Eddie Lawson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eddie Lawson
Lawson aboard the Yamaha YZR500, 1990.
Nationality	American
Born	(1958-03-11) March 11, 1958 (age 67) Upland, California, U.S.
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1983 – 1992 First race 1983 500cc South African Grand Prix Last race 1992 500cc South African Grand Prix First win 1984 500cc South African Grand Prix Last win 1992 500cc Hungarian Grand Prix Team(s) Yamaha, Honda, Cagiva Championships 500cc – 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989 Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 127 31 78 18 21 1429

Eddie Ray Lawson (born March 11, 1958) is a famous American former motorcycle racer. He competed in the exciting world championships of Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1981 to 1992.

Eddie Lawson won the 500cc road racing world championship four times. He was the first rider to win two championships in a row using bikes from different companies. Because he rarely crashed and always finished races, people called him "Steady Eddie."

In 2005, Eddie Lawson was added to the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame. After his motorcycle career, he also raced open-wheel cars for a short time. He competed in the Indy Lights series and later in the CART racing series.

Early Life and Motorcycle Career

Eddie Lawson was born in Upland, California. He started his motorcycle racing journey on dirt tracks in Southern California. When he was younger, he also loved karting, maybe even more than bikes. But he chose motorcycles because his father and grandfather had raced them too.

When it became hard to compete on dirt tracks, he switched to road racing. In 1979, he finished second in the AMA 250cc road racing National Championship. After that, he joined the Kawasaki Superbike team. He won the AMA Superbike Series in both 1981 and 1982. He also won the AMA 250cc road racing National Championship in 1980 and 1981 for Kawasaki.

Lawson in 1989 riding a Honda NSR500

Grand Prix Success

In 1983, Eddie Lawson joined Yamaha to race in the 500cc World Championship. He was teammates with the legendary Kenny Roberts. Lawson spent that year learning about the Grand Prix circuit.

In 1984, Lawson started winning races often. He went on to win his first World Championship that year. This was the first of four world titles he would achieve.

In 1985, he won the important Imola 200 race before the main season started. In 1986, Lawson won the Daytona 200 race. He won easily, giving Yamaha their first AMA Superbike victory. He set a new track record and finished the race much faster than the previous record.

After winning two more 500cc world championships for Yamaha in 1986 and 1988, Lawson made a big change. He decided to leave Yamaha and join their main rivals, Rothmans Honda. His teammate there was Wayne Gardner, who was the 1987 World Champion. Lawson also wanted to work with the famous mechanic Erv Kanemoto.

In 1989, even after Gardner crashed and broke his leg, Lawson won the title for Honda. This made him the first rider to win championships in a row with different bike manufacturers. Later, Valentino Rossi also did this in 2004.

Later Career and Retirement

Lawson then moved to Cagiva in 1991. The next year, he achieved his last victory, which was also Cagiva's first win in 10 years. By doing this, he showed everyone that he could win with different teams. He joined a small group of great riders who won races in the top class with three different manufacturers.

In 1983 and 1985, Lawson also won the ABC Superbikers event in Carlsbad, California. This event brought together top riders from different types of racing. They competed on a track that was both dirt and paved.

In 1990, Lawson won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. He rode a Yamaha FZR750R with his teammate Tadahiko Taira. When he retired from Grand Prix racing in the early 1990s, he had 31 wins. This placed him third on the all-time list for 500cc Grand Prix wins. Lawson even came out of retirement to win his second Daytona 200 race in 1993.

After his motorcycle career, Lawson started racing open-wheel cars. He competed in the Indy Lights series and then moved to CART. Lawson really enjoyed driving these cars. He said after his first test, "Oh man, this is the greatest thing I've ever done. This is so much fun." In the 1996 IndyCar season, he raced in 11 events. His best results were two sixth-place finishes.

Eddie Lawson still loves speed today. He enjoys driving 250cc Superkarts. He often races with his good friend and rival Wayne Rainey. Rainey uses a special Superkart because of his spinal injuries. Lawson also drives historic Formula One cars at vintage events.

Honors and Achievements

• In 1999, Lawson was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
• He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2002.
• In 2005, Lawson was inducted into the FIM MotoGP Hall of Fame.

Racing Statistics

Here are some of Eddie Lawson's racing results.

Points system from 1969 to 1987:

Points system from 1988 to 1992:

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

American Open-Wheel Racing Results

(key)

Indy Lights

CART

See also

In Spanish: Eddie Lawson para niños