Freddie Spencer

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Freddie Spencer
Freddie Spencer autograph
Nationality	United States
Grand Prix motorcycle racing career
Active years	1980 - 1993
Teams	Honda, Yamaha
Grands Prix	72
Championships	500cc - 1983, 1985 250cc - 1985
Wins	27
Podium finishes	39
Career points	610.5
Pole positions	33
Fastest laps	24
First Grand Prix	1982 500cc Argentine Grand Prix
First win	1982 500cc Belgian Grand Prix
Last win	1985 500cc Swedish Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix	1993 500cc Italian Grand Prix

Freddie Spencer (born December 20, 1961 in Shreveport, Louisiana), 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. He was a racing prodigy who began racing at the age of four, competing in dirt track events near his hometown of Shreveport. Spencer's preferred racing number was 19.

Contents 1 Racing history 2 Awards 3 Grand Prix career statistics [1] 4 Books 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Racing history

After winning the 1978 250cc U.S. National Road Racing Championship, American Honda signed Spencer to ride for their Superbike team. He gained international prominence at the 1980 U.S. versus Britain Trans-Atlantic Match races when he won two legs, defeating World Champions Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene in the process. In 1981, he split his time between the AMA Superbike series, and the European Grand Prix circuit, helping Honda develop the exotic, oval-cylindered NR500 four-stroke Grand Prix bike.

By 1982 , he had been promoted full time to Honda's Grand Prix team, who by then had given up on the NR500 and developed the NS500 three cylinder, two-stroke. In 1983, Spencer won his first 500cc World Championship, becoming the youngest person to win the title. The 1983 season would be remembered as one of the most dramatic title chases in the history of Grand Prix racing; Honda's Spencer and Yamaha's Kenny Roberts fought back and forth for the points lead with each of them earning six victories. The season culminated at the penultimate round in Sweden when the two riders collided on the last lap. Roberts ran off the track leaving Spencer to sprint to the finish line and victory. Roberts won the last race but Spencer finished second, securing his first world title by two points.

In 1984 , Honda developed a radically new V4 NSR-500 that featured the fuel tank under the engine and the expansion chambers under a false tank above the engine. Teething problems and injuries from crashes hindered Spencer's defense of his crown and he was relegated to fourth place in the championship. In spite of this, he still managed to win 5 times that year on the NS500 three cylinder machine.

1985 proved to be an historic year for Spencer. He began the season by winning the prestigious season opening Daytona 200, including the 250cc and Superbike classes, making him the only rider to win all three divisions in a single year. Spencer also competed in both the 250cc and 500cc Grand Prix World Championships, winning both titles in the same year, and becoming the only rider in history to accomplish the feat. His career was cut short by wrist injuries that some believe were caused by the physical strain of competing in two championships during a single season. After his historic 1985 season, Spencer never won another Grand Prix race. He retired from Grand Prix racing at the beginning of 1988, although there were a couple of abortive GP comeback attempts, in 1989 and 1993. He returned to race in the AMA Superbike Championship in the 1990s, winning three races. He was eighth in 1991, riding a Honda for Two Brothers Racing, and went one better in 1992. In 1995 he raced a Fast By Ferracci Ducati to ninth, and at the end of the year took over the works Ducati from Mauro Lucchiari in Superbike World Championship.

Spencer raced under several different marques during his racing career, winning his first Superbike National Championship race aboard a Kawasaki, but he is most closely associated with Honda and his partnership with Grand Prix tuner, Erv Kanemoto. He won all three of his world titles on Hondas with Kanemoto as head mechanic. Spencer had a short stint with the Agostini Yamaha team and ended his career on a Ducati in the U.S. National Championship.

Spencer now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada where he operates a successful motorcycle riding school for novice and advanced riders.

[edit] Awards

• Inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.
• Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2001.
• The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2001.

[edit] Grand Prix career statistics ^[1]

Season	Class	Motorcycle	Race	Win	Podium	Pole	FLap	Pts	Plcd
1980	500cc	-	1	0	0	0	0	-	-
1981	500cc	-	1	0	0	0	0	-	-
1982	500cc	Honda NS500	11	2	5	4	4	72	3rd
1983	500cc	Honda NS500	12	6	10	6	3	144	1st
1984	500cc	Honda NSR500	7	5	6	6	5	87	4th
1985	250cc	Honda NSR250	10	7	8	6	6	127	1st
1985	500cc	Honda NSR500	11	7	10	10	6	141	1st
1986	500cc	-	2	0	0	1	0	-	-
1987	500cc	Honda NSR500	4	0	0	0	0	4	20th
1989	500cc	Yamaha YZR500	10	0	0	0	0	33.5	16th
1993	500cc	Yamaha YZR500	3	0	0	0	0	2	37th
Total			72	27	39	33	24	610.5

[edit] Books

• Harris, Nick; Clifford, Peter (1986). Fast Freddie: Double World Champion Freddie Spencer, The Man and his Machines. UK: Motor Racing Publications Ltd, 143. ISBN 094798108X. 
• Scott, Michael (1987). The Champions: Freddie Spencer. UK: William Kimberley Limited, 64. ISBN 0946132313. 

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Freddie Spencer's Riding School
• Freddie Spencer at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
• Retro SBK's Freddie Spencer Tribute
• Freddie Spencer career discussion - details of the injury that affected his GP success

Preceded by Franco Uncini	500cc Motorcycle World Champion 1983	Succeeded by Eddie Lawson
Preceded by Eddie Lawson	500cc Motorcycle World Champion 1985	Succeeded by Eddie Lawson

v • d • e 500 cc/MotoGP Motorcycle World Champions     1949 - L. Graham 1950 - U. Masetti 1951 - G. Duke 1952 - U. Masetti 1953 - G. Duke 1954 - G. Duke 1955 - G. Duke 1956 - J. Surtees 1957 - L. Liberati 1958 - J. Surtees 1959 - J. Surtees 1960 - J. Surtees 1961 - G. Hocking 1962 - M. Hailwood 1963 - M. Hailwood 1964 - M. Hailwood 1965 - M. Hailwood 1966 - G. Agostini 1967 - G. Agostini 1968 - G. Agostini 1969 - G. Agostini 1970 - G. Agostini 1971 - G. Agostini 1972 - G. Agostini 1973 - P. Read 1974 - P. Read 1975 - G. Agostini 1976 - B. Sheene 1977 - B. Sheene 1978 - K. Roberts 1979 - K. Roberts 1980 - K. Roberts 1981 - M. Lucchinelli 1982 - F. Uncini 1983 - F. Spencer 1984 - E. Lawson 1985 - F. Spencer 1986 - E. Lawson 1987 - W. Gardner 1988 - E. Lawson 1989 - E. Lawson 1990 - W. Rainey 1991 - W. Rainey 1992 - W. Rainey 1993 - K. Schwantz 1994 - M. Doohan 1995 - M. Doohan 1996 - M. Doohan 1997 - M. Doohan 1998 - M. Doohan 1999 - À. Crivillé 2000 - K. Roberts, Jr. 2001 - V. Rossi 2002 - V. Rossi 2003 - V. Rossi 2004 - V. Rossi 2005 - V. Rossi 2006 - N. Hayden 2007 - C. Stoner

v • d • e 250 cc Motorcycle World Champions     1949 - B. Ruffo 1950 - D. Ambrosini 1951 - B. Ruffo 1952 - E. Lorenzetti 1953 - W. Haas 1954 - W. Haas 1955 - H. Müller 1956 - C. Ubbiali 1957 - C. Sandford 1958 - T. Provini 1959 - C. Ubbiali 1960 - C. Ubbiali 1961 - M. Hailwood 1962 - J. Redman 1963 - J. Redman 1964 - P. Read 1965 - P. Read 1966 - M. Hailwood 1967 - M. Hailwood 1968 - P. Read 1969 - K. Carruthers 1970 - R. Gould 1971 - P. Read 1972 - J. Saarinen 1973 - D. Braun 1974 - W. Villa 1975 - W. Villa 1976 - W. Villa 1977 - M. Lega 1978 - K. Ballington 1979 - K. Ballington 1980 - A. Mang 1981 - A. Mang 1982 - J. Tournadre 1983 - C. Lavado 1984 - C. Sarron 1985 - F. Spencer 1986 - C. Lavado 1987 - A. Mang 1988 - S. Pons 1989 - S. Pons 1990 - J. Kocinski 1991 - L. Cadalora 1992 - L. Cadalora 1993 - T. Harada 1994 - M. Biaggi 1995 - M. Biaggi 1996 - M. Biaggi 1997 - M. Biaggi 1998 - L. Capirossi 1999 - V. Rossi 2000 - O. Jacque 2001 - D. Kato 2002 - M. Melandri 2003 - M. Poggiali 2004 - D. Pedrosa 2005 - D. Pedrosa 2006 - J. Lorenzo 2007 - J. Lorenzo