John Kocinski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Kocinski |
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Kocinski at the 1992 Dutch TT
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John Kocinski is a famous retired American motorcycle racer. He was born on March 20, 1968, in Little Rock, Arkansas. John became a world champion twice in his career. He won the 1990 250cc World Championship. Later, he also won the 1997 Superbike World Championship title.
Contents
John Kocinski's Racing Journey
Starting Out in Racing
John Kocinski started racing motorcycles at a young age. By the time he was seventeen, he was already a factory rider for Yamaha. He competed in the AMA Championship Cup.
He was very successful in the AMA 250 Grand Prix Championship. He won this championship three years in a row, from 1987 to 1989. In 1989, he also won a Supersport race at Daytona. He started that race in 53rd place out of 80 riders, which made his win even more impressive!
In 1988, John showed his talent on the world stage. He earned the top starting spot (pole position) at the 250cc US Grand Prix. He finished that race in fourth place. He also placed fifth at the 250cc Japanese Grand Prix that same year.
Becoming a World Champion
In 1989, John Kocinski made his first appearance in the 500cc World Championship. The year 1990 was a huge one for him. He raced in four different championships. The biggest highlight was winning the 250cc World Championship. This was his first full season in that class, riding for Team Roberts on a Yamaha YZR250.
After a race in 1991, John was very upset about losing. He was arrested and later completed community service. For the next two years, he raced full-time in the 500cc class. He finished fourth and then third in the championship standings. He also won the final race of the season in both of those years.
John once told reporters that a rider should win the World Championship within two years of starting. This statement was remembered by many. He raced in the top class for over six seasons but never became a 500cc World Champion.
In 1993, John started in the 250cc class with Suzuki. He earned Suzuki's first-ever podium finish in this class. However, he later switched back to the 500cc class mid-season. He had a disagreement with the Suzuki team. He then achieved Cagiva's first 500cc win in dry weather at Laguna Seca. Even with only four races, he finished 11th overall that year. He started 1994 with a win in Australia and ended the season in third place overall. After Cagiva stopped racing, John took a break to focus on water skiing.
Later Career and Retirement
John Kocinski returned to motorcycle racing in 1996. He joined the World Superbike series with a factory Ducati team. He almost won the title in his first try.
In 1997, he joined the factory Castrol Honda team. This was a fantastic year for him! He won the World Superbike title. He achieved nine race wins and seven other podium finishes that season. In the final race of the season, he had a very close finish with his teammate, Aaron Slight. John won the race, which meant Aaron finished third in the championship.
He went back to the 500cc world championship in 1998 with Sito Pons' Movistar Honda team. In 1999, he rode for Erv Kanemoto's team. He did not win any races during these two years.
In 2000, he raced in the AMA National championship for Vance & Hines Ducati. For the next two years, he worked as a test rider for Yamaha. After that, he retired from racing. As of 2025, John Kocinski is a property developer in Beverly Hills, California. In January 2008, there were reports that he was looking to return to professional motorcycle racing.
See also
In Spanish: John Kocinski para niños
