||
| 1999 | 500cc | Honda | MAL 4 | JPN 2 | SPA DNS | FRA | ITA | CAT | NED | GBR | GER | CZE | IMO | VAL | AUS | RSA | BRA | ARG | 17th | 33 |
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the highest class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of the twentieth century and large national events were often given the title Grand Prix. The foundation of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme as the international governing body for motorcycle sport in 1949 provided the opportunity to coordinate rules and regulations in order that selected events could count towards official World Championships. It is the oldest established motorsport world championship.
Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who achieved six World Championships. With four 250 cc road race titles and two in World Superbikes, he is one of only two riders to score championships across both disciplines.
Kevin James Schwantz is an American former professional motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1988 to 1995, most prominently as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team where he won the 1993 world championship.
Wayne Michael Gardner is an Australian former professional motorcycle and touring car racer. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1986 to 1992, most prominently as a member of the Honda factory racing team where he became the first Australian to win motorcycling's premier class in 1987. His success on the world motorcycle road racing circuit earned him the nickname The Wollongong Whiz.
John "Hopper" Hopkins is a former motorcycle road racer based in the United States. During 2017 he raced in the British Superbike Championship aboard a Ducati 1199 Panigale for Moto Rapido Racing, but suffered injuries from a crash at the season-finale race meeting in October, meaning he could not participate during 2018. He has not made a full recovery, which has so far precluded hopes of a comeback, but he has become involved in rider coaching.
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The Honda NSR500 is a road racing motorcycle created by HRC and debuted in 1984 for the Grand Prix motorcycle racing's 500 cc class. Honda won ten 500cc World Championships with the NSR500 from 1984 to 2002, with six in a row from 1994 to 1999. With more than 100 wins to its credit, the NSR500 is the most dominant force in modern Grand Prix motorcycle racing. The 1989 NSR500 that won Honda's third 500 World Championship with Eddie Lawson exemplifies the overwhelming power, acceleration and raw speed that has always been synonymous with Honda's 500 cc two-stroke V4.
Eugene Laverty is a former professional motorcycle road racer from Northern Ireland, the brother of Michael and John.
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Shinichi Ito born December 7, 1966, in Kakuda, Miyagi, Japan) is a retired professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He has raced extensively in Japanese and International championships. Ito has competed in the All Japan Road Race Championship, and won the Japanese 500 cc Championship, and is also 3 times Japanese Superbike Champion. In the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance Race he has qualified on pole 5 times and won the race 4 times. Ito has also raced in Superbike World Championship. His considerable experience on different types of racing machine has earned him a reputation as a premier development rider.
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Motocoaster is a 605-metre (1,985 ft) long motorcycle roller coaster at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The A$10 million ride, constructed by Intamin and opened to the public in September 2007, was associated with Australian motorcyclist Mick Doohan until 2022. It is the first motorcycle coaster in Australia, the first Intamin MotorBike Launch Coaster worldwide, and the first to feature life-size replicas of 500 cc racing bikes.
Repsol Honda is the official factory team of the Honda Racing Corporation in the MotoGP class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, backed by principal sponsor Repsol.
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Freddie Spencer, Takazumi Katayama, Randy Mamola, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Daryl Beattie, Àlex Crivillé, Tadayuki Okada |
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