Motorcycle Circuit Is Marked by Controversy

Wayne Rainey is having the season of his life. Unfortunately, some want to forget it ever happened.

U.S. riders, led by Rainey, have dominated the motorcycle grand prix circuit this year, but constant mishaps and controversies have overshadowed the American riders’ accomplishments.

“Its been one of those years,” Rainey said.

Three American riders, Rainey, Eddie Lawson, and Kevin Schwantz, have dominated the circuit, taking 25 from a possible 30 podium places in this year’s 500-cc World Championships. Rainey and Lawson have made the podium in every race they have been in, with six wins, eight seconds and five third places between them. Schwantz has three wins and two seconds so far.

The only race where the Americans failed to finish in the top three was the Italian Grand Prix, when they refused to race.

The U.S. racers, quarrelling with Italian organizers and the international governing body over safety conditions, led a boycott when 19 top riders refused to start after a sudden shower drenched the Santa Monica motordrome.

Thirteen riders, including five Americans, were fined $1,150 each.

“Italy was one of those things,” Rainey said. “It’s not something we wanted to do, it was something that we had to. Even the best rain riders agreed that it could not be run under those conditions. Although we (Lawson, Schwantz and I) led the boycott, we were joined and supported by almost every major team.”

“None of us are scared to race in the rain,” said Lawson. “It’s just that this track is unrideable in the rain. Do we need a tragedy before we can stop a race?”

More controversy arose in Belgium. Four hours after Wayney Rainey won the rain-soaked 500cc Grand Prix, the international motorcycling jury suspended the results.

The jury decided local organizers had violated the rules by allowing riders to restart the race after two interruptions. The jury first awarded the race to Lawson, who was leading the race after eight laps when the event was stopped a second time. But Rainey and French rider Christian Sarron appealed the decision. The jury then changed its mind, voiding the race altogether.

“I feel that the results will stand and I will be awarded the win before the season ends,” Rainey said.

“It was unfortunate we had those two races, but all-in-all, at least for the Americans, we are having a good season actually,” Lawson said. “Those two races were a little bit unorganized, but we’re trying to learn from those things and go on. But I don’t think it really hurt the season overall.”

But the dark clouds have not just involved administrative red tape.

At the U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in California, Australian rider Kevin Magee inexplicably stopped in the middle of the track on the cool down lap following the race. He then started to do a drag race style “burn out” as American riders Bubba Shobert and Lawson approached him from the rear.

Since Shobert and Lawson were congratulating each other, they did not see the Australian rider and Shobert slammed into the back of his motorcycle.

Magee sustained a broken ankle but Shobert suffered severe head injuries and was in a coma for seven days. He’s now undergoing rehabilatation in Texas and hopes to race again before the season ends in September.

“Kevin should not have stopped where he did,” Lawson said. “And we should have been paying more attention than we did. What Kevin did was uncalled for, but we should all have been more alert than that.”

Six weeks later in West Germany, Rainey won again, but a fatal accident spoiled the victory.

During the 250cc race, Venezuelan rider Ivan Palazzese collided with another rider. Track emergency personnel dragged Palazzese away from his bike and while the head official brought out the red flag, safety officials around the rest of the track issued a yellow flag.

With a yellow allowing riders to continue but with caution, Palazzese, lying on the track, was struck by two other bikes. He was rushed to a hospital but died hours later.

With four races left, the attention is refocusing on the Americans. Lawson, just off a win in France to raise his point total to 157, is closing on Rainey (165 1/2 points) for the championship and Schwantz, with 102 1/2 points, is only 14 points behind third-place Sarron.

“(Schwantz) is doing well,” Lawson said. “His bike seems to be unreliable right now. He’s got to be a little more consistent. He seems to be falling down a little bit too much. But other than that, I mean he’s riding really hard and he’s the fastest guy out there. He’s tough to keep up with that’s for sure. With only four races left, I think it’s possible for him to work his way up to third anyway.”

Rainey doesn’t appear concerned about either of them.

“I am not suprised of my success this season,” Rainey said. “Last year I was still learning. At the beginning of the season I set high goals for myself. I’ve worked very hard at achieving them.”