Press Release | April 20, 2022
Wayne Rainey to be joined by Mick Doohan, Kenny Roberts and Kevin Schwantz at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which is scheduled for June 23-26.
Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey, Mick Doohan and Wayne Gardner action Brazilian GP 1991
Photos Courtesy of Gold & Goose
The following is a press release from Goodwood on April 20, 2022
Following the announcement that three-time 500cc World Motorcycle Champion Wayne Rainey will ride his championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, Goodwood is delighted to announce that Rainey will be joined by three of his greatest motorcycling contemporaries: Mick Doohan, Kenny Roberts and Kevin Schwantz.
The Festival of Speed is renowned for its unrestricted access to the mighty machines of motorsport and the riders and drivers who made them famous. Following the overwhelming response to the news that Rainey will make his Festival of Speed debut and tackle the iconic hillclimb on a racing bike for the first time in 29 years, Goodwood is delighted to give fans the opportunity to see Doohan, Roberts and Schwantz in action as well.
Rainey, Schwantz and Doohan, USA GP 1991
In what is set to be a truly historic moment, Rainey will be reunited with two of his greatest rivals – Schwantz and Doohan – with whom he battled for his three World Championships. Holding a phenomenal 12 500cc World Championships between them, including consecutive Championships from 1990-1998, Doohan, Roberts, Schwantz and Rainey will all take to the Hill over the weekend.
Wayne Rainey said: “I never thought I’d have a chance to throw a leg over a Grand Prix bike again. And I certainly never thought I’d have an opportunity to share a track with Kenny, Mick and Kevin. This could only happen at the Festival of Speed. Obviously, Kenny played a major role in my racing career and my life so having him with us at Goodwood is going to make an incredible experience even more so. And many fans know Mick and Kevin were a couple of my greatest rivals during my Grand Prix career, and it means so much to me that they are making the trip to the Festival of Speed for what will be a very special time. We all share so many memories of competition, it will be fun to experience a new sense of camaraderie with them. This will be my first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and I can’t wait for June to get here.”
Schwantz, Rainey and Doohan, Dutch GP 1991
Mick Doohan said: “I’m really looking forward to getting back to Goodwood – it’s been a few years since my last visit. It will be a very memorable moment to see Wayne back on two wheels – I believe it’s the first time on a race bike since his accident in 1993. To have raced against him for several years, plus having got close to wrestling a title from him on a couple occasions, in the early 90’s, were very special memories in my career. He and I had a great rivalry, especially ’91 and ’92, unfortunately for me, Wayne came out on top. To be able to ride with him at the Festival of Speed is sensational and it will be a real spectacle to see him back on a bike.”
Kenny Roberts said: “After having spent most of my life traveling the world it takes a lot for me to want to leave the house these days. But having heard that Wayne Rainey will be riding his championship-winning 1992 YZR500 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, I just had to be there to witness this amazing occasion alongside Shae and Rex. Great credit has to go to Yamaha Motor Company and Lin Jarvis in particular for making this project fly and all the engineers back in Japan who have got the bike running and adapted for Wayne to ride.
(L to R) Rainey, Schwantz & Doohan, Italian GP 1990
Wayne’s determination to make this all happen is no surprise. When he has something in his head that he wants to do, it’ll happen and it’s testament to him that two of his greatest rivals, Kevin Schwantz and Mick Doohan will be present at the festival this year to live this dream with him. I can promise there will not be a dry-eye in the house. It’s gonna be some party.”
Kevin Schwantz said: “To ride a 500cc Grand Prix bike alongside Wayne Rainey is something that has really underpinned my whole life. To be able to have that experience again – it being so long since Wayne has been on his race bike – for me, is going to be unbelievable. I’m so looking forward to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year and getting to see Wayne, Shae and Rex and taking my family there; it’s something that I’m really excited about.”
The Duke of Richmond said: “Every year at the Festival of Speed we strive to create extraordinary experiences for our fans, and this year is no exception. I could not be more delighted that Mick, Kenny and Kevin are able to join us at this year’s event as Wayne makes his Festival of Speed debut. Seeing them all together on the famous Goodwood Hill will be a momentous occasion and one which I am hugely looking forward to.”
For more information about the Goodwood Festival, visit www.goodwood.com
The following is a press release from February 23, 2022
Goodwood is proud to announce that three-time 500cc World Motorcycle Champion Wayne Rainey will make his first appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard (June 23-26).
Three-time 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey will ride a Yamaha YZR500 during the Goodwill Festival Of Speed in England in June.
The following is a press release from MotoAmerica, sent on behalf of the Goodwood Festival of Speed…
Photos courtesy of Yamaha
Renowned for its unrestricted access to the mighty machines of motorsport and the riders and drivers who made them famous, this year’s Festival of Speed will be no exception. Across the weekend, fans will be able to watch Rainey take to the iconic Goodwood hillclimb on the Yamaha YZR500, with which he won the 1992 World Championship 30 years ago.
Goodwood is delighted that the Festival of Speed will reunite Rainey with a racing bike for the first time in 29 years, following the accident at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Rainey’s exploits at the Festival of Speed follow his first return to riding in 2019 at the Sound of Engine Festival in Suzuka, Japan.
As we prepare to celebrate ‘The Innovators – Masterminds of Motorsport,’ Rainey’s ride will be made possible by the innovation of the Yamaha Motor Company as they reconfigure the 30-year-old Yamaha YZR500 so it can be ridden using handlebar controls alone. Rainey himself has masterminded his way through a career in motorsport spanning four decades, first as a three-time World Champion, then as a team manager, and currently as President of MotoAmerica.
Wayne Rainey: “I’m incredibly excited to not only be attending my first Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer, but to be riding my 1992 Yamaha YZR500 up the famous hillclimb. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that I just couldn’t pass up. I want to thank the Yamaha Motor Company for preparing my 1992 YZR500 and adapting it for me to ride, MotoAmerica for helping make the entire project fly, and The Duke of Richmond for really making this a reality. I can’t wait to meet the fans who come from all over the world for the Goodwood Festival of Speed.”
Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl: “The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an amazing event that is a showcase for two and four-wheel motorsports legends—both human and mechanical. Wayne Rainey is a true motorcycle racing legend who achieved three 500cc World Titles with Yamaha before his career-ending accident and injury. The thought of Wayne riding the legendary 1992 Factory YZR500 bike that he rode to his final championship victory is something truly amazing that I for one never imagined could be possible. I know it will mean so much to Wayne, and it will be something truly special for all the fans at Goodwood and all around the world. We are proud to be able to support Wayne make his dream come true.”
The Duke of Richmond: “I am absolutely delighted that Wayne and his family are able to join us at this year’s Festival of Speed and that we will see him take to the Hill on the bike with which he won his last World Championship 30 years ago. Every year the Festival showcases spectacular stories from the world of motorsport, and we are privileged that Wayne is sharing his with us this summer.”
Wayne Rainey
With 82 500cc Grand Prix starts, Wayne Rainey won 24 races and took 64 podiums while his battles with arch-rival Kevin Schwantz have become the stuff of motorcycling legend. At the time of his accident in 1993 he was leading the World Motorcycle Championship and was just three races away from winning his fourth title.
Following his accident, Rainey became the team manager of the Marlboro Yamaha Team before retiring in 1998. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007, named a FIM Grand Prix ‘Legend’ in 2000 and has a corner of the Laguna Seca Circuit named in his honor.
Savings to be made on tickets bought before 1 April 2022
Those planning to attend the Festival of Speed this summer have the opportunity to save on tickets when bought by March 31, 2022. The 2022 Festival of Speed qualifies for the UK Government’s ‘creative industry tax relief’, with a reduced VAT rate of 12.5% until March 31, 2022. We are pleased to be able to pass this saving on to our customers, which will apply to a number of entry products. Ticket prices will remain at the reduced VAT rate until the end of March, when it will return to the full rate of 20% from April 1, 2022.
For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com
For more information about the Goodwood Festival, visit www.goodwood.com
