Anton Mang

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anton Mang

Motorcycle Grand Prix Career
Nationality	German
Active years	1975 – 1988
Team(s)	Kawasaki, Honda
Grands Prix	153
Championships	250cc - 1980, 1981, 1987 350cc - 1981, 1982
Wins	42
Podium finishes	84
Pole positions	34
Fastest laps	26
First Grand Prix	1975 350cc Austrian Grand Prix
First win	1976 125cc West German Grand Prix
Last win	1988 250cc Japanese Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix	1988 250cc Yugoslavian Grand Prix

Anton ("Toni") Mang (born 29 September 1949 in Inning (Starnberg) at the Ammersee) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion.

[edit] Early life

When he was 11 he had his first experience with motorcycles on the DKW RT 125, but soon afterwards he chose skibobbing as his favored sport. He was successful at this sport, winning the German National Championship as well as the Junior European Championship in skibobbing at the age of 16.

Still, motorsports kept pulling at him and he took part in a 50cc race on a Kreidler two years later though he had to pull out of the race due to mechanical difficulties.

[edit] Professional Racing

In 1970 Mang joined the reigning 125cc world champion Dieter Braun's team as his mechanic. Together with Sepp Schloegl and Alfons Zender Mang, they developed the "Schloegl Mang Zender" (SMZ 250). With this machine, he took part in a race on an airfield in Augsburg and claimed his first victory.

In 1975 he won the German Championship on 350cc Yamaha. Also in 1975 he competed in his first Grand Prix at the Austrian round of the world championship.

His first Grand Prix victory came at the 1976 German Grand Prix at the 22.8 km Nordschleife Circuit at Nürburgring on a 125cc Morbidelli. His success earned him a ride with Kawasaki for the 1978 season in the 250cc and 350cc classes.

[edit] World Championships

In 1980 he became World Champion in the 250 cc class and runner-up in the 350cc class behind Jon Ekerold.

In 1981 he won both the 250cc and 350cc World Championships and became German Sportman of the Year.

In 1982 , he would become the last 350cc World Champion as the class was abolished at the end of the year. He fell just one point short of defending his 250cc championship.

In 1983 Mang moved up to the 500 cc class. A heavy injury sustained in a skiing accident at the start of the season preventing him from competing until the middle of August. He failed to finish above 10th place in any of the races.

In the subsequent year, 1984 , Mang returned to the 250 cc class and finished 5th in the World Championship on a private 250 cc Yamaha. In 1985 , a strong performance by Freddie Spencer left him in second place in the championship. 1986 saw him finish in 4th place in the series. Moreover, the fruitful collaboration with his chief mechanic and friend Sepp Schloegl came to an end.

In 1987 he became 250cc World Champion for the third time with 8 consecutive victories. At 38, he was the oldest World Champion in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing history.

He started the 1988 season with a victory, but injuries sustained in a bad crash in the Rijeka race in Yugoslavia forced him into retirement. Mang retired with a lifetime total of 42 GP wins. The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2001.

Awards
Preceded by Guido Kratschmer	German Sportsman of the Year 1981	Succeeded by Michael Gross
Sporting positions
Preceded by Kork Ballington	250cc Motorcycle World Champion 1980-1981	Succeeded by Jean-Louis Tournadre
Preceded by Carlos Lavado	250cc Motorcycle World Champion 1987	Succeeded by Sito Pons
Preceded by Jon Ekerold	350cc Motorcycle World Champion 1981-1982	Succeeded by none

v • d • e 350 cc Motorcycle World Champions     1949 - F. Frith 1950 - B. Foster 1951 - G. Duke 1952 - G. Duke 1953 - F. Anderson 1954 - F. Anderson 1955 - B. Lomas 1956 - B. Lomas 1957 - K. Campbell 1958 - J. Surtees 1959 - J. Surtees 1960 - J. Surtees 1961 - G. Hocking 1962 - J. Redman 1963 - J. Redman 1964 - J. Redman 1965 - J. Redman 1966 - M. Hailwood 1967 - M. Hailwood 1968 - G. Agostini 1969 - G. Agostini 1970 - G. Agostini 1971 - G. Agostini 1972 - G. Agostini 1973 - G. Agostini 1974 - G. Agostini 1975 - J. Cecotto 1976 - W. Villa 1977 - T. Katayama 1978 - K. Ballington 1979 - K. Ballington 1980 - J. Ekerold 1981 - A. Mang 1982 - A. Mang

v • d • e 250 cc Motorcycle World Champions     1949 - B. Ruffo 1950 - D. Ambrosini 1951 - B. Ruffo 1952 - E. Lorenzetti 1953 - W. Haas 1954 - W. Haas 1955 - H. Müller 1956 - C. Ubbiali 1957 - C. Sandford 1958 - T. Provini 1959 - C. Ubbiali 1960 - C. Ubbiali 1961 - M. Hailwood 1962 - J. Redman 1963 - J. Redman 1964 - P. Read 1965 - P. Read 1966 - M. Hailwood 1967 - M. Hailwood 1968 - P. Read 1969 - K. Carruthers 1970 - R. Gould 1971 - P. Read 1972 - J. Saarinen 1973 - D. Braun 1974 - W. Villa 1975 - W. Villa 1976 - W. Villa 1977 - M. Lega 1978 - K. Ballington 1979 - K. Ballington 1980 - A. Mang 1981 - A. Mang 1982 - J. Tournadre 1983 - C. Lavado 1984 - C. Sarron 1985 - F. Spencer 1986 - C. Lavado 1987 - A. Mang 1988 - S. Pons 1989 - S. Pons 1990 - J. Kocinski 1991 - L. Cadalora 1992 - L. Cadalora 1993 - T. Harada 1994 - M. Biaggi 1995 - M. Biaggi 1996 - M. Biaggi 1997 - M. Biaggi 1998 - L. Capirossi 1999 - V. Rossi 2000 - O. Jacque 2001 - D. Kato 2002 - M. Melandri 2003 - M. Poggiali 2004 - D. Pedrosa 2005 - D. Pedrosa 2006 - J. Lorenzo 2007 - J. Lorenzo