The 1989 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix was the first 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 24th to 26th March 1989 at the Suzuka Circuit

Suzuka Circuit

, Suzuka Circuit for short, is a motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, the subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd..-Introduction:...

.

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...

 gets the lead and opens a small gap in the first lap, with Kevin Schwantz

Kevin Schwantz

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

 moving into second to chase him down. 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...

 and Freddie Spencer

Freddie Spencer

Freddie Spencer , 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.-Biography:...

 go off-track, but get back in the race, while Doohan has a mechanical and 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...

 crashes out.

Schwantz soon catches and passes Rainey at the chicane in a typical late-braking move that leaves Rainey without much room. Rainey, not wanting to let Schwantz through, almost hits Schwantz’ back wheel and loses a lot of time. Schwantz will repeat the chicane pass two more times. From about half-race on, Rainey and Schwantz get in an epic fight, seemingly incapable of wanting to let the other take the lead. Rainey is so committed to staying in front of Schwantz that he does a downhill wheelie on the approach to the hairpin; on this lap alone they swap the lead at least 5 times.

Last lap sees Rainey ahead on the straight, but Schwantz passes into Turn One and manages to hold the lead to the finish line. Crossing the line, Rainey’s arm-flailing betrays his fury, but he manages to extend a hand of congratulations as he comes alongside Schwantz on the cool-down lap. Lawson battles his way through a handful of riders to take 3rd.

Rainey says of the last lap: “I couldn’t see my pit board so I was watching the circuit’s own lap counter over the start line. That clicks down as the leaders go underneath it, but I didn’t realize that. I read L2. I was following Kevin and thinking: why’s he riding so wild when there’s still another lap left? He was being real aggressive, and I was sitting right on him, planning how the next lap I’d draught him on the back straight, then not let him pass me at the chicane. Then we came across the start-finish line and there was the checker. It really pissed me off. Towards the end of 1988 we’d started saying hello to one another. It wasn’t just the two of us anymore. Now our rivalry started to heat up again.”

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...	48:48.370	20
2	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...	+0.420	17
3	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...	+30.670	15
4	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...	+35.190	13
5	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...	+36.420	11
6	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...	+39.540	10
7	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...	+48.470	9
8	Tadahiko Taira Tadahiko Taira Tadahiko Taira is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. He was a three-time winner of the All Japan 500cc championship. Taira began his Grand Prix career in 1984 with Yamaha. He enjoyed his best season in 1987 when he finished the season in sixth place overall in the 500cc world...	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...	+48.540	8
9	Norihiko Fujiwara	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...	+1:09.280	7
10	Shinichi Itoh Shinichi Itoh born 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...	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...	+1:09.280	6
11	Bubba Shobert Bubba Shobert Don Wayne "Bubba" Shobert was a three-time A.M.A. Grand National Champion from 1985 to 1987 and was AMA Superbike Champion in 1988 while riding for American Honda....	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...	+1:18.990	5
12	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...	+1:23.880	4
13	Shunji Yatsushiro Shunji Yatsushiro Shunji Yatsushiro is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Japan. He began his Grand Prix career in . He enjoyed his best season in when he finished the season in ninth 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...	+1:25.670	3
14	Freddie Spencer Freddie Spencer Freddie Spencer , 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.-Biography:...	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...	+1:26.000	2
15	Kunio Machii	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...	+1:29.480	1
16	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...	+1:45.800
17	Takazumi Katayama Takazumi Katayama Takazumi Katayama is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion. He was the first Japan-based Korean rider to win a motorcycle road racing world championship when he claimed the 1977 350cc title aboard a Yamaha. In 1979 he accepted an offer from Honda to develop their exotic...	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...	+1:46.240
18	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...	+2:12.130
19	Katunori Shinozaki	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...	+1 Lap
20	Marco Gentile Marco Gentile Marco Gentile in Den Haag, Netherlands, is an Dutch professional footballer who played as a central defender for Burnley in the Football League.-References:* at FootballDatabase.eu...	Fior	+1 Lap
21	Keiji Kinoshita	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
22	Yoshimasa Matsumoto	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
23	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...	+2 Laps
Ret	Doug Polen Doug Polen Doug Polen is a former world champion motorcycle road racer. He raced successfully in AMA Superbike, Japanese Superbikes, Superbike World Championship and Endurance racing....	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	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...	Retirement
Ret	Osamu Hiwatashi	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	Hikaru Miyagi	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	Norio Iobe	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	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...	Retirement
Ret	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...	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