Eddie Lawson
By Gregg Leary

DOB: 3-11-58 (50)
Birthplace: Upland, CA.
Childhood Home: Ontario, CA
Resides: Lake Havasu City, AZ. (London Bridge)
Got ride in F-18 with the Blue Angels…held his lunch
Races shifter karts with friend Wayne Rainey
GP Debut: 1981 (250cc)…1983 (500cc)
Won FIM 500cc World Championship (now MotoGP) 4 Times (1984, 86, 88, 89)…first three with Yamaha, last with Honda…”Steady Eddie”
Was the first to win the premier class for different manufacturers in successive seasons….88 with Yamaha, 89 with Honda. (Valentino Rossi has since done so)
In 1984 he beat Freddie Spencer to the title…Spencer was regarded as an “all but unbeatable racing god”
31 GP wins (same as Nigel Mansell in Formula One)…was third all time when he retired behind Giacomo Agostini (68) and Mike Hailwood (37)
76 Podiums in 134 500cc starts against the likes of Roberts, Spencer, Rainey, Mamola, Doohan, Gardner, Schwantz.
Won first GP at S.Africa 3-84
Won final GP 7-92 in Hungary on a Cagiva (Cagiva’s first 500cc win)
Claudio Castiglioni was so pleased he gave Eddie a Ferrari Testarossa.
Retired in 1992…came back and did Daytona and the Suzuka Eight Hours twice each to help fund his Indy Car effort
2 AMA Superbike Championships (81, 82)
2 AMA 250 Grand Prix Titles (80, 81)
2 Daytona 200 (1986, 93)
Won Suzuka 8 Hour in 1990 with Tadahiko Taira
First Rode Motorcycle at age 7
Tutored in racing by his father and grandfather…both raced
Turned Pro: 1975 (17) he had already raced TT, ½ and ¼ dirt, motocross and road raced
Lawson roadraced at Riverside (might this have planted the 4-wheel bug?) and Carlsbad at age 14 scoring a 1st and 2nd in the GP Class.
Won Ascot TT twice in 1975
1977: Won Daytona Novice (250cc) race on a TZ250
1978: AMA Dirt Track Rookie of the Year
AMA Expert license in 1978 at age 19
8-8-78 #11R Injures his leg on Indy Mile.
Lawson was known for NOT crashing…measuring risk versus reward…only going as fast as his equipment would allow…this may have stemmed from his childhood when his dad and grandpa would take him riding on a 100cc beater where his feet barely reached the pegs…you crash you’re done…
Finished 2nd to Freddie Spencer in 1979 at an AMA 250 Grand Prix at Sears Point…and in season points.
Lawson switched to Road Racing in 1980…to race Kawasakis in both AMA Superbike(1000cc 4 stroke) and AMA 250cc GP (2 stroke)
In 1980 Eddie faced “Fast Freddie” Spencer…Honda v. Kawasaki rivalry
In 1981 Lawson won the Superbike Title
As a reward from Kawasaki, Lawson rode 3 250cc GP’s as a “wild card” but DNF’d on an uncompetitive bike
In 1982 he won the Superbike Title again…teamed with Wayne Rainey
1983; Lawson switches from Kawasaki to accept a once in a lifetime offer to be Yamaha teammate to “King” Kenny Roberts in Roberts’ last season of racing. Lawson scored points in all but one race and finished 4th in the championship behind Spencer, Roberts and Mamola.
1984…Lawson won World Championship at age 24. (4 wins to Spencer’s 5)
1985: Lost title by 8 points to Spencer…who also won 250 Crown.
1986: Eddie wins Title…7 wins…Freddie Spencer had carpal tunnel and was uncompetitive.
1988: 3rd Title
1989:4th Title.
1990: back to Yamaha…Team Roberts with Wayne Rainey…big crash at Laguna Seca…brakes failed…broke foot….missed 5 rounds.
1991: Moved to Caviga…a team that hadn’t won in 10 years.
1992: Won for Caviga at Hungary. Was the only rider on track for practice for the Brazilian GP at Sao Paulo….the others claimed the track was too dangerous.
After retiring in 1992, Lawson returned to win the Daytona 200 in 1993 and finish 3rd in 1994 to help fund his Indy Car effort.
1993: Ran 6 Indy Lights races…two podiums.
1994: First full season Indy Lights…Tasman Motorsports…Won Cleveland…7 podiums…4th in Points.(#7 Die Hard)
1996: CART…Galles racing…scored points in 4 of 11 rounds…best finish 6th…US 500 at Michigan and Detroit street race.

Lawson bridged the gap: At the start of his 500cc career, he was Kenny Roberts’ teammate in Roberts’ last season…in Lawson’s final season he was racing with Alex Barros and future World Champ Alex Criville.

1.  I wonder if your “Steady Eddie” attitude was planted early… about age 7…when your father and grandfather took you riding …when your feet barely reached the pegs…”You crash, you’re done.”
2.  How much influence did your dad and grandfather have on your career choice since both of them raced?
3.  You road raced a bike at Riverside at age 14. Did that plant the 4-wheel racing bug?
4.  By the time you turned pro in 1975 at age 17 you had already raced TT, ½ and ¼ dirt, motocross and road raced. How much did that variety help you when you went to Europe to road race?
5.  Tell us about the two TT wins at legendary Ascot in 1975.
6.  You won the Daytona Novice 250cc race on a TZ250 in 1977.  What was the Speed Weeks experience like?
7.  ’78 was a big year…AMA Dirt Track Rookie of the Year…Expert License…and injured your leg on the Indy mile. You are known for NOT crashing. What happened?
8.  You won 2 AMA 250 Grand Prix Titles in ‘80 and ’81…and 2 Superbike crowns in ’81 and ’82. After all that success how ready were you to make your 500cc debut on the world stage in 1983?
9.  Freddie Spencer was regarded as an “all but unbeatable racing God” when you beat him for the Title in 1984. Did you know then what a big deal it was?
10.  You won two more titles on a Yamaha then the ’89 crown on a Honda. Was it important to you to be the first to win the premiere class in back to back years on different bikes?
11.  Your last Grand Prix win was on a Caviga. They’d been trying for 10 years. How did Claudio Castiglioni show his thanks? (A Ferrari Testarossa)
12.  You’re known for bridging the gap in MotoGP..you were teammates with Kenny Roberts in his last season…and in YOUR last season you ran against Alex Barros and Alex Criville. What were the biggest changes you saw during your career?
13.  What drove you to Indy Cars?
14.  In 1994 you won the Cleveland Grand Prix…7 podiums…4th in Points in Indy Lights. Was it a tough transition to go from 2 wheels to 4?
15.  You “unretired” to win the Daytona 200 in 1993 and finish 3rd in 1994. Was that to help fund your Champ Car effort?
16.  In 1996 you get the big break…Champ Car. You finished 6th in the US 500 at Michigan and at Detroit. Why did you not complete the season?
17.  Any regrets on your 4 wheel career?
18.  On two wheels you had 31 Grand Prix wins…the same as Nigel Mansell in Formula One. You ran support races during his Indy Car career. What did you think of him as a driver?
19.  Compare the rush of a MotoGP bike to an Indy car…to the F-18 you strapped on with the Blue Angels.
20.  Tell us a “King Kenny” Roberts story.