The 1990 United States motorcycle Grand Prix was the second round of the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of April 6–8, 1990 at Laguna Seca Raceway.
500 cc race report Eddie Lawson's season went from bad to worse: during practice his brakes failed at speed, and he hit the straw bales hard, shattering his right ankle. He would be sidelined until round 8 at Assen.
Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz both got away together at the start; Rainey's front wheel lifted, and maybe because of that, he and Schwantz touched as they headed toward the hairpin. The order as they made their way to the Corkscrew was Rainey, Schwantz, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Kevin Magee. Magee soon crashed out of the race, which was red-flagged because an ambulance needed to get on the track, Magee suffering severe head injuries and ending his season. He recovered, but never raced again at the same level.
At the new start, Schwantz got to the hairpin first, followed by Sito Pons and Rainey. Rainey soon passed Pons and a gap formed to the fight for third, between Gardner, Pons and Doohan. On the uphill approach to the Corkscrew, Gardner highsided up and out.
Commentating for Australian broadcaster Nine Network, two-time 500cc world champion Barry Sheene remarked his clear disapproval towards the safety standards at Laguna Seca after Gardner's crash:
Rainey passed on Turn 11, and was able to keep Schwantz behind him for a lap. As they went through Turn 11 with 5 laps to go, Schwantz highsided, and injured his wrist too much to continue, which was later discovered to be a fracture.
500 cc classification Pos. Rider Team Manufacturer Time/Retired Points 1 Wayne Rainey Marlboro Team Roberts Yamaha 50:55.379 20 2 Mick Doohan Rothmans Honda Team Honda +30.386 17 3 Pierfrancesco Chili Team ROC Elf La Cinq Honda +59.233 15 4 Christian Sarron Sonauto Gauloises Yamaha +1:13.006 13 5 Jean Philippe Ruggia Sonauto Gauloises Yamaha +1:22.592 11 6 Juan Garriga Ducados Yamaha Yamaha +1 Lap 10 7 Randy Mamola Cagiva Corse Cagiva +1 Lap 9 8 Alex Barros Cagiva Corse Cagiva +1 Lap 8 9 Peter Lindén Honda +3 Laps 7 10 Nicholas Schmassman Team Schmassman Honda +3 Laps 6 Ret Kevin Magee Lucky Strike Suzuki Suzuki Retirement Ret Kevin Schwantz Lucky Strike Suzuki Suzuki Retirement Ret Wayne Gardner Rothmans Honda Team Honda Retirement Ret Ron Haslam Cagiva Corse Cagiva Retirement Ret Sito Pons Campsa Banesto Honda Retirement DNS Eddie Lawson Marlboro Team Roberts Yamaha Crash in practice DNS Tadahiko Taira Tech 21 Yamaha Did not start DNQ Hansjorg Butz Honda Did not qualify Sources:
References