N3WMAN
Well-known member
World Superbike celebrates 26 years in 2013. The series has deep roots in America--and oddly, at Daytona. However, The first US races were held at Brainerd in Northern Minnesota. Here are some images from the 1991 round at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota.
[SIZE=-1]Here Fred Merkel talks with the late Merlyn Plumlee (his crewchief that year) and Danny Hull.
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The late Jimmy Adamo on his 888 Ducati in front of the old Vance and Hines Yamaha trailer.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Giancarlo Falappa raced for both Bimota and Ducati at Brainerd. Here he coasts up the paddock return road on his 888.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Eraldo Ferracci's rider, Doug Polen, won both legs at Brainerd and set the fastest lap of the races.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Before starting his world class charm school, Jon Cornwell raced motorcycles. Here he is with former racer Owen Weichel, now of Arata USA. They were part of the Brainerd support races.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Yamaha's Fabrizio Pirovano. He ran off and crashed in the muck of turn one and parts of his motorcycle--including the carbs--were never found.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Stephan Mertens on the Total-sponsored Ducati on pole--with Pirelli tires--and Polen in the second spot.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Vance and Hines Yamaha again had a Brainerd to forget in '91. Their riders, Jamie James and Thomas Stevens, didn't even race the second leg because their bikes were so underpowered.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]250s were part of the Brainerd WSBK program back then. That's 'Al Sal' on right, # 22.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Stephen Mertens on an early Ducati WSBK war machine.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Jimmy Adamo's Ducati flanked by Doug Polen machine.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]How WSBK traveled in the early 1990s.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Exiting turn ten at Brainerd ... Rob Mac and Adamo signal for pit entrance.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The late, great Merlyn Plumlee helps start a Rumi Honda at Brainerd. More usual suspects behind them.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Niall Mackenzie on a Honda RC30-based World Superbike machine.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Raymond Roche: he won Ducati thier first WSBK title. And he tried to turn around in T1 at Brainerd as a practice session ended. He lived. He also kicked a female cornerworker in the crotch but that's another story.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]In order to get the event, Brainerd altered the old course so that it would meet FIM homologation. This meant a new entry under the turn nine bridge. As evidenced here by Giancarlo Falappa, this was where a million wheelies were born.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]WSBK's first and perhaps only mad man. Giancarlo Falappa. Paddock lore has it that he wheelied the Bimota while standing on the pegs at Brainerd, touching his helmet on the underside of the turn nine bridge.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Carl Fogarty doesn't talk much about the time he spent on a Honda in WSBK--the first time. There's a reason for that. Honda Britain WSBK team manager Tuxworth had known Carl virtually his entire life and wasn't taking any of his 'crap'. In Foggy's defense the bike was slow.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Australian Rob Phillis, Niall Mackenzie and Carl Fogarty await practice to start.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Here Fred Merkel talks with the late Merlyn Plumlee (his crewchief that year) and Danny Hull.
[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The late Jimmy Adamo on his 888 Ducati in front of the old Vance and Hines Yamaha trailer.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Giancarlo Falappa raced for both Bimota and Ducati at Brainerd. Here he coasts up the paddock return road on his 888.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Eraldo Ferracci's rider, Doug Polen, won both legs at Brainerd and set the fastest lap of the races.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Before starting his world class charm school, Jon Cornwell raced motorcycles. Here he is with former racer Owen Weichel, now of Arata USA. They were part of the Brainerd support races.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Yamaha's Fabrizio Pirovano. He ran off and crashed in the muck of turn one and parts of his motorcycle--including the carbs--were never found.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Stephan Mertens on the Total-sponsored Ducati on pole--with Pirelli tires--and Polen in the second spot.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Vance and Hines Yamaha again had a Brainerd to forget in '91. Their riders, Jamie James and Thomas Stevens, didn't even race the second leg because their bikes were so underpowered.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]250s were part of the Brainerd WSBK program back then. That's 'Al Sal' on right, # 22.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Stephen Mertens on an early Ducati WSBK war machine.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Jimmy Adamo's Ducati flanked by Doug Polen machine.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]How WSBK traveled in the early 1990s.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Exiting turn ten at Brainerd ... Rob Mac and Adamo signal for pit entrance.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]The late, great Merlyn Plumlee helps start a Rumi Honda at Brainerd. More usual suspects behind them.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Niall Mackenzie on a Honda RC30-based World Superbike machine.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Raymond Roche: he won Ducati thier first WSBK title. And he tried to turn around in T1 at Brainerd as a practice session ended. He lived. He also kicked a female cornerworker in the crotch but that's another story.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]In order to get the event, Brainerd altered the old course so that it would meet FIM homologation. This meant a new entry under the turn nine bridge. As evidenced here by Giancarlo Falappa, this was where a million wheelies were born.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]WSBK's first and perhaps only mad man. Giancarlo Falappa. Paddock lore has it that he wheelied the Bimota while standing on the pegs at Brainerd, touching his helmet on the underside of the turn nine bridge.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Carl Fogarty doesn't talk much about the time he spent on a Honda in WSBK--the first time. There's a reason for that. Honda Britain WSBK team manager Tuxworth had known Carl virtually his entire life and wasn't taking any of his 'crap'. In Foggy's defense the bike was slow.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Australian Rob Phillis, Niall Mackenzie and Carl Fogarty await practice to start.[/SIZE]
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