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News, Views & Racing Results ....
 MotoGP : Nickel & Dime British Grand Prix - 21-06-2007
20 years of Grand Prix racing at Donington Park
This years event is the 21st consecutive year that the British Grand Prix has been held at
the Donington Park circuit. Britain is one of only 3 countries, along with Italy and The
Netherlands that has hosted a Grand Prix event in each of the 58 years since the world championship
series began back in 1949. Initially the British round of the championship series was
the Isle of Man TT races, before switching to Silverstone in 1977 for a 10 year period. The
Donington circuit has seen many historic races during the last twenty years and below are
some of the highlights from these events:
1987 The winner of the main event in the first year was Eddie Lawson on a Yamaha from great rival
Wayne Gardner. Toni Mang won the 250cc race on his way to the last of his five world titles, while the
two smaller classes were won by current team owners; Fausto Gresini won the 125s and Jorge
Martinez claimed the 80cc race in front of British rider Ian McConnachie.
1988 Wayne Rainey led the 500cc race from start to finish, scoring his first Grand Prix victory which
was also a technological milestone as the first GP won by a rider using carbon disc front brakes.
1989 Kevin Schwantz gave Suzuki their first victory at Donington after the home crowd was given plenty
to cheer about early in the race when Niall Mackenzie briefly led before eventually finishing fourth.
1990 Kevin Schwantz repeated his 500cc victory of the year before. History was made in the 125cc
class with Loris Capirossi taking his first triumph to become the youngest ever Grand Prix winner.
1991 Kevin Schwantz won for the third successive year. There was excitement down the field for the
British crowd with Ron Haslam finishing in twelfth place on the rotary Norton the last ever points scored
by the famous manufacturer who had won the first ever 500cc world championship race in 1949.
1992 Having announced prior to the race that he would retire at the end of the season,Wayne Gardner
scored an emotional final Grand Prix win to give Honda their first ever premier-class victory at the
Donington Park circuit. There was controversy during the race as several riders fell at Redgate corner,
including Kevin Schwantz who then seized the oil flag from a marshal and waved it to warn other riders.
1993 Luca Cadalora took a surprise debut 500cc victory in front of team-mate Wayne Rainey, after a
big crash on the first lap had eliminated Mick Doohan, Kevin Schwantz and Alex Barros. Niall Mackenzie
passed Carl Fogarty at the final corner to finish in third place on a ROC Yamaha to become the first
British rider to stand on a 500cc podium at Donington.
1994 The fourth and final win at Donington for both Kevin Schwantz and Suzuki. This was the last of
Schwantzs 25 Grand Prix victories.
1995 Mick Doohan riding a Honda started his three year domination of the British GP with a clear victory
over fellow Australian Daryl Beattie on a Suzuki.
1996 Another clear victory for Mick Doohan, this time followed home by his team-mate and closest
challenger for the title, Alex Criville.
1997 Mick Doohan wins for the third successive year by a slender margin from team-mate Tady
Okada. Alex Barros makes history by becoming the only rider to have a podium finish on a privateer Vtwin
Honda. Valentino Rossi won the 125cc race on the way to taking the world title.
1998 Simon Crafar dominates the 500cc class to take the only win of his Grand prix career by an
eleven second margin, after qualifying on pole and setting a new lap record during the race. This was
also the last time that a rider using Dunlop tyres won a premier-class Grand Prix.???
1999 Alex Criville won the 500cc race from team-mate Tady Okada. Tetsuya Harada scored a rare
podium finish on the V-twin Aprilia. Valentino Rossi won the 250cc race from current MotoGP rivals
Loris Capirossi and Shinya Nakano.
2000 At a wet and cold Donington Park Valentino Rossi took his first ever premier-class victory.
Jeremy McWilliams battled with Rossi throughout before finally finishing third; the last time that a
British rider has finished on the podium at the British GP. Ralf Waldmann won the 250cc race after
being 90 seconds behind the leader Olivier Jacque with 13 laps of the race to go, but had the more
suitable tyres when it began raining heavily.
2001 After qualifying down in eleventh place on the grid, Valentino Rossi repeated his win of the previous
year, this time in front of his great rival Max Biaggi.
2002 A repeat of 2001 with Valentino Rossi on his Honda beating Max Biaggi riding a Yamaha.
2003 A very controversial race with Valentino Rossi crossing the line first and being awarded the winners
trophy before subsequently being given a ten second penalty for passing under yellow flags. This
gave the win to Max Biaggi with Rossi dropping to third place.
2004 Valentino Rossi takes his fourth premier-class victory at Donington this time riding a Yamaha.
2005 Valentino Rossi once again wins in atrocious wet conditions that resulted in many riders crashing
and just eleven competitors completing the race.
2006 Dani Pedrosa dominated the event by winning the race from pole position and setting a new lap
record. Rossi provided the main race entertainment by riding through the field to finish second after
qualifying down in twelfth place on the grid
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