The 1989 Brazilian motorcycle Grand Prix was the last round of the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 41st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Defending champion Eddie Lawson stunned most observers by switching from the Yamaha to Honda in the offseason then proceeded to win the championship, becoming the first man to win...

. It took place on the weekend of 15th-17th September, 1989 at the Goiânia

Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna (Goiânia)

Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna is a motorsports circuit located in Goiânia, Brazil. From 1987 to 1989, it hosted the Brazilian motorcycle Grand Prix in MotoGP.-External links:*...

 circuit.

500 cc race report

Wayne Rainey

Wayne Rainey

Wayne Wesley Rainey, born in Downey, California, United States, is a former American 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...

 has to win and Eddie Lawson

Eddie Lawson

Eddie Lawson is a former four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. His penchant for not crashing & consistently finishing in the points earned him the nickname "Steady Eddie".-Biography:...

 has to finish outside the top 11 in order for Lawson to lose the championship. Reflecting on the mistake in Sweden

1989 Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1989 Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix was the thirteenth round of the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 11-13 August 1989 at the Anderstorp circuit.-500 cc race report:...

 that turned the championship around, Rainey says: “It’s really hard to tell you what I feel like. I just feel like I’ve been beat up by everybody in the world, and I just feel so down and disappointed in myself. I just felt I really let myself down and my team. You know, it makes you feel like crap.”

Though he can phone in the race and still win the championship, Lawson gets the start and the first apex, followed by Kevin Schwantz

Kevin Schwantz

Kevin Schwantz is an American former World Champion motorcycle road racer during the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Early life:...

 and Rainey. Rainey passes Schwantz, who nearly highsides

Highsider

A highsider or highside is a type of motorcycle accident characterized by sudden & violent rotation around the long axis of the motorcycle in the direction of travel...

 in third spot. The track surface is slippery, and Mick Doohan shows it by doing a big rear-end slide.

Schwantz passes Rainey, but it almost doesn’t stick, as Rainey tries to deny him the pass and they almost touch. Lawson is getting a small gap in the lead.

Going through dense backmarker traffic, Schwantz catches Lawson. Both bikes are squirming and bucking under acceleration. In Lawson’s draft on the straight, Schwantz pops out and passes on the brakes. Schwantz shows he can slide with the best of them as he gets the back-end spinning on the exits.

Schwantz manages to put a #32 between him and Lawson. Vince Cascino, perhaps trying to match Schwantz’ pace, crashes right in front of Lawson, who manages to avoid the bike and rider but the distraction costs him some tenths.

Last lap, Schwantz wins with a gap between him and Lawson, and Rainey takes third.

500cc classification

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Kevin Schwantz Kevin Schwantz Kevin Schwantz is an American former World Champion motorcycle road racer during the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Early life:...	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	46:44.390	20
2	Eddie Lawson Eddie Lawson Eddie Lawson is a former four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. His penchant for not crashing & consistently finishing in the points earned him the nickname "Steady Eddie".-Biography:...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+1.710	17
3	Wayne Rainey Wayne Rainey Wayne Wesley Rainey, born in Downey, California, United States, is a former American 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...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+11.220	15
4	Mick Doohan	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+19.120	13
5	Ron Haslam Ron Haslam Ronald Haslam is a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who has been racing for over thirty years, winning three World titles, four British championships and having ridden in almost 110 GPs....	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	+24.250	11
6	Kevin Magee	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+33.420	10
7	Wayne Gardner Wayne Gardner Wayne Michael Gardner OAM is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and touring car racer. His most notable achievement was winning the 1987 500 cc Motorcycle World Championship, becoming the first Australian to win motorcycling's premier class...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+33.630	9
8	Christian Sarron Christian Sarron Christian Sarron is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.He began his career on a Kawasaki when he met French Grand Prix racer Patrick Pons. Pons helped him get his start in the international racing circuit. His first victory came in the rain in the 1977 German Grand Prix...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+38.610	8
9	Niall Mackenzie Niall Mackenzie Niall Macfarlane Mackenzie is a retired motorcycle road racer from Denny, Falkirk, Scotland.-Career:MacKenzie won the British Superbike Championship three times from 1996 to 1998 on a Rob McElnea-run Yamaha team, and the British 250cc and 350cc titles earlier in his career...	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+1:06.640	7
10	Adrien Morillas Adrien Morillas Adrien Morillas is a former Superbike and Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from France. He competed in the inaugural Superbike World Championship season in 1988, winning one race. His best year in Grand Prix competition was in 1991 when he finished in eleventh place in the 500cc world championship...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+1:10.020	6
11	Randy Mamola Randy Mamola Randy Mamola born in San Jose, California is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is considered one of the most talented riders never to have won a world championship.-Career:...	Cagiva Cagiva Cagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It was founded in 1950 by Giovanni Castiglioni in Varese, originally producing small metal components. It went into the motorcycle industry in 1978. The name is a portmanteau derived from the founder and the founding location, i.e. CAstiglioni GIovanni...	+1:11.650	5
12	Rob McElnea Rob McElnea Rob McElnea is a retired motorcycle road racer, who won three Isle of Man TT races, and with a best of fifth overall in Grands Prix....	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+1:12.430	4
13	Alessandro Valesi	Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...	+1 Lap	3
14	Damon Buckmaster	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+1 Lap	2
15	Juan Lopez Mella	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+2 Laps	1
16	Francisco Gonzales	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+3 Laps
17	Nicholas Schmassman	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	+3 Laps
Ret	Vincenzo Cascino	Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...	Retirement
Ret	Dominique Sarron Dominique Sarron Dominique Sarron is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from France. His best year was in 1986 when he won the Brazilian Grand Prix and finished in third place in the 250cc world championship behind Carlos Lavado and Sito Pons...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	Retirement
Ret	Pierfrancesco Chili Pierfrancesco Chili Pierfrancesco 'Frankie' Chili, is a motorcycle racer who has raced in the Superbike World Championship and the 250cc and 500cc classes in Grand Prix. In World Superbike he had a record number of starts, as well as 10 poles and 17 wins. He retired at the end of the season...	Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...	Retirement