Things You Did Not Know About This Weekend's Spanish MotoGP
by
John Burns
Published: May 5th, 2017
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Grand Prix history leading up to now
This weekend’s MotoGP in Jerez, Spain, will be the 3,000th race since the World Championship series began in 1949. Let’s look back at some other historic events in motorcycle grand prix history.
- Freddie Frith won the first one, the 350cc race at the 1949 Isle of Man TT, Monday, June 13, on a Velocette. That’s Fast Freddie in the photo crossing the freakin’ finish line.
- The original four classes were 500cc, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. Today, we have MotoGP (1000cc), Moto2 (600cc) and Moto3 (250cc).
- Since 1949, there have been another 280 350cc races, 172 50cc ones, 47 80cc GPs, 722 125cc races, 92 Moto3 races, 716 250cc contests, 126 Moto2 melees, 580 500cc fracases and 264 MotoGPs.
- The country that has hosted the most races is Spain, with 373 prior to the 2017 Spanish GP.
- Giacomo Agostini, Angel Nieto and Valentino Rossi are the three riders with the most wins in the history of the Championship.
- The 1000th grand prix was the 50cc race at the German Grand Prix in 1975 at Hockenheim, won by Angel Nieto.
- Mick Doohan won the 2000th race, the 500cc Japanese GP in 1997 at Suzuka.
- If Rossi wins the Jerez MotoGP, it’ll be Yamaha’s 500th world championship race win, and Valentino’s 115th. And he’ll be just seven short of Ago’s 122 lifetime victories.
Thank you MotoGP.com
More by John Burns
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So if Bruce bothered to do any research, could we have had some of this compelling info a couple of days ago?
PS: Hey Mahatma, looking good!
The fact that Rossi has more than 20% of all of Yamaha's Grand Prix wins is really amazing. I wonder what his percentage of umbrella girls is?
VVLF!