History Catch-all Thread

[Rusty Bucket USA]

As on old picture went across my screensaver, I got to wondering who the rider behind Toni Elias was in the shot. For whatever reason, I hadn't successfully found that out in the past, so I snooped around the corporate site to get the answer (Leon Haslam).

The reason I thought I should start this thread: now that we're in the off-season, we get more time to ask oddball questions of each other.

As I looked at the results of that race, I thought "W...T..H...?" and figured it must have been rain. But the picture I have is sunny and clear (and not late in the day).

So, I'll throw the question out in the open: What happened at that race?!

As an aside, it's rather interesting to look at some of the names and realize there are riders who have been in the 250 Class longer than everyone currently in MotoGP (save for 2 Italians), and the 4-strokes themselves.

[heng47]

So, I'll throw the question out in the open: What happened at that race?!

As an aside, it's rather interesting to look at some of the names and realize there are riders who have been in the 250 Class longer than everyone currently in MotoGP (save for 2 Italians), and the 4-strokes themselves.

Which race?

As for your 2nd question, I was surprised to see Locatelli still in 250s as I sort of remember him racing against Ui Yuichi and Pogialli in the 125s years before Dani or Jorge even entered our vocabulary.

[Rusty Bucket USA]

Right. He's one of the guys I had in mind.

The race was Estoril '02. (It was linked in the first paragraph.)

[The Scribe]

As I looked at the results of that race, I thought "W...T..H...?" and figured it must have been rain. But the picture I have is sunny and clear (and not late in the day).

So, I'll throw the question out in the open: What happened at that race?!
.

I needed some time to remember this particular one, but now that I do (more or less), helluva race, as you say.

I don´t know why in the picture it is sunny and clear because, for sure, it was raining. You can check a brief summary in: http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2002/Fons ... race+crash

I remember Fonsi lowsiding, I´d say in the chicane. I fail to describe what happened next exactly, with Fonsi and the bike dancing around, the bike spinning 360º, and the guy finally able to stand up, but if you ever saw it you will remember. You can see a picture here

[Hayshed]

In addition to Fonsi Nieto's Waldmannesque exploits, I most remember Jay Vincent finding himself in third by default, and in a pre Bradders and Redding era it was unthinkable of a Brit getting on the box in a two stroke GP. I remember Toby in tears the year before this at Assen when Jeremy ended our 15 year drought by winning in the wet, ending a decade and a half of ignominy during which time no Brit rider had won a GP in any class.

Yeah, I remember this well. Naoki Matsudo was regarded as the class wet weather specialist, and looked to have it in the bag. A race of attrition but nonetheless pretty exciting when Vincent, himself no mug in the wet, slewed his way past Melandri, the rain acting as a leveler and allowing our boy to demonstrate that it was just inferior machinery that held him back...until, the inevitable happened.

I also remember another Vincent -Arnaud, anyone remember him? taking the 125 glory, and Rossi winning in Moto GP following heavy pressure on Sete, resulting in a heavy crash by Sete. Talking of all things Jeremy, he had a creditable ride as I recall, while Kato new to the V5 languished at the back his wet weather apprehension showing.

[raisinberry777]

And while I feel like I'm going on about this for the millionth time - some interesting facts from the 98 and 99 125cc seasons.

21 of the 30 races (that's 70%) were decided by less than a second [1998 (11/14) 1999 (10/16)]

While Alzamora won the championship with no race wins in 1999, he led onto the pit straight for the final time twice (at Jerez and Catalunya).

Melandri's second place in the championship was an incredible fightback after being injured during practice at Round 1 in Sepang, and didn't come back until Round 3 (Jerez) where he hadn't fully recovered and didn't recover fully until Round 5 at Mugello.

The 1998 Catalan Grand Prix had 11 riders come within two seconds of the leader and 14 within 3 seconds. Other races with such large groups at the finish include Mugello 1998 (7 riders until a last-lap, last-corner crash knocked it down to 3 men over the line), Buenos Aires 98 (4), Mugello 99 (11), Barcelona 99 (6), Sachsenring 99 (4), Phillip Island 99 (6), Jacarepagua 99 (7). (the bracketed numbers are how many riders within 2 seconds of the leader over the line)

At Phillip Island in 1999, Alzamora was involved in an accident near the end of the race that when he came back on, put him in 16th place behind his teammate, Angel Nieto Jr. His team boss, Angel Nieto Sr. told Jr. to let Alzamora through for that 15th place. Consider that one point was what he won the championship by 3 rounds later.

Interestingly enough it was the wet races that produced the most boring races in 99 (no wet races in 98), 21.903 seconds between first and second in Motegi and 7.957 in Valencia.

Anyway, there's some food for thought about my favourite days of the 125cc championship.

[heng47]

Only ever female GP racer I've seen was in the 250s, some German lady.
Too bad we haven't had another since.

[Hayshed]

Only ever female GP racer I've seen was in the 250s, some German lady.
Too bad we haven't had another since.

That'd be Katja Poensgen. I think I read she's playing at happy families now


There was a Finnish lady in 250 I think many years ago, but ther name escapes me - anyone? There have been several female wild cards in recent years - most recently the French gal wild carding in either the125 or 250gp but her name also eludes me - and although I remember this well, I've looked at all the data from the race weekend and she doesn't exist. I've obviously imagined this or invented her as the object of some strange fantasy. Maybe it wasn't Le Mans, but she was definitely French, so it would make sense...anyone remember this?

[Gustav O]

There was a Finnish lady in 250 I think many years ago, but ther name escapes me - anyone? There have been several female wild cards in recent years - most recently the French gal wild carding in either the125 or 250gp but her name also eludes me - and although I remember this well, I've looked at all the data from the race weekend and she doesn't exist. I've obviously imagined this or invented her as the object of some strange fantasy. Maybe it wasn't Le Mans, but she was definitely French, so it would make sense...anyone remember this?

Finland has had two really fast ladies racing in the smaller classes. First out was Taru Rinne who was the first lady ever to score points in GPs. She was very fast and finished as high as seventh in 125s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taru_Rinne

Heta Lauslehto was also really fast and won Swedish, Nordic and European championships in 125 but I am not sure if she raced anything in GPs.
In 2008 Andrea Touskova raced in 125cc class at Brno, she is the latest lady in GPs I think.

[Hayshed]

Finland has had two really fast ladies racing in the smaller classes. First out was Taru Rinne who was the first lady ever to score points in GPs. She was very fast and finished as high as seventh in 125s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taru_Rinne

Heta Lauslehto was also really fast and won Swedish, Nordic and European championships in 125 but I am not sure if she raced anything in GPs.
In 2008 Andrea Touskova raced in 125cc class at Brno, she is the latest lady in GPs I think.

Taru Rinne, that's the one - thank you.

As I said, there was definitely a young French girl who wild carded at Le Mans - and yet I can't find any evidence of this.

[Rusty Bucket USA]

Who is this?

(link to full-size original)
This is from the Corporate Site's Seasons files, Sepang '04, Friday practice, not that I trust the accuracy of that.

[Gustav O]

Czech girl Janakova Marketa.

http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Marketa+Janakova

[Rusty Bucket USA]

Damn, I even looked in the 125cc listings, but didn't see her there...
From that angle, the bike looked big enough to be a 250.
Thanks!

It looks like she was 17 at the time of that race, and she didn't finish. No record after that. Yikes!
What happened?

[Bigguy]

Only ever female GP racer I've seen was in the 250s, some German lady.
Too bad we haven't had another since.

there was a female 500 rider too, but she only managed to qualify once: Gina Bovaird from the US. She qualified at the mostly boycotted French round in '82 at Nogaro. If I remember correctly she crashed one lap one and broke her jaw. If don't know if she ever tried to qualify again but I know she wasn't around in '83.

[Albert]

These are the only ones I can remember racing at World class GP level -----

Gina Bovaird (United States) - the only female motorcycle racer to compete in the 500 cc class (1982 at France - DNF).

Katja Poensgen (Germany) - the only female motorcycle racer to score points in the 250 cc Grand Prix class. In 2001 she raced at the Italian GP in Mugello and finished fourteenth.

Taru Rinne (Finland) - scored a total of twenty-five points in the 125 cc class throughout the 1988 and 1989 seasons, and was second in practice for the 1998 German Grand Prix.

Tomoko Igata (Japan) - scored a total of thirty points in the 125 cc class throughout the 1994 and 1995 seasons.

I don't think there are any more -- but as always I stand to be corrected!

[TheSecondStain]

Damn, I even looked in the 125cc listings, but didn't see her there...
From that angle, the bike looked big enough to be a 250.
Thanks!

It looks like she was 17 at the time of that race, and she didn't finish. No record after that. Yikes!
What happened?

Did a little digging, and as of 2008 she was in the European Women's Championship.

http://www.motocicliste.net/ewcup/eng/albacete2008.asp

Might do a little more digging later.