Wayne Gardner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wayne GardnerAM |
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Wayne Gardner at the 1989 Japanese GP
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| Nationality | Australian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 October 1959 Wollongong, Australia |
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Wayne Michael Gardner is a famous Australian former professional motorcycle and touring car racer. He was born on October 11, 1959. Wayne competed in the top motorcycle racing championships from 1986 to 1992.
He was a key member of the Honda factory racing team. In 1987, he made history by becoming the first Australian to win the world's highest class of motorcycle racing. Because of his amazing speed and success, he earned the nickname The Wollongong Whiz.
After his motorcycle career, Wayne Gardner also raced touring cars from 1993 to 2002. His two sons, Remy and Luca, have also become motorcycle racers, following in their dad's footsteps!
Contents
Motorcycle Racing Adventures
Wayne Gardner started his racing journey in 1977 when he was 18 years old. He rode a used Yamaha bike in the Australian championship. In his very first race at Amaroo Park, he finished second! Just a few weeks later, he won his first race at Oran Park Raceway.
In 1981, a man named Mamoru Moriwaki hired Wayne to race in the Australian Superbike championship. Wayne and his co-rider, John Pace, even got the best starting spot (called pole position) at the famous 1981 Suzuka 8 Hours race. They were faster than all the big factory teams!
Another racer, Graeme Crosby, helped Wayne get his first chance to race in Europe. Wayne competed in the British Superbike championship. Before heading to Europe, Wayne finished an impressive fourth place at the 1981 Daytona Superbike race. He then won his first race in England.
Joining the Honda Team
Wayne's great results caught the eye of the Honda Britain racing team. He joined them and finished fourth in the 1982 Formula TT championship. In 1983, Wayne made his first appearance in the 500cc Grand Prix. During one race, he was involved in an accident with the world champion, Franco Uncini. Uncini fell, and Wayne's bike accidentally hit his helmet. Uncini recovered from his injuries.
Wayne didn't score points in 1983, but in 1984, he won the British 500cc national championship for Honda. He also raced in five Grand Prix world championship races. He scored points in all five, even finishing third at the Swedish Grand Prix. This helped him finish seventh overall in the championship that year.
Becoming a World Champion
Wayne's strong performances earned him full support from the Honda-HRC factory racing team in 1986. He won his first Grand Prix race in Spain. He went on to win two more races that year and finished second in the championship.
Then came 1987, a truly special year! Wayne Gardner became the first Australian to win the 500cc World Championship. He won seven out of sixteen races. He secured the title with a win in Brazil, even before the last race of the season. His race engineer that year was fellow Australian Jeremy Burgess.
In 1988, Wayne tried to defend his title. The Honda NSR500 bike was difficult to ride that year. He still finished second in the championship, behind American Eddie Lawson. Wayne managed to win four races that season in the Netherlands, Belgium, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia. He almost won in France too, but had a mechanical problem very close to the finish line.
Racing at Home
Wayne Gardner's 1987 World Championship made Grand Prix Motorcycle racing much more popular in Australia. This led to the first-ever Australian motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in 1989. Wayne, The Wollongong Whiz, thrilled the home crowd by winning his home race in 1989. He just barely beat Wayne Rainey and Christian Sarron.
Unfortunately, his season took a bad turn at the next race in Laguna Seca. He crashed and broke his leg, which meant he missed half of the season. In 1989, another Australian rider, Michael Doohan, joined Wayne on the Rothmans Honda team.
Wayne had a tough season in 1990. After winning in Spain, he missed three races due to injury. He still finished fifth in the World Championship. He ended the season on a high note by winning his second Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in a row at Phillip Island.
Wayne also won the famous Suzuka 8 Hours race four times: in 1985, 1986, 1991, and 1992. He retired from motorcycle racing after the 1992 season. However, he stayed involved, helping younger riders like Daryl Beattie. He also rode classic Honda motorcycles at special events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Four-Wheel Racing Career
After retiring from motorcycle racing in 1992, Wayne Gardner started racing cars. His first car race was in 1990 in a Formula Holden car. He qualified well, but unfortunately crashed due to coolant on the track.
Starting in Touring Cars
In 1992, he began his touring car career. He drove a Holden Commodore at the 1992 Tooheys 1000 race at Bathurst. The race was shortened due to a crash, and his car finished 26th. Also in 1992, Wayne raced in Germany for the Linder Team, driving a BMW.
In 1993, Wayne joined the Holden Racing Team. He drove a Holden VP Commodore in the 1993 Australian Touring Car Championship. This was the first year for the 5.0 litre touring cars, which later became known as V8 Supercars. In November 1993, Wayne won a support race at the Australian Grand Prix. Earlier that year, he finished third at the 1993 Tooheys 1000 with co-driver Brad Jones.
Wayne had many incidents while driving for the Holden Racing Team in 1993. This led to him being nicknamed "Captain Chaos." He was briefly suspended from the team because he was talking about starting his own team.
Wayne Gardner Racing
For the 1994 season, Wayne started his own team, Wayne Gardner Racing, sponsored by Coca-Cola. He raced for three seasons with his teammate, Neil Crompton. A tough moment for the team was at the Bathurst round in 1995. Both of their cars crashed on the first lap after Neil's car was hit and pushed into Wayne's.
However, the team recovered well. Wayne sensationally led the first few laps of the 1995 Tooheys 1000. He and Crompton went on to finish third in that race.
Wayne's biggest highlight in the Australian Touring Car Championship was winning the 1997 Calder Park round. This race was held at night under lights. His main sponsor, Coca-Cola, decided to focus on the Sydney Olympics in 2000. This meant Wayne's team lost a lot of money and had to close down after part of the 1999 season.
He continued racing V8 Supercars until 2002. A big moment was taking the best starting spot (pole position) for the 2000 FAI 1000 at Bathurst in 2000, even in very bad weather.
Racing in Japan and Le Mans
Wayne also raced in the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship. He drove a Toyota Supra from 1996 until he retired from motorsport in 2002. He won a round of this championship in 1999 and again in 2001. In 2001, he was the only Toyota driver to finish every race and score points in all of them.
In 1998, Wayne made a special appearance at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. He raced with Philippe Gache and fellow former motorcycle rider Didier de Radiguès. They had to stop early due to engine problems.
Honours and Recognition
Wayne Gardner has received many awards for his contributions to racing:
- After winning the 500cc World Championship in 1987, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1988. This is a special honour for service to motorcycle racing.
- The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), the world governing body for motorcycle racing, named him a MotoGP Legend.
- He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1991.
- He received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
- The main straight at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is named the Gardner Straight in his honour.
Images for kids
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Gardner at the 1989 British Grand Prix
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Gardner at the 1992 Japanese Grand Prix
See also
In Spanish: Wayne Gardner para niños
