Kenny Roberts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kenny Roberts |
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Roberts in 1975
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| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | December 31, 1951 Modesto, California |
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Kenneth "Kenny" Leroy Roberts (born December 31, 1951) is a famous American former professional motorcycle racer. He also owned his own racing team. In 1978, he made history by becoming the first American to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship.
Kenny Roberts was also a two-time winner of the A.M.A. Grand National Championship. He is one of only four riders in American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) history to achieve the AMA Grand Slam. This means he won major races on different types of tracks: mile, half-mile, short-track, TT Steeplechase, and road race events.
Roberts changed Grand Prix motorcycle racing forever. He was a champion rider, a strong supporter of safety, and a team owner. His unique riding style, learned from dirt track racing, changed how riders handled Grand Prix motorcycles. He also pushed for better safety rules, making the sport more professional. In 2000, he was named a Grand Prix Legend. His son, Kenny Roberts Jr., also became a world champion in 2000.
Contents
Early Life and First Rides
Kenny Roberts was born in Modesto, California. As a child, he was first interested in horseback riding. When he was 12, a friend dared him to ride a mini bike. Kenny loved the thrill!
He even built his own motorcycle by putting his dad's lawn mower engine onto a bicycle frame. Kenny started dirt track racing after watching a local race. His dad bought him a Tohatsu bike, then a more powerful Hodaka.
Kenny was a natural at dirt track racing and started winning local events. In 1968, a local Suzuki dealer, Bud Aksland, offered to sponsor him. Kenny decided to leave high school early to become a professional motorcycle racer. He entered his first pro race at 18, finishing fourth.
Starting His Racing Career
Bud Aksland introduced Kenny to Jim Doyle, an airline pilot and amateur racer. Doyle became Kenny's personal manager. In 1971, Kenny and Doyle got a sponsorship from American Yamaha. Kenny was only 19.
Yamaha asked Kel Carruthers, a former world champion, to guide Kenny. This started a long and successful partnership. Carruthers stopped racing in 1973 to focus on tuning Kenny's bikes and mentoring him.
Early AMA Success
The AMA Grand National Championship included different types of dirt track races and road racing. In 1972, Kenny won his second professional race at the Houston Astrodome. A few weeks later, he qualified fifth fastest at the Daytona 200. He even led for one lap before getting a flat tire.
Kenny became known for battling the strong Harley-Davidson team on his less powerful Yamaha XS650. He made up for less power with pure determination. He finished his first year ranked fourth in the country.
Learning from the Best
In 1972, Jarno Saarinen was a top road racer. Kenny watched Saarinen's riding style, where he leaned his body weight towards the inside of a turn. Kenny tried this technique and found it helped his bike feel more stable.
He made the body shift even bigger, extending his knee out until it touched the track. This new style helped Kenny become excellent at road racing. Yamaha motorcycles, especially the Yamaha TZ750, were very good for road racing.
Becoming a National Champion
In 1973, in only his second year as an expert rider, Kenny won the AMA Grand National Championship. Even though his Yamaha dirt track bike had less power than the Harley-Davidson bikes, he won three races. He consistently finished in the top ten, scoring a record 2,014 points.
First Races in Europe
In the 1974 Daytona 200, Kenny battled with former world champion Giacomo Agostini. He finished second due to an overheated engine. In April 1974, Kenny went to Europe for the first time to race in the Imola 200. He impressed everyone.
Wearing his bright yellow and black Yamaha USA team colors, Kenny led the race. His tires started to lose grip, and Agostini passed him for the win. Even though he finished second, Kenny was amazed by the huge crowds and warm fans in Italy. European fans were also amazed by Kenny's riding style. They called him "Il Marciano" (The Martian) because of his small size, yellow suit, and amazing riding.
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Kenny then went to England for the 1974 Transatlantic Trophy races. These races pitted American riders against British riders on 750cc motorcycles. Many thought American dirt track riders couldn't compete on asphalt with British road racers. Kenny proved them wrong by winning three of the six races and finishing second in the others. He was the top scorer, beating British rider Barry Sheene.
After his success, Kenny made his world championship debut in the 250cc class at the Dutch TT in June 1974. He took pole position and broke a seven-year-old lap record. Even after crashing, he recovered to finish third.
Another National Championship
In 1974, Kenny won the San Jose Half-Mile dirt track race. Then he won his first national road race at Road Atlanta. On August 18, he won the Peoria TT race, completing his first Grand Slam. This meant he had won all five different types of events in the Grand National calendar.
He won his second Grand National championship in a row, winning six races. He scored 2,286 points, collecting points in all 23 races.
In 1975, Kenny continued his road racing success, winning three of four races in the Transatlantic Match races. However, he faced tougher competition in dirt track races. Harley-Davidson improved their bikes, while Yamaha struggled. Kenny used his fearless riding style to make up for his bike's lack of power.
The Famous Indy Mile Victory
Kenny's fearless riding was clear at the 1975 Indy Mile Grand National. To keep up in the points race, Kenny and Carruthers put a powerful 170 mph Yamaha TZ750 two-stroke road racing engine into a dirt track frame. Kenny had never ridden this bike before the race.
He struggled in practice to control the huge amount of wheel spin. He barely qualified for the main race, starting from the very last row. Once the race began, he experimented to find traction. As he learned to control the power, he moved up from last place. His two-stroke motorcycle made a loud wail that excited the crowd.
To go fast, he rode along the very edge of the track, sometimes clipping the hay bales. On the last lap, Kenny passed the Harley-Davidson riders Corky Keener and Jay Springsteen to win by inches! Afterward, Kenny famously said, "They don't pay me enough to ride that thing." The AMA then banned two-stroke motorcycles in 1976. Kenny later said this was his greatest dirt track achievement.
Despite another Grand Slam in one season, Kenny finished second to Gary Scott in the 1975 national championship.
Later National Championship Years
In 1976, Kenny won four Grand Nationals. But he still had mechanical problems and less horsepower than the Harley-Davidson bikes. He finished third in the national championship.
In April 1977, Kenny returned to England, winning four of six races at the Transatlantic Match races. He then won both parts of the Imola 200 in Italy, setting a new track record. Back in the U.S., he won five of six road races. At Sears Point, he started last and passed everyone within four laps to win. He finished fourth in the national championship that year.
Becoming a World Champion
Yamaha realized they couldn't make a dirt track bike to beat Harley-Davidson. So, Yamaha USA offered to send Kenny to Europe in 1978. He would compete in the World Championship Grand Prix road racing series. Kel Carruthers went with him as his crew chief.
Kenny wasn't sure at first, but then he read that Barry Sheene called him "no threat." That made up his mind! Few people thought Kenny could win, believing he needed a year to learn the European tracks.
In the late 1970s, motorcycle engines were very powerful, more than the frames and tires could handle. Kenny's riding style, learned on American dirt tracks, changed road racing. Before him, riders tried to enter corners fast and make smooth turns. Kenny did the opposite. He braked early, then quickly used the throttle. This made the rear tire spin and slide, a wild style no one had seen before in Europe. This was like dirt track riding, where sliding helps steer the bike. Because he used the throttle early, he reached top speed faster.
The 1978 season started with Kenny winning the Daytona 200 easily. He had led this race many times before but had to retire. This time, he won by a full lap. He then won the rain-shortened Imola 200.
The 1978 world championship didn't start well for Kenny. He won the 250cc Grand Prix in Venezuela, but his 500cc Yamaha had a problem at the start. Barry Sheene won the 500cc race.
In Spain, Kenny faced problems with the FIM (the racing organization). The race promoter was also the FIM president. Kenny realized many promoters were connected to the FIM, meaning there was little reason to make tracks safer. Kenny was used to the AMA, where officials ensured safe tracks.
When Kenny arrived at the Spanish Grand Prix, he was almost not allowed to race. They claimed they had no record of his 500cc experience. Kenny was angry, feeling the FIM was trying to control him. The FIM finally let him race. He responded by taking pole position and setting a lap record. In the race, he led by eight seconds before his throttle stuck, and he finished second.
Kenny then won his first 500cc Grand Prix in Austria. He quickly won two more in France and Italy. He also had two second-place finishes. At the Swedish Grand Prix, Kenny crashed in practice, getting a concussion and a thumb injury. He finished seventh in the 500cc race. Sheene caught up in points.
The two rivals arrived at the British Grand Prix with only three points separating them. The race ended in confusion due to heavy rain and tire changes. Kenny was declared the winner, and Sheene finished third.
The final race was the German Grand Prix at the very long and dangerous Nürburgring track. Kenny qualified second and finished third, ahead of Sheene. This secured his first world championship, making him the first American to win in Grand Prix road racing history! He also finished second in the Formula 750 world championship and fourth in the 250cc world championship.
The Rebel Leader
The 1979 season started badly for Kenny. He suffered serious back injuries and a ruptured spleen in a crash in Japan. He missed the first race but made an amazing recovery. He won the second race in Austria, then finished second in Germany, and won again in Italy.
At the Spanish Grand Prix, organizers refused to pay Kenny his starting money, which was guaranteed by FIM rules. An angry Kenny won the race. On the podium, he refused the winner's trophy, telling the promoters to sell it to pay the riders.
The FIM first suspended Kenny, but then reduced it to probation. Kenny's actions showed riders were tired of poor treatment. This inspired other riders to demand better safety.
More problems happened at the Belgian Grand Prix. The track had just been paved, and many riders felt it was unsafe due to diesel fuel leaking. Kenny and other top riders refused to race. The FIM suspended them again, but later reduced it to probation. This showed the tension between Kenny and the FIM over track safety. Kenny even started talking about creating a rival racing series to challenge the FIM.
The series moved to Britain, where Kenny had one of the closest races ever. His battle with Sheene at the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone is considered one of the greatest races of the 1970s. Kenny's bike had an oil leak just before the race, and his gloves were oily. He still managed to win by just three-tenths of a second! A third-place finish in the final race secured his second world championship.
In December 1979, Kenny and other top riders announced they would leave the FIM to create a rival series called the World Series. When Kenny first joined Grand Prix racing, riders raced for very little prize money on dangerous tracks. The FIM expected them to race for prestige, not good pay. In 1956, a world champion and 13 other riders were suspended for just threatening to strike. Kenny took a strong stand against this poor treatment.
The FIM condemned the new series. Even though the World Series didn't happen, the riders showed their power. The FIM was forced to take their demands seriously. New rules were passed, increasing prize money by 500%! In later years, stricter safety rules were put in place for race organizers.
A Third World Championship
In February 1980, Kenny made a surprising return to the American Grand National Championship for two races. After more than a year away from dirt track, he won the Houston TT race, tying a career record. He then finished third in the Houston short-track race. Back in England, Kenny was again the top scorer at the 1980 Transatlantic Match races, leading the American team to victory.
For the 1980 Grand Prix season, Kenny's Yamaha USA team became the main factory team. Kenny won the first three races. His main rivals had problems, with some missing races due to injuries. Suzuki riders won the last four races, but Kenny had enough points to win his third world championship in a row.
A Change in Luck
In 1981, Yamaha introduced a new bike. Kenny finished second at the Imola 200. He won the next two Grand Prix races in Germany and Italy. But his title hopes suffered setbacks. His front wheel locked up at the Dutch TT, ending his race. He also missed a race due to food poisoning. He finished third in the championship.
Kenny switched to Dunlop tires for the 1982 season. New competition arrived, especially from Honda with their new bikes and young rider Freddie Spencer. Kenny won the first race in Argentina. He then switched to a new V4 engined Yamaha bike.
He finished third in Austria and boycotted the French Grand Prix due to unsafe track conditions. Kenny won the Spanish Grand Prix and finished second in the Dutch TT. In Belgium, Kenny was leading when his tires lost grip, and he finished fourth as Spencer won his first Grand Prix. Kenny then injured his knee and finger, missing races. He finished fourth in the championship.
Roberts vs. Spencer: The Epic Battle
Kenny announced that 1983 would be his last year in Grand Prix racing. The battle for the championship between Kenny and Honda's Freddie Spencer is considered one of the greatest seasons in motorcycle history.
Kenny's Yamaha had problems early on, while Spencer started strong, winning five of the first seven races. Kenny crashed while leading in Italy. But Kenny came back to win the German Grand Prix. He then won in Austria when Spencer's Honda broke down.
Kenny then went on a three-race winning streak in the Netherlands, Belgium, and England. Spencer stayed close with second and third places.
The championship came down to the last two races. At the Swedish Grand Prix, Spencer had a two-point lead. Kenny led Spencer into the last lap. On the final straight, Spencer got right behind Kenny's Yamaha. In the second-to-last corner, Spencer passed Kenny on the inside. Both riders went wide off the track into the dirt. Spencer got back on track first, winning by a tiny margin. Kenny was angry, calling the pass foolish and dangerous.
For Kenny to win his fourth world championship, he had to win the final race, and Spencer had to finish no better than third. In a fitting end to his career, Kenny won his last-ever Grand Prix race! However, Spencer finished second, claiming the world championship. Both riders dominated the season, each winning six races.
Kenny continued to ride in some events in 1984. He won his second straight Daytona 200 and third overall. In 1985, he won pole position at the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in Japan. He was leading until the final hour when mechanical problems dropped them to seventeenth place.
Career Highlights
In his 13-year professional racing career, Kenny Roberts won two Grand National Championships and three 500cc world championships. He won 32 Grand Nationals and 24 Grand Prix road races. He won the Daytona 200 three times and the Imola 200 three times. He was the second AMA rider to achieve the Grand Slam.
Race Team Manager and Owner
After his racing career ended in 1983, Kenny decided to start his own Grand Prix team. In 1984, he entered a team in the 250cc world championship. In 1986, he moved up to the 500cc world championship.
Wayne Rainey joined his team in 1988, finishing third in his first 500cc season. In 1990, Kenny's team became the official Yamaha factory racing team. Rainey won the 500cc world championship that year, and John Kocinski won the 250cc championship. This made Kenny the most successful team manager at the time. Rainey went on to win three world championships in a row for Kenny's team.
In 1997, Kenny surprised everyone by leaving Yamaha to start his own motorcycle company. He built a three-cylinder, two-stroke engine. He hoped this lighter bike would have an advantage. However, tire technology improved so much that the advantage was lost. His bike did get a pole position in 2002.
With the new MotoGP class in 2002, Kenny's team developed a five-cylinder bike called the KR5. The team struggled to compete with the big Japanese factories. For the 2006 season, Honda provided engines for Kenny's team. His son, Kenny Roberts Jr., rode the bike to sixth place in the championship with two podium finishes. After 2007, Kenny's team left MotoGP due to lack of sponsors.
Kenny Roberts' Legacy
Kenny Roberts' riding style, where he slid the rear wheel to steer, changed how Grand Prix motorcycles were ridden. From 1983 to 1999, every 500cc world champion had a dirt track racing background. Kenny's way of leaning off the bike with his knee out led to the invention of knee pucks, which all road racers use today.
His fights with the racing establishment led to stricter safety rules for Grand Prix races. He was one of the first riders to challenge the FIM about how they treated racers. He helped improve prize money and made the sport more professional.
Kenny has always promoted motorcycle racing to the public. He often returned to the U.S. during his Grand Prix career to race in the Laguna Seca 200. He wanted to help that race become a Grand Prix event, which it did in 1988. In 1993, he even helped promote the United States Grand Prix.
Kenny's son, Kenny Roberts Jr., won the 2000 500cc World Championship. They are the only father and son duo to have won the title. Kenny Roberts himself has said he's a dirt tracker at heart. He only took up road racing because it was necessary to compete for the Grand National championship.
Honors
- Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1990.
- Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992.
- Inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.
- The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2000.
Images for kids
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Roberts in 1974 competing in an AMA Grand National Championship dirt track event.
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See also
In Spanish: Kenny Roberts para niños
