Sports Card World's tribute to

MICK DOOHAN

On Friday December 10th 1999, Michael Doohan, five times 500cc Motor-cycle World Champion, announced his retirement from racing.

There is little doubt that Mick will be remembered as one of Australia’s most successful international sporting personalities.

Sports Card World pays tribute to a great competitor whose unique blend of skill, courage and determination will be missed by all sporting fans, not only down under but throughout the entire world.

Name: Michael Doohan
Date of Birth: 4th June 1965
Place of Birth: Brisbane, Australia
First Rode Motorcycles: Age 7
Road Racing Debut: Surfers Paradise 1984
First Race Bike: Yamaha RZ350
First Race Track: Surfers Paradise Raceway
First Grand Prix Race: 26th March ’89 (Suzuka, Japan)
First Pole Position: 6th May ’90 (Jerez, Spain)

First Fastest Lap: 6th May ’90 (Jerez, Spain)
First Podium Finish: 28th May ’89 (Hockenheim, Germ.)
First Grand Prix Win: 2nd Sep ’90 (Hungaroring, Hung)
Grand Prix Wins: 54
Grand Prix Seconds: 31
Grand Prix Thirds: 10
Total Podium Finishes: 95
World Championships: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
Most Wins in One Year: 12 in 1997 (Record)

Awards

Order Of Australia – 1996

Australian Male Athlete of the Year – 1995 – 1996 – 1997

Australian Sports Personality of the Year – 1998

Australian Sports Hall of Fame Honour Roll – 1994 – 1995 – 1996

Nominated for World Sports Awards of Century – 1999

World Records

Most 500cc Grand Prix Wins in a Season: 12 (1997)

Most 500cc Grand Prix Pole Positions in Season: 12 (1997)

Most 500cc Successive Pole Positions: 12 (1997)

Most 500cc Grand Prix Points in Season: 340 (1997)

Doohan Quotes

“It doesn’t matter where you are racing there’s always someone there in the crowd with an Aussie flag or a banner.”

“Our sport has come a long way and now it’s up to the young guys coming up through to keep it up there.”

“Not many people get into a sport because they love it and then make a living out of it, but I was lucky enough to do that.”

“I never had a problem with motivation because the enjoyment that came with racing bikes.”

“If I miss anything it will be the competition, and getting out there and going for the win.”

“Without the support I’ve had from Honda and my team I’d be nothing.”

“They (Honda and team) gave me a competitive bike week-in and week-out and without that you can’t win anything.”

“When I started racing I did not expect to win 50-odd Grand Prix races or five world championships, so I feel fortunate to have achieved what I’ve done.

“I’ve had to make some sacrifices, but you have to do that to be successful at anything. I didn’t get into the sport to make a name for myself – I just wanted to race, and to win.”

“Dr. Costa saved my leg back in ’92, and patched me up so I could race again when at one stage they were talking about amputating it.”

What Others Said

“Mick and I had some good races and I respect him as a rider. With Mick you know he’s never going to give up. That’s great in many ways, but it can also get you into trouble because you never back off. You have to be careful, but you have to win.”
Wayne Rainey (Former 500cc World Champion).

“Mick is always a strong competitor and a hard fighter. He’s the guy who will stick his neck out and go that extra bit to win the next race.”
Kevin Schwantz (Former 500cc World Champion).

“The determination that Mick puts into his racing would have made him a champion at any sport. He found what he wanted to do and he wouldn’t accept not being the best.
Jerry Burgess (Honda Team Manager 1998-99).

Most 500cc Career Titles

Rider	No. of Titles	Years
1. Giacomo Agostini (Italy)	8	1966-67-68-69-70-71-72-75
2. Michael Doohan (Aust)	5	1994-95-96-97-98
3. Eddie Lawson (U.S.)	4	1984-86-88-89
3. Mike Hailwood (GB)	4	1962-63-64-65
3. John Surtees (GB)	4	1956-58-59-60
3. Geoff Duke (GB)	4	1951-53-54-55

Most 500cc Career Wins

Rider	No. of Wins	Years
1. Giacomo Agostini (Italy)	68	1965-76
2. Michael Doohan (Aust)	54	1990-98
3. Mike Hailwood (GB)	37	1961-67
4. Eddie Lawson (U.S.)	31	1984-92
5. Kevin Schwantz (U.S.)	25	1988-94

Doohan Facts

● Michael Doohan began racing motor-cycles in 1974 at the age of 9.

● Mick made his road racing debut at Surfers Paradise International Raceway in 1984 at the age of 19 on a Yamaha RZ350.

● By the end of 1987, Mick had an impressive record of 26 wins from 57 starts in four years of road racing.

● Mick was eventually to join Rothmans Honda for his debut year (1989) in the 500cc World Championship.

● His team-mates in that first year were world champions, Wayne Gardner (Australia) and Eddie Lawson (United States).

● The highlight of Doohan’s 1990 campaign was his debut victory in the 500cc world championship in the Hungarian Grand Prix. He won by 25.442 seconds in what was his 26th 500cc start.

● Mick began the 1992 series in superb form, winning the first round in Japan by over 28 seconds. He also won the next three rounds in Australia, Malaysia and Spain.

● While leading the world championship by 53 points, Mick crashed in qualifying at the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen. He broke his right leg and missed four races while recovering from the injury.

● Wayne Rainey went on to clinch the World Championship with 140 points to Mick’s 136.

● During the off season, Mick required corrective surgery to his leg and then broke his left wrist while testing in Malaysia.

● When racing, Mick spent about nine months of each year overseas testing and competing as a factory backed rider in the 500cc grand prix world championship.

● When Mick was not racing, he liked to head home and spend some of his time relaxing at his Australian base on the Gold Coast, Queensland. During his off season his hobbies included a variety of water sports.

● Each time Mick raced in a grand prix, an estimated 350 million television viewers in about 40 countries were watching.

● According to Doohan, fitness played a big part in riding the grand prix machines. Although they weigh around 130kg, they generate 200 horse power.

● Doohan made 137 starts in the 500cc world championship on Hondas from 1989 up to his 200 km/h crash at Jerez in 1999. He recorded 54 grand prix wins, second only to Italian Giacomo Agostini who had 68 victories, and also had 95 top three podium finishes and 58 pole positions as fastest qualifier.

● Doohan was one of Australia’s most decorated athletes of the 1990s. He was awarded teh Order of Australia in 1996, and was Australian Male Athlete of the Year in 1995-96-97.

● Mick pinpointed clinching the 1998 world championship title by winning the 500cc Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Is. as the highlight of his career.