Mick Doohan

Lore & Background

Originally from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Doohan attended St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace and Aspley State High School, Brisbane. He raced in Australian Superbikes in the late 1980s, and also won both races as Superbike World Championship visited Oran Park as well as the second leg of the Japanese round held earlier in the year. In a break-out season he also won the final Australian motorcycle Grand Prix to be held in the TT format at Mount Panorama before the race became a round of the World Championship the following year and moved to Phillip Island. He is one of the few 500 cc or MotoGP World Champions to have won a Superbike World Championship race. Doohan made his Grand Prix debut for Honda on an NSR 500 cc two-stroke motorcycle in 1989. Late in the 1990 season, Doohan claimed his first victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix on his way to third in the championship. In 1991, Doohan was paired with his fellow Australian Wayne Gardner on a Honda RVF750 superbike and won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. He competed successfully throughout the early 1990s and appeared to be on his way to winning his first world championship when he was seriously injured in a practice crash before the 1992 Dutch TT. He suffered permanent and serious damage to his right leg due to medical complications and, at one stage, faced amputation of the leg. At the time, Doohan was 65 points in the lead of the championship, but could not compete for eight weeks after the crash. After an arduous recovery, he returned to racing for the final two races but could not prevent Yamaha rider Wayne Rainey from winning his third consecutive title (by four points from Doohan). In 1993, he struggled with the healing of his leg and the ability to race the Honda at elite level, stating later that in that year it was all he could do to just keep his ride at Honda. It was also during this time he switched to a left thumb-operated rear brake, as his right foot was no longer able to perform this function. In 1994 however, Doohan won his first 500 cc World Championship. Thereafter, until 1998, he dominated the class, winning five consecutive 500 cc World Championships. In 1997, his most successful year, Doohan won 12 out of 15 races, finished second in another two, and crashed out of the final race of the season at his home GP while leading by more than six seconds.

Reader's Guide

Doohan won five consecutive 500 cc World Championships from 1994 to 1998. He won 12 out of 15 races in 1997, his most successful year. He is one of the few 500 cc or MotoGP World Champions to have won a Superbike World Championship race, though he won that race in the late 1980s before his Grand Prix titles.

Did You Know?

• He used a left thumb-operated rear brake after his 1992 crash because his right foot could no longer perform that function.
• Doohan tested a Williams FW19 Formula One car in April 1998 but crashed it.
• The first turn at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is named after Doohan.