1989 Brazilian motorcycle Grand Prix

  1989 Brazilian Grand Prix

Race details
Race 15 of 15 races in the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	17 September 1989
Location	Goiânia
Course	Permanent racing facility 3.835 km (2.383 mi)
500 cc
Pole position Rider Wayne Rainey Time 1:25.440 Fastest lap Rider Eddie Lawson Time 1:26.980 Podium First Kevin Schwantz Second Eddie Lawson Third Wayne Rainey
250 cc
Pole position Rider Loris Reggiani Time 1:28.980 Fastest lap Rider Luca Cadalora Time 1:29.260 Podium First Luca Cadalora Second Masahiro Shimizu Third Loris Reggiani

The 1989 Brazilian motorcycle Grand Prix was the last round of the 1989 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 15–17 September 1989 at the Goiânia circuit.

500 cc race report

Wayne Rainey has to win and Eddie Lawson has to finish outside the top 11 in order for Lawson to lose the championship. Reflecting on the mistake in Sweden that turned the championship around, Rainey says: “It’s really hard to tell you what I feel like. I just feel like I’ve been beat up by everybody in the world, and I just feel so down and disappointed in myself. I just felt I really let myself down and my team. You know, it makes you feel like crap.”^[1]

Though he can phone in the race and still win the championship, Lawson gets the start and the first apex, followed by Kevin Schwantz and Rainey. Rainey passes Schwantz, who nearly highsides in third spot. The track surface is slippery, and Mick Doohan shows it by doing a big rear-end slide.

Schwantz passes Rainey, but it almost doesn’t stick, as Rainey tries to deny him the pass and they almost touch. Lawson is getting a small gap in the lead.

Going through dense backmarker traffic, Schwantz catches Lawson. Both bikes are squirming and bucking under acceleration. In Lawson’s draft on the straight, Schwantz pops out and passes on the brakes. Schwantz shows he can slide with the best of them as he gets the back-end spinning on the exits.

Schwantz manages to put a #32 between him and Lawson. Vince Cascino, perhaps trying to match Schwantz’ pace, crashes right in front of Lawson, who manages to avoid the bike and rider but the distraction costs him some tenths.

Last lap, Schwantz wins with a gap between him and Lawson, and Rainey takes third.

500 cc classification

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Kevin Schwantz	Suzuki	46:44.390	20
2	Eddie Lawson	Honda	+1.710	17
3	Wayne Rainey	Yamaha	+11.220	15
4	Mick Doohan	Honda	+19.120	13
5	Ron Haslam	Suzuki	+24.250	11
6	Kevin Magee	Yamaha	+33.420	10
7	Wayne Gardner	Honda	+33.630	9
8	Christian Sarron	Yamaha	+38.610	8
9	Niall Mackenzie	Yamaha	+1:06.640	7
10	Adrien Morillas	Honda	+1:10.020	6
11	Randy Mamola	Cagiva	+1:11.650	5
12	Rob McElnea	Honda	+1:12.430	4
13	Alessandro Valesi	Yamaha	+1 Lap	3
14	Damon Buckmaster	Honda	+1 Lap	2
15	Juan Lopez Mella	Honda	+2 Laps	1
16	Francisco Gonzales	Honda	+3 Laps
17	Nicholas Schmassman	Honda	+3 Laps
Ret	Vincenzo Cascino	Suzuki	Retirement
Ret	Dominique Sarron	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Pierfrancesco Chili	Honda	Retirement

References

1. ↑ Duke Video: "Bike GP 1989 Review". Videocassette.