South African motorcycle Grand Prix

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South African Grand Prix
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
VenuePhakisa Freeway (1999–2004)
Kyalami (1983–1985, 1992)
First race1983
Last race2004
Most wins (rider)Valentino Rossi (3)
Most wins (manufacturer)Honda (10)

The South African motorcycle Grand Prix was a motorcycling event that had been part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship, held intermittently from 1983 to 2004.

History

The first South African Grand Prix was held in 1983 as the season opener at the Kyalami circuit in Midrand.[1] The circuit lay more than 1700 metres above sea level and the high altitude caused problems for the riders to set up their bikes. The race was held on a Saturday, similar to the Dutch TT.[2] In 1984 the races were plagued by bad weather conditions, resulting in many accidents.[3] The race in 1985 was the final to be held at the old Kyalami circuit before it was removed for the 1986 season due to the Apartheid policies which were in place in the country at the time. These policies prompted the subsequent boycott from many sport associations (such as the FIM and the FIA), which refused to race in the country until the lift of these bans in the early 1990s.[4][5][6]

After the Apartheid policies were abolished and the FIM removed the restrictions for South African riders and venues, the round returned on the calendar in 1992 on a new and shortened variant of the Kyalami circuit. The race was placed on a Sunday timeslot compared to the previous three South African GPs, which were held on a Saturday.[7] However, due to ongoing financial and political problems going on in the country, it was decided to cancel the 1993 installment of the race which was planned for 3 October that year. This decision was made at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix.[8]

In 1999, the South African Grand Prix returned. The venue chosen was the Phakisa Freeway in Welkom.[9][10] In the 2002 event, the South African Department of Health announced a week before the Grand Prix that it was no longer allowed to advertise tobacco products in motorsports. This caused a big problem because that year's official sponsor of the race was French cigarette brand Gauloises. All the posters and programs - who were already printed and ready for distribution - had to be thrown away and quickly altered and all the teams who were sponsored by tobacco companies that year were forced to order new and censored stickers for the bikes, overalls for the riders, team clothing for the crewmembers and more. This caused significant financial damage as a result.[11] In 2003, the start of the MotoGP race was delayed for almost one hour to clean up an oil spill from Kenny Roberts Jr.'s Suzuki.[12] The 2004 race was the final South African Grand Prix so far and saw Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi famously battle for the victory.[13][14][15]

Official names and sponsors

  • 1983: Nashua Motorcycle Grand Prix
  • 1984: Technics Motorcycle Grand Prix[16]
  • 1985: National Panasonic Motorcycle Grand Prix
  • 1992: Nashua South African Grand Prix
  • 1999: South African Grand Prix (no official sponsor)
  • 2000–2001: Gauloises Africa's Grand Prix
  • 2002: Africa's Grand Prix (no official sponsor)
  • 2003: Arnette Africa's Grand Prix
  • 2004: betandwin.com Africa's Grand Prix

Formerly used circuits

  • The old Kyalami track, used from 1983 to 1985.
    The old Kyalami track, used from 1983 to 1985.
  • The new, shortened Kyalami track, used in 1992.
    The new, shortened Kyalami track, used in 1992.

Winners

Multiple winners (riders)

# Wins Rider Wins
Category Years won
3 Italy Valentino Rossi MotoGP 2004
500cc 2001
250cc 1999
2 United States Freddie Spencer 500cc 1983
250cc 1985
United States Eddie Lawson 500cc 1984, 1985
Italy Max Biaggi 500cc 1999
250cc 1992
San Marino Manuel Poggiali 250cc 2003
125cc 2002
Spain Daniel Pedrosa 250cc 2004
125cc 2003

Multiple winners (manufacturers)

# Wins Manufacturer Wins
Category Years won
10 Japan Honda MotoGP 2002, 2003
500cc 1983, 2001
250cc 1985, 2001, 2004
125cc 1992, 2003, 2004
8 Japan Yamaha MotoGP 2004
500cc 1984, 1985, 1992, 1999, 2000
250cc 1984, 2000
6 Italy Aprilia 250cc 1992, 1999, 2002, 2003
125cc 1999, 2000

By year

Year Track 125cc 250cc MotoGP Report
Rider Manufacturer Rider Manufacturer Rider Manufacturer
2004 Welkom Italy Andrea Dovizioso Honda Spain Daniel Pedrosa Honda Italy Valentino Rossi Yamaha Report
2003 Spain Daniel Pedrosa Honda San Marino Manuel Poggiali Aprilia Spain Sete Gibernau Honda Report
2002 San Marino Manuel Poggiali Gilera Italy Marco Melandri Aprilia Japan Tohru Ukawa Honda Report
Year Track 125cc 250cc 500cc Report
Rider Manufacturer Rider Manufacturer Rider Manufacturer
2001 Welkom Japan Youichi Ui Derbi Japan Daijiro Kato Honda Italy Valentino Rossi Honda Report
2000 France Arnaud Vincent Aprilia Japan Shinya Nakano Yamaha Australia Garry McCoy Yamaha Report
1999 Italy Gianluigi Scalvini Aprilia Italy Valentino Rossi Aprilia Italy Max Biaggi Yamaha Report
1992 Kyalami Spain Jorge Martínez Honda Italy Max Biaggi Aprilia United States John Kocinski Yamaha Report
Year Track 80cc 125cc 250cc 500cc Report
Rider Manufacturer Rider Manufacturer Rider Manufacturer Rider Manufacturer
1985 Kyalami United States Freddie Spencer Honda United States Eddie Lawson Yamaha Report
1984 France Patrick Fernandez Yamaha United States Eddie Lawson Yamaha Report
1983 France Jean-François Baldé Chevallier United States Freddie Spencer Honda Report

References

  1. ^ "MotoGP - South African 500cc GP - Kyalami - 1983". YouTube. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1983". Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1984". Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  4. ^ "MotoGP - South African 500cc GP - Kyalami 1985". YouTube. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Kyalami". Motorsportmagazine.com. 12 June 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Alle Grand-Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden, van 1973 (het jaar dat Jack begon met racen) tot heden". Archive.li. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1992". Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1993". Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  9. ^ "1999 500cc South African GPk". YouTube. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1999". Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 2002". Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 2003". jumpingjack.nl (in Dutch). 25 July 2015. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  13. ^ "CNN.com - Rossi celebrates a welcome victory - Apr 18, 2004". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  14. ^ "Top ten historic moments of 2004: no. 1 - MotoGP". Motogp.com. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  15. ^ "Moto Gp Sirkuit Welkom 2004". YouTube. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  16. ^ "1984 500cc Class (FIM Grand Prix World Championship) Programmes | The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
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