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Kevin Schwantz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kevin Schwantz
Schwantz at a demonstration event in 2010
Born (1964-06-19) June 19, 1964 (age 60)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Bike number34 (retired in honor)
WebsiteKevin Schwantz
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1986–1995
First race1986 500cc Dutch TT
Last race1995 500cc Japanese Grand Prix
First win1988 500cc Japanese Grand Prix
Last win1994 500cc British Grand Prix
Team(s)Suzuki
Championships500cc - 1993
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
105 25 51 29 26 1236.5
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
18 races run over 3 years
Best finish50th (1998)
First race1997 All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300 (Charlotte)
Last race1999 MBNA Gold 200 (Dover)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 2 0

Kevin James Schwantz[1] (born June 19, 1964) is an American former professional motorcycle road racer. He was the world champion of the 1993 FIM Road Racing World Championship.[2][3]

Early life

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Schwantz, whose parents owned a motorcycle shop, learned to ride at the age of four.[2] He began his competitive career as a trials rider, following his father and Uncle, Darryl Hurst (the original 34), in that sport.[2] From trials, he progressed to motocross in his teens, becoming a top regional MX racer.[2] After a serious crash in qualifying for the Houston Supercross in 1983, he decided to quit motocross.[2]

Career

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At the end of the 1984 season, he was offered a test ride with the Yoshimura Suzuki Superbike team, who promptly signed the Texan to a contract.[2] In his first race for Yoshimura, he won both legs of the 1985 Willow Springs AMA Superbike National.[2] He finished seventh overall in the championship despite only competing in half the races.[2] He finished second to Eddie Lawson in the 1986 Daytona 200 on the new Suzuki GSX-R750.[2] Then, in what would become an all too common occurrence throughout his career, he broke his collarbone in a qualifying crash and missed several races.[2] Once again he finished seventh overall in the Championship.[2]

The 1987 Superbike National Championship marked the beginning of Schwantz' fiercely competitive rivalry with Wayne Rainey.[2] The two battled throughout the entire season, often coming into contact on the track. Rainey eventually won the National Championship but Schwantz closed the season winning five out of six races.[2] So intense was their rivalry that they continued their battle during the 1987 Transatlantic Trophy match races in which they were supposedly teammates competing against a team of British riders.[2]

Schwantz began 1988 by winning the season-opening Daytona 200 in what would be his only win in that prestigious event.[4] He then departed for Europe as Suzuki promoted him to its 500cc Grand Prix team where he made an immediate impact by winning the 1988 Japanese Grand Prix in the opening round at Suzuka, Japan; it was only his seventh Grand Prix ride in total, having experienced wild card rides in 1986 on the old square four RG500 and in 1987 on the first version of the V4 RGV500.[2][3]

His archrival, Rainey joined the Grand Prix circuit, signing for the Team Roberts-Yamaha squad.[5] For the next six years, the two continued their intense rivalry on race tracks all across Europe.[3]

Schwantz cheering after winning the 1989 British Grand Prix at Donington Park.

The late 1980s and early 1990s are remembered as one of the most competitive eras of Grand Prix racing with a field rich in talent that included Rainey, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Eddie Lawson and Randy Mamola.[6] He was often at a disadvantage in that his Suzukis never seemed to be as fast as those of his Yamaha and Honda mounted rivals. His determination to win at all cost meant that he seemed to crash as often as he won. This trait made him a popular favorite among race fans the world over.[3] His last lap pass of Rainey to win the 1991 German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring, with his rear tire fish-tailing on the verge of control, typified Schwantz' "do or die" riding style.

Schwantz on the Suzuki RGV500 in 1993

He culminated his career in 1993 by winning his only 500cc World Championship.[3] After suffering through a crash-infested 1994 season, the injuries he had incurred over the years began to take their toll on him,[3] as did the career ending injuries suffered by his rival Rainey, at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Early in the 1995 season, after a conversation with Rainey, Schwantz decided to retire from motorcycle competition.[2][7] Schwantz had accumulated 25 Grands Prix wins during his career, one more than his great rival, Wayne Rainey.[2][5] This made him the second most successful American roadracer behind Eddie Lawson. In a display of respect, the FIM retired his racing number (34) as a testament to his popularity.

In the late 1990s, Schwantz ran a couple of seasons of the Australian NASCAR Championship before returning home to the United States where he competed in the NASCAR Busch Series, running 18 races with two top tens, an ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series event, and touring car races.[2][8] Schwantz was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.[2] The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2000.[9]

Schwantz co-designed the Circuit of the Americas racetrack with Tavo Hellmund and German architect and circuit designer Hermann Tilke.[10]

Schwantz has operated a riding school since circa 2001 in Birmingham, Alabama.[11]

Other appearances

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In 2003, he was featured in the motorcycle racing documentary film Faster.

In 2011, he rode Marco Simoncelli's bike in his honor in Valencia, Spain.

In 2017, he made a guest appearance on Jay Leno's Garage (Season 3, Episode 10).

Awards

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He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2019.[12]

Career statistics

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Grand Prix motorcycle racing

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Source:[3]

Points system from 1968 to 1987

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

Points system from 1988 to 1992

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Points 20 17 15 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Points system from 1993 onwards.

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Points 25 20 16 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

By season

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Season Class Motorcycle Team Number Race Win Podium Pole FLap Pts Plcd WCh
1986 500cc Suzuki RG500 Rizla Suzuki 32 4 0 0 0 0 2 22nd –
1987 500cc Suzuki RGV500 Heron Suzuki 34 3 0 0 0 0 11 16th –
1988 500cc Suzuki RGV500 Pepsi Suzuki 34 14 2 4 0 2 119 8th –
1989 500cc Suzuki RGV500 Pepsi Suzuki 34 15 6 9 9 8 162.5 4th –
1990 500cc Suzuki RGV500 Lucky Strike Suzuki 34 15 5 10 7 6 188 2nd –
1991 500cc Suzuki RGV500 Lucky Strike Suzuki 34 14 5 8 5 4 204 3rd –
1992 500cc Suzuki RGV500 Lucky Strike Suzuki 34 12 1 3 1 1 99 4th –
1993 500cc Suzuki RGV500 Lucky Strike Suzuki 34 14 4 11 6 2 248 1st 1
1994 500cc Suzuki RGV500 Lucky Strike Suzuki 1 11 2 6 1 3 169 4th –
1995 500cc Suzuki RGV500 Lucky Strike Suzuki 34 3 0 0 0 0 34 15th –
Total 105 25 51 29 26 1236.5 1

By class

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Class Seasons 1st GP 1st Pod 1st Win Race Win Podiums Pole FLap Pts WChmp
500cc 1986–1995 1986 Nederlands 1988 Japan 1988 Japan 105 25 51 29 26 1236.5 1
Total 1986–1995 105 25 51 29 26 1236.5 1

Races by year

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Pts
1986 500cc Suzuki ESP
 NAT
 GER
 AUT
 YUG
 NED
Ret 		BEL
10 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
 SWE
 RSM
10 		22nd 2
1987 500cc Suzuki JPN
 ESP
5 		GER
 NAT
8 		AUT
 YUG
 NED
 FRA
9 		GBR
 SWE
 CZE
 RSM
 POR
 BRA
 ARG
 16th 11
1988 500cc Suzuki JPN
1 		USA
5 		ESP
Ret 		EXP
Ret 		NAT
4 		GER
1 		AUT
4 		NED
8 		BEL
Ret 		YUG
 FRA
3 		GBR
Ret 		SWE
12 		CZE
Ret 		BRA
3 		8th 119
1989 500cc Suzuki JPN
1 		AUS
Ret 		USA
2 		ESP
Ret 		NAT
Ret 		GER
Ret 		AUT
1 		YUG
1 		NED
Ret 		BEL
2 		FRA
2 		GBR
1 		SWE
Ret 		CZE
1 		BRA
1 		4th 162.5
1990 500cc Suzuki JPN
3 		USA
Ret 		ESP
3 		NAT
2 		GER
1 		AUT
1 		YUG
2 		NED
1 		BEL
7 		FRA
1 		GBR
1 		SWE
Ret 		CZE
Ret 		HUN
3 		AUS
Ret 		2nd 188
1991 500cc Suzuki JPN
1 		AUS
5 		USA
3 		ESP
Ret 		ITA
7 		GER
1 		AUT
3 		EUR
4 		NED
1 		FRA
4 		GBR
1 		RSM
2 		CZE
5 		VDM
1 		MAL
DNS 		3rd 204
1992 500cc Suzuki JPN
3 		AUS
4 		MAL
DNS 		ESP
4 		ITA
1 		EUR
4 		GER
2 		NED
Ret 		HUN
4 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
Ret 		BRA
7 		RSA
5 		4th 199
1993 500cc Suzuki AUS
1 		MAL
3 		JPN
2 		ESP
1 		AUT
1 		GER
2 		NED
1 		EUR
3 		RSM
2 		GBR
Ret 		CZE
5 		ITA
3 		USA
4 		FIM
3 		1st 248
1994 500cc Suzuki AUS
4 		MAL
6 		JPN
1 		ESP
2 		AUT
2 		GER
2 		NED
5 		ITA
3 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
1 		CZE
7 		USA
 ARG
 EUR
 4th 169
1995 500cc Suzuki AUS
5 		MAL
4 		JPN
6 		ESP
 GER
 ITA
 NED
 FRA
 GBR
 CZE
 BRA
 ARG
 EUR
 15th 34

NASCAR

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(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Busch Series

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NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 NBSC Pts Ref
1997 Lone Star Motorsports 65 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL LVS DAR HCY TEX BRI NSV TAL NHA NZH CLT DOV SBO GLN MLW MYB GTY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT
29 		66th 337 [13]
88 CAL
31 		CAR
38 		HOM
8
1998 DAY
8 		CAR
32 		LVS
42 		NSV
32 		DAR
43 		BRI TEX
DNQ 		HCY TAL
31 		NHA
24 		NZH CLT
39 		DOV RCH PPR
21 		GLN
39 		MLW MYB CAL SBO IRP MCH
DNQ 		BRI DAR RCH
DNQ 		DOV CLT
35 		GTY CAR ATL
40 		HOM
DNQ 		50th 801 [14]
1999 Mark III Racine 78 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR TEX NSV BRI TAL CAL NHA RCH NZH CLT
36 		DOV SBO GLN MLW MYB PPR GTY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH 90th 161 [15]
Sasser Motorsports 65 Chevy DOV
19 		CLT
DNQ 		CAR MEM PHO HOM

References

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  1. ^ "Kevin J Schwantz from Bastrop, TX". Radaris.com. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Kevin Schwantz at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Kevin Schwantz at MotoGP.com". motogp.com. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  4. ^ "Daytona 200 winners". motorsportsetc.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Wayne Rainey at MotoGP.com". motogp.com. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  6. ^ Oxley, Mat (2010), An Age Of Superheroes, Haynes Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84425-583-2
  7. ^ "Kevin Schwantz Retires". superbikeplanet.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  8. ^ "Kevin Schwantz – 1997 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  9. ^ "MotoGP Legends". motogp.com. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
  10. ^ Maher, John (23 April 2012). "Turn for turn, Austin track's design, layout should look familiar to F1 drivers". Austin-American Statesman. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  11. ^ "Cornering Curriculum: Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School", Sport Rider, December 2001, retrieved 2012-10-31
  12. ^ Kevin Schwantz at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
  13. ^ "Kevin Schwantz – 1997 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  14. ^ "Kevin Schwantz – 1998 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  15. ^ "Kevin Schwantz – 1999 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kevin Schwantz.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix Winner
1988 		Succeeded by
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