Schwantz, whose parents owned a motorcycle shop, learned to ride at the age of four.[1] He began his competitive career as a trials rider, following his father and Uncle, Darryl Hurst (the original 34), in that sport.[1] From trials, he progressed to motocross in his teens, becoming a top regional MX racer.[1] After a serious crash in qualifying for the Houston Supercross in 1983, he decided to quit motocross.[1]
Career
At the end of the 1984 season, he was offered a test ride with the YoshimuraSuzukiSuperbike team, who promptly signed the Texan to a contract.[1] In his first race for Yoshimura, he won both legs of the 1985 Willow Springs AMA Superbike National.[1] He finished seventh overall in the championship despite only competing in half the races.[1] He finished second to Eddie Lawson in the 1986Daytona 200 on the new Suzuki GSX-R750.[1] Then, in what would become an all too common occurrence throughout his career, he broke his collarbone in a qualifying crash and missed several races.[1] Once again he finished seventh overall in the Championship.[1]
The 1987 Superbike National Championship marked the beginning of Schwantz' fiercely competitive rivalry with Wayne Rainey.[1] The two battled throughout the entire season, often coming into contact on the track. Rainey eventually won the National Championship but Schwantz closed the season winning five out of six races.[1] So intense was their rivalry that they continued their battle during the 1987 Transatlantic Trophy match races in which they were supposedly teammates competing against a team of British riders.[1]
Schwantz began 1988 by winning the season-opening Daytona 200 in what would be his only win in that prestigious event.[3] He then departed for Europe as Suzuki promoted him to its 500cc Grand Prix team where he made an immediate impact by winning the 1988 Japanese Grand Prix in the opening round at Suzuka, Japan; it was only his seventh Grand Prix ride in total, having experienced wild card rides in 1986 on the old square four RG500 and in 1987 on the first version of the V4 RGV500.[1][2]
His archrival, Rainey joined the Grand Prix circuit, signing for the Team Roberts-Yamaha squad.[4] For the next six years, the two continued their intense rivalry on race tracks all across Europe.[2]
Schwantz cheering after winning the 1989 British Grand Prix at Donington Park.
The late 1980s and early 1990s are remembered as one of the most competitive eras of Grand Prix racing with a field rich in talent that included Rainey, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Eddie Lawson and Randy Mamola.[5] He was often at a disadvantage in that his Suzukis never seemed to be as fast as those of his Yamaha and Honda mounted rivals. His determination to win at all cost meant that he seemed to crash as often as he won. This trait made him a popular favorite among race fans the world over.[2] His last lap pass of Rainey to win the 1991 German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring, with his rear tire fish-tailing on the verge of control, typified Schwantz' "do or die" riding style.
Schwantz on the Suzuki RGV500 in 1993
He culminated his career in 1993 by winning his only 500cc World Championship.[2] After suffering through a crash-infested 1994 season, the injuries he had incurred over the years began to take their toll on him,[2] as did the career ending injuries suffered by his rival Rainey, at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Early in the 1995 season, after a conversation with Rainey, Schwantz decided to retire from motorcycle competition.[1][6] Schwantz had accumulated 25 Grands Prix wins during his career, one more than his great rival, Wayne Rainey.[1][4] This made him the second most successful American roadracer behind Eddie Lawson. In a display of respect, the FIM retired his racing number (34) as a testament to his popularity.
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.
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.
Eddie Ray Lawson is an American former professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1983 to 1992
The 1992 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 44th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Honda secured the constructor's title in all three categories.
The 1993 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 45th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
The 1988 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix was the seventh round of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 10–12 June 1988 at the Salzburgring.
The 1988 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix was the ninth round of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 1–3 July 1988 at Spa-Francorchamps.
The 1988 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the eleventh round of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 22–24 July 1988 at the 5.81 km (3.61 mi) Paul Ricard Circuit.
The 1989 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix was the second round of the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 7–9 April 1989, at Phillip Island, and was the first ever World Championship Motorcycle Grand Prix to take place in Australia.
The 1989 German motorcycle Grand Prix was the sixth round of the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 26–28 May 1989 at the Hockenheimring circuit.
The 1989 Dutch TT was the ninth round of the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 22–24 June 1989 at the TT Circuit Assen located in Assen, Netherlands.
The 1989 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the eleventh round of the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 14–16 July 1989 at the Bugatti Circuit located in Le Mans.
The 1989 Czechoslovak motorcycle Grand Prix was the penultimate round of the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 25–27 August 1989 at the Masaryk Circuit located in Brno, Czechoslovakia.
The 1990 German motorcycle Grand Prix was the fifth round of the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 25–27 May 1990 at the Nürburgring race track.
The 1990 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix was the sixth round of the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 8–10 June 1990 at the Salzburgring.
The 1990 British motorcycle Grand Prix was the eleventh round of the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 3–5 August 1990 at Donington Park.
The 1991 Dutch TT was the ninth round of the 1991 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 27–29 June 1991 at the TT Circuit Assen located in Assen, Netherlands.
The 1991 Vitesse du Mans motorcycle Grand Prix was the penultimate round of the 1991 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 6–8 September 1991 at the Bugatti Circuit located in Le Mans. France.
The 1992 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 1992 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 27–29 March 1992 at the Suzuka Circuit.
The 1993 United States motorcycle Grand Prix was the penultimate round of the 1993 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on September 12, 1993, at Laguna Seca.
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