Quiet weekend, this. Weather wasn’t conducive to riding so home pursuits were in order. And this afternoon I settled down with the latest issue of “Bike” magazine, my favourite read. I used to buy heaps of magazines, and even subscribed to some, but, as financial necessities set in and the family responsibilities mounted, some things had to go and the vast collection of motorcycle magazines was top of the list.
So, these days, I am much more selective. And it’s got to the stage where I only get 2. The free copy of “Cycle Torque” from TFRPS, and my regular copy of “Bike” which my local newsagent keeps back for me each month.
I blame the Internet, by the way. Until the interweb came into being, we HAD to buy magazines to get the news, especially that emanting from overseas. Nowadays the magazines are outdated by the time they hit the shelves, so the mags have to diversify in order to encourage people to read them. No point publishing the news, everyone already knows it. Even our own AMCN, the “N” of which stands for “News” doesn’t publicise that fact any more. And the magazine is at least equally articles and road tests and even the execrable Boris gets an opportunity to pollute our brains.
Anyway, back to “Bike”. It is truly a motorcyclist’s best friend. Yes, there is news, and, yes, it it TOTALLY out of date by the time the magazine reaches our shores, but even my American friends on a forum I inhabit agree that it’s the duck’s guts, as they say. Because there are so many interesting and innovative articles that it provides nearly a month’s reading.
This month there is an article that discusses the value of a World Championship, specifically a MotoGp/500cc World Championship. And the tenor of the article is that, even if you’d only won ONE title, it still makes you a champion. Now I can see where they are coming from and, if the sole definition of a champion is one who has WON a championship, then, yes it it true.
But I tend to be a little more pedantic than that. To me, a champion should not only be someone who has won a championship, but also someone who RIDES like a champion and exhibits champion-like characteristics in all aspects of their lives.
This is one of the reasons why I was so glad to see Andrew Pitt win the WSS Championship this year. In 2000, when he won his first title, he did so without winning a race, so it was great to see the “knockers” silenced with his dominant performance this year.
But, that is an aside. We’re talking about Grands Prix here. And here I must bring out a fascinating statistic.
In the 59 years since the Grand Prix Championships were inaugurated, there has only been 24 winners of the premier class championship in that time. Does that amaze you, because it does me? Here’s the list.
2008 46 Valentino ROSSI (ITA), Yamaha YZR-M1 Moto GP (800cc)
2007 27 Casey STONER (AUS), Ducati Desmosedici GP07 Moto GP (800cc)
2006 69 Nicky HAYDEN (USA), Honda RC211V Moto GP (990cc)
2005 46 Valentino ROSSI (ITA), Yamaha YZR-M1 Moto GP (990cc)
2004 46 Valentino ROSSI (ITA), Yamaha YZR-M1 Moto GP (990cc)
2003 46 Valentino ROSSI (ITA), Honda RC211V Moto GP (990cc)
2002 46 Valentino ROSSI (ITA), Honda RC211V Moto GP (990cc)
2001 46 Valentino ROSSI (ITA), Honda NSR500 GP 500
2000 2 Kenny ROBERTS Jr. (USA), Suzuki RGV500 GP 500
1999 3 Alex CRIVILLE (SPA), Honda NSR500 GP 500
1998 1 Mick DOOHAN (AUS), Honda NSR500 GP 500
1997 1 Mick DOOHAN (AUS), Honda NSR500 GP 500
1996 1 Mick DOOHAN (AUS), Honda NSR500 GP 500
1995 1 Mick DOOHAN (AUS), Honda NSR500 GP 500
1994 4 Mick DOOHAN (AUS), Honda NSR500 GP 500
1993 34 Kevin SCHWANTZ (USA), Suzuki RGV500 GP 500
1992 1 Wayne RAINEY (USA), Yamaha YZR500 GP 500
1991 1 Wayne RAINEY (USA), Yamaha YZR500 GP 500
1990 2 Wayne RAINEY (USA), Yamaha YZR500 GP 500
1989 1 Eddie LAWSON (USA), Honda NSR500 GP 500
1988 3 Eddie LAWSON (USA), Yamaha YZR500 GP 500
1987 2 Wayne GARDNER (AUS), Honda NSR500 GP 500
1986 2 Eddie LAWSON (USA), Yamaha YZR500 GP 500
1985 4 Freddie SPENCER (USA), Honda NSR500 GP 500
1984 4 Eddie LAWSON (USA), Yamaha YZR500 GP 500
1983 3 Freddie SPENCER (USA), Honda NS500 GP 500
1982 # Franco UNCINI (ITA), Suzuki RG500 GP 500
1981 # Marco LUCCHINELLI (ITA), Suzuki RG500 GP 500
1980 1 Kenny ROBERTS (USA), Yamaha YZR500 GP 500
1979 1 Kenny ROBERTS (USA), Yamaha YZR500 GP 500
1978 2 Kenny ROBERTS (USA), Yamaha YZR500 GP 500
1977 7 Barry SHEENE (GBR), Suzuki RG500 GP 500
1976 7 Barry SHEENE (GBR), Suzuki RG500 GP 500
1975 4 Giacomo AGOSTINI (ITA), Yamaha YZR500 GP 500
1974 # Phil READ (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1973 # Phil READ (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1972 # Giacomo AGOSTINI (ITA), MV Agusta GP 500
1971 # Giacomo AGOSTINI (ITA), MV Agusta GP 500
1970 # Giacomo AGOSTINI (ITA), MV Agusta GP 500
1969 # Giacomo AGOSTINI (ITA), MV Agusta GP 500
1968 # Giacomo AGOSTINI (ITA), MV Agusta GP 500
1967 # Giacomo AGOSTINI (ITA), MV Agusta GP 500
1966 # Giacomo AGOSTINI (ITA), MV Agusta GP 500
1965 # Mike HAILWOOD (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1964 # Mike HAILWOOD (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1963 # Mike HAILWOOD (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1962 # Mike HAILWOOD (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1961 # Gary HOCKING (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1960 # John SURTEES (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1959 # John SURTEES (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1958 # John SURTEES (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1957 # Libero LIBERATI (ITA), Gilera GP 500
1956 # John SURTEES (GBR), MV Agusta GP 500
1955 # Geoff DUKE (GBR), Gilera GP 500
1954 # Geoff DUKE (GBR), Gilera GP 500
1953 # Geoff DUKE (GBR), Gilera GP 500
1952 # Umberto MASETTI (ITA), Gilera GP 500
1951 # Geoff DUKE (GBR), Norton GP 500
1950 # Umberto MASETTI (ITA), Gilera GP 500
1949 # Leslie GRAHAM (GBR), AJS “Porcupine” GP 500
There are only 11 one-time champions in that list, believe it or not. And the list makes interesting reading.
Stoner, Schwantz, Gardner, Luchinelli, Uncini, Criville, Hocking, Liberati, Graham, Roberts Jr and Hayden.
So, do we think that someone who has only won ONE championship is as worthy as someone who won more than one? I tend to think that we probably should. After all, to even win ONE is better than anything that any of us could have achieved (unless one of my readers is a potential world champion in the MotoGp class, in which case, I apologise). In some of these cases, the jury might still be out, but, as my title suggests, Champions All.