Régis Laconi
Encyclopedia
Régis Laconi is a French professional motorcycle racer
. In he competed in the Superbike World Championship
for DFX on a Ducati. He was runner-up in , and has won races in both 500cc and the Superbike World Championship.
father. He started racing in 1991 in the French 125cc championship. He won this title in 1992, the French 250cc title a year later, and the European 250cc champion in 1994. For 1995 he went to the 250cc World Championship, but was never a front-runner in his two seasons there.
was his first season on a 500cc Grand Prix
bike, but his World Championship
season was marred by injury, missing four rounds after being run over twice in a first-turn incident at the A1 Ring
. With Red Bull
backing he returned for 1998
, riding a Yamaha
for three years. He finished 10th, 11th and 12th in the series in this time, but won at Valencia
in 1999
WSBK
rider. He led the first lap of the season, but struggled for much of the season on circuits he did not know. Until the final round at Imola
his best result was a 4th, but he benefitted from knowing this circuit (which, like himself, was new to WSBK after being familiar in 500cc). He qualified 2nd, and won the second race, after running strongly in race 1 before being taken out by a fall for champion Troy Bayliss
.A move to MotoGP for 2002 was not successful, with a best result of 8th, so for he returned to WSBK for the Caracchi Ducati
team, doing enough to earn a factory ride for by taking 5 podium finishes, finishing 4th in a relatively weakened championship.
He and team-mate James Toseland
were clear favourites for the title, which Toseland took at the final round of the season, in spite of Régis taking 5 poles and 7 wins, and having what is seen as the stronger team of mechanics. His season was interrupted by injury, and for he switched to Kawasaki
PSG-1 Corse. He finished the season behind his two team-mates in the championship, taking 15th place, with Chris Walker
in 9th and Fonsi Nieto
in 10th.
He remained with the team for and finished 10th overall. He continues with the same team for . At Misano
the team ran in a localised San Marino
livery, but unfortunately both he and team-mate Makoto Tamada
crashed in race 1, forcing Laconi to run race 2 in the conventional green Kawasaki livery.
For 2009 Laconi switched to private Ducatis, riding the sole DFX machine. Results were strong early in the season, however he was seriously injured when he crashed heavily during the opening moments of the first practice of the Kyalami round of the World Superbike Championship. As of May 20, 2009 it was reported that Laconi awakened from his medically induced coma and is reported to have full movement in his arms, hands and legs. Laconi has undergone surgery to clasp his cervical vertebrae back together and it is expected he will remain immobile for some time.
Laconi returned for an exploratory test for the DFX Corse Ducati Team at Misano in June 2010 following his horrific crash at Kyalami in 2009. Regis had been training on his bicycle and after more than 70 laps with a best time of 1'37"800, he proved that his talent is still intact. But any thoughts of returning to racing for the moment are premature and totally groundless.The frienship that ties Regis to team manager Daniele Carli enabled the test to take place.=
Motorcycle racing
Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The disciplines are not all "races" or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills.-Motorcycle racing:...
. In he competed in the Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
for DFX on a Ducati. He was runner-up in , and has won races in both 500cc and the Superbike World Championship.
Early career
Régis has a French mother and ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
father. He started racing in 1991 in the French 125cc championship. He won this title in 1992, the French 250cc title a year later, and the European 250cc champion in 1994. For 1995 he went to the 250cc World Championship, but was never a front-runner in his two seasons there.
500cc
19971997 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1997 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 49th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:A fourth world championship in a row for Honda's Mick Doohan with another dominating performance. He broke Giacomo Agostini's record for victories in one season with 12 wins. It...
was his first season on a 500cc Grand Prix
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
bike, but his World Championship
World championship
A world championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best nation, team, individual in the world in a particular field. Certain sports do not have a world championship, instead...
season was marred by injury, missing four rounds after being run over twice in a first-turn incident at the A1 Ring
1997 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1997 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix was the fifth round of the 1997 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on June 1, 1997 at the A1-Ring.- 500cc classification :- 250cc classification :- 125cc classification :...
. With Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
backing he returned for 1998
1998 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1998 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 50th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Mick Doohan and Honda continued to dominate the 500 class with the Australian taking 8 victories and Honda winning all but one race. Simon Crafar winning the British Grand Prix for...
, riding a Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
for three years. He finished 10th, 11th and 12th in the series in this time, but won at Valencia
1999 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1999 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix was the twelfth round of the 1999 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on September 19, 1999 at the Circuit de Valencia.-500cc classification:-250cc classification:-125cc classification:...
in 1999
1999 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1999 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 51st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:The dominant reign of Honda's Mick Doohan came to an end with serious injuries suffered in practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. In his absence, his Honda team-mate Àlex Crivillé...
Superbike World Championship
For he was a factory ApriliaAprilia
Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle company, one of the seven marques owned by Piaggio, the world's fourth largest motorcycle manufacturer.Aprilia started as a scooter manufacturer, but has more recently come to be known for its race-winning sportbikes...
WSBK
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
rider. He led the first lap of the season, but struggled for much of the season on circuits he did not know. Until the final round at Imola
Imola
thumb|250px|The Cathedral of Imola.Imola is a town and comune in the province of Bologna, located on the Santerno river, in the Emilia-Romagna region of north-central Italy...
his best result was a 4th, but he benefitted from knowing this circuit (which, like himself, was new to WSBK after being familiar in 500cc). He qualified 2nd, and won the second race, after running strongly in race 1 before being taken out by a fall for champion Troy Bayliss
Troy Bayliss
Troy Bayliss is a retired Australian motorcycle racer. During his career Bayliss won the Superbike World Championship three times, as well as the British Superbike Championship and a MotoGP race, all with Ducati. He finished his career after winning the 2008 World Superbike title...
.A move to MotoGP for 2002 was not successful, with a best result of 8th, so for he returned to WSBK for the Caracchi Ducati
Ducati Motor Holding
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. is a motorcycle manufacturer in Bologna, Italy. It produces motorcycles for both road use and motorcycle racing.- History :...
team, doing enough to earn a factory ride for by taking 5 podium finishes, finishing 4th in a relatively weakened championship.
He and team-mate James Toseland
James Toseland
James Michael Toseland is a former English motorcycle racer. Toseland was the World Superbike Champion on a Ten Kate Honda, who also won the Superbike World Championship on a Ducati. He is one of only two men, the other being Troy Corser, to have won the Superbike World Championship for two...
were clear favourites for the title, which Toseland took at the final round of the season, in spite of Régis taking 5 poles and 7 wins, and having what is seen as the stronger team of mechanics. His season was interrupted by injury, and for he switched to Kawasaki
Kawasaki Heavy Industries
is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....
PSG-1 Corse. He finished the season behind his two team-mates in the championship, taking 15th place, with Chris Walker
Chris Walker (motorcycle racer)
Chris Walker is a British motorcycle road racer. His nickname is The Stalker. He is a four-time runner-up in the British Superbike Championship, and a former race winner in the Superbike World Championship....
in 9th and Fonsi Nieto
Fonsi Nieto
Alfonso Gonzalez Nieto is a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. As the nephew of successful Grand Prix motorcycle road racer Ángel Nieto, it was no surprise when he started competing in the sport himself. After success in the 250cc class he moved to World Superbikes, while he also has made one...
in 10th.
He remained with the team for and finished 10th overall. He continues with the same team for . At Misano
Misano World Circuit
The Misano World Circuit and before 2006 called Circuito Internazionale Santamonica, is an Italian racetrack located next to the town of Misano Adriatico in the frazione of Santamonica. Originally designed in 1969 as a length of , it hosted its first event in 1972...
the team ran in a localised San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
livery, but unfortunately both he and team-mate Makoto Tamada
Makoto Tamada
is a Japanese professional motorcycle racer. He is one of the few riders to win races in both MotoGP and Superbike World Championship. For he will ride for the Paul Bird Kawasaki Corse team in the Superbike World Championship.-Early years:After a junior career in minibikes, he won a regional 250cc...
crashed in race 1, forcing Laconi to run race 2 in the conventional green Kawasaki livery.
For 2009 Laconi switched to private Ducatis, riding the sole DFX machine. Results were strong early in the season, however he was seriously injured when he crashed heavily during the opening moments of the first practice of the Kyalami round of the World Superbike Championship. As of May 20, 2009 it was reported that Laconi awakened from his medically induced coma and is reported to have full movement in his arms, hands and legs. Laconi has undergone surgery to clasp his cervical vertebrae back together and it is expected he will remain immobile for some time.
Laconi returned for an exploratory test for the DFX Corse Ducati Team at Misano in June 2010 following his horrific crash at Kyalami in 2009. Regis had been training on his bicycle and after more than 70 laps with a best time of 1'37"800, he proved that his talent is still intact. But any thoughts of returning to racing for the moment are premature and totally groundless.The frienship that ties Regis to team manager Daniele Carli enabled the test to take place.=
External links
- sportnetwork.net Rider profile