1988 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix

Japan  1988 Japanese Grand Prix
Race details
Race 1 of 15 races in the
1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date 27 March 1988
Location Suzuka Circuit
Course Permanent racing facility
5.864 km (3.644 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider Japan Tadahiko Taira Yamaha
Fastest lap
Rider United States Kevin Schwantz Suzuki
Podium
First United States Kevin Schwantz Suzuki
Second Australia Wayne Gardner Honda
Third United States Eddie Lawson Yamaha
250 cc
Pole position
Rider Japan Toshihiko Honma Yamaha
Fastest lap
Rider Spain Sito Pons Honda
Podium
First Germany Anton Mang Honda
Second Spain Sito Pons Honda
Third Japan Masaru Kobayashi Honda

The 1988 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 25–27 March 1988 at the Suzuka Circuit.

500 cc race report

Tadahiko Taira was on pole of the 5-column grid (it became 4-columns in 1990). Wayne Rainey got the start and lead through the first turns, with Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Gardner and Christian Sarron behind. Schwantz took the inside of the hairpin, but Rainey dove back under and got him back on the exit; Schwantz succeeded in taking the lead on Spoon.

At the end of the 1st lap, it was Schwantz and Gardner, then a gap to Toshihiko Honma (riding #46) and Sarron. Gardner and Schwantz swapped the lead many times.

Eddie Lawson and Niall Mackenzie moved through the field to 3rd and 4th. Norihiko Fujiwara lowsided at the hairpin.

On the last lap Gardner ran off the track and stayed on, but lost any chance of winning the race.

500 cc classification

Pos Rider Manufacturer Time/Retired Points
1 United States Kevin Schwantz Suzuki 50:03.750 20
2 Australia Wayne Gardner Honda +8.384 17
3 United States Eddie Lawson Yamaha +12.724 15
4 United Kingdom Niall Mackenzie Honda +15.785 13
5 Japan Tadahiko Taira Yamaha +36.383 11
6 United States Wayne Rainey Yamaha +42.070 10
7 Australia Kevin Magee Yamaha +42.179 9
8 France Christian Sarron Yamaha +45.186 8
9 Belgium Didier de Radiguès Yamaha +1:01.213 7
10 Japan Shunji Yatsushiro Honda +1:10.228 6
11 Japan Hikaru Miyagi Honda +1:16.201 5
12 United Kingdom Ron Haslam Elf Honda +1:20.045 4
13 France Patrick Igoa Yamaha +1:29.535 3
14 Italy Pierfrancesco Chili Honda +1:38.989 2
15 Japan Osamu Hiwatashi Suzuki +1:42.545 1
16 Japan Takazumi Katayama Yamaha +1:43.611
17 Japan Masaru Mizutani Suzuki +2:04.446
18 Japan Keiji Kinoshita Honda +1 Lap
19 Italy Alessandro Valesi Honda +1 Lap
Ret France Raymond Roche Cagiva Retirement
Ret United Kingdom Rob McElnea Suzuki Retirement
Ret Japan Katunori Shinozaki Suzuki Retirement
Ret Japan Norihiko Fujiwara Yamaha Retirement
Ret United States Randy Mamola Cagiva Retirement
Ret Japan Hisashi Yamana Suzuki Retirement
Ret Switzerland Marco Gentile Fior Retirement
Ret Germany Manfred Fischer Honda Retirement
Previous race:
1987 Argentine Grand Prix
FIM Grand Prix World Championship
1988 season
Next race:
1988 United States Grand Prix
Previous race:
1987 Japanese Grand Prix
Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix Next race:
1989 Japanese Grand Prix
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