1993 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1993 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix was the twelfth race of the 1993 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on September 5, 1993 at the Misano circuit.

500 cc race report

Luca Cadalora received his first pole of the season at his home race, sending the Italian press into a frenzy. He managed 7 more poles in his 500 career. Cadalora got lead at the start from Wayne Rainey and John Kocinski. Kevin Schwantz passed Kocinski and he closed in 3rd. Rainey rode aggressively, qualified .021 seconds behind Cadalora.

Rainey, in the lead, went through the fast right-hander and got on the gas too early. The back end of his bike went out of control, causing him to lowside. As he slid off the track, the deep furrows in the gravel somersaulted him end-over-end and he landed heavily on his head. He was helicoptered away from circuit with a broken spine.

“I laid there in the sandtrap. The pain I was feeling was … unbelievable. It felt like there was a hole in the middle of my chest.”

—^[1]

Mick Doohan got past Schwantz to catch Cadalora, but was unable to pass him. The Italian fans swarm the track when Cadalora won.

After the race

Tad Pilati, of the Roberts team, said of Rainey: {{quote“There’s no feeling from the center of his chest down. He’s being held at a hospital near Rimini. He’s in stable condition, and the next 48 hours are going to tell us everything.”|^[2] Rainey would be paralysed from the chest down, and never walk again. He stayed in motorcycle racing in management roles, and has raced in a hand-control shifter kart, often with his motorcycle racing rival Eddie Lawson. Rainey has raced the shifter kart exhibition race held at Red Bull United States Grand Prix, which contains motorcycle racing legends.

500cc classification

References

1. ^ Scott, Michael. Wayne Rainey: His Own Story. Page 186. Sparkford: Haynes Publishing, 1997.
2. ^ Duke Video, “Bike 500 GP 1993 Review”. Videocassette.}}

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