The qualifying session is stopped because off the crash with Ralf Waldmann. There is only 2 minutes and 12 seconds left off qualifying time. Still this is enough for Mick Doohan and he is going for the pole position. Watch and enjoy!
I always remember a reporter asking Doohan about not looking behind him during the race. His sardonic reply was " the race track is in front of me and who ever is behind me is second, not first"
Doohan unbelievably smooth riding a supposedly unrideable monster..... Truly the golden age of moto GP all of the men who rode in the two stroke era are super human in my mind.
GP and F1 and arguably Nascar if you are into that kind of thing. 90's were an interesting time. There was enough tech to make the machines remarkably fast and agile but not too much that might get in the way of a master having full reign to work his craft. Definitely dangerous, but that's motorsports.
Doohan was such a cool, chilled guy but awesomely fast. I remember reading an article he wrote about a lap of a circuit (can't remember which one now) but the detail in it was staggering. Every inch of that lap he knew what his tyres were doing, how much brake pressure and throttle he was putting in, how much wheelspin he could get away with, how much speed he could scrub off by sliding the bike, which tyre was sliding and when etc etc. I remember thinking how fast these guy's minds must work while racing yet they are so chilled in normal life. Amazing talent and an awesome era.
@@pbysome yes. Mick Doohan had the rear brake lever on the handle bar after an horrific accident that messed up his right leg really bad [IIRC, at the time it was said that it was a miracle that doctors were able to save his leg] That he came back and adjusted after that horrific injury is testament to his riding skills and determination. I've always held Gardner and Casey Stoner in high regard who were amongst the best riders of their time but Doohan will always be my all time favourite rider.
His riding style was so classy. He rode the bike, no elbows or shoulders on the ground, no body out of the bike, no advanced electronics, no seamless gears. Pure talent, and that's it.
@@neghentropia It was a statement borne of ignorance. The best riders in every generation ride the way they do because it maximises what they can get out of their bikes. Currently, getting your body low and elbows to the ground helps stall the aerodynamic flow from the wings on the inside, which sounds counterintuitive, but which improves front tyre grip and therefore gives performance gains.
RIP Ralf Waldmann and Norick Abe, both great guys who died much too early off the track, not in racing. Quick Mick is the legend, Simon the gentleman, the 90's were an awesome time for MotoGP.
Oh I never knew Abe had passed. very sad to learn that. I remember him running up to the camera in the UK one time after being asked 'how was your session?' and he just said "Its bloody laining!". Made my Dad who had no interest in racing laugh out loud and then we watched the race together after (the only one my Dad really ever watched).
I became life threateningly ill in 98 & these guys helped pull me through it by giving me something to look forward to, I'm so eternally grateful to them for that :-)
@@mattjacomos2795 he sure did, almost wrecked his career, mick just hated coming 2nd lol. i'm just hoping that young jorge martin might be able to hassle M Marquez this weekend.. something to actually look forward to 👍
Simon is just a wonderfully positive person. Love to see him in the pits asking questions. And Mick..what’s to say..superhero maybe.. Moto GP is the best
Thanks a lot for sharing this epic moment of 500 cc racing. I take my hat off to all those great riders of that era, especially Mick. Btw, it is still shocking to me that Waldmann and Abe are no longer with us!
No sliding around? One of the reasons "Quick Mick" Doohan was so fast, was because he was a true master of power steering. Much of the time, the rear wheel was pointing in a different direction than front round corners, which made him corner faster. :)
@@HepauDK Indeed, I read a great article he wrote about a typical lap, in which he explained that although he looks smooth, the front or rear (or both at the same time) are ALWAYS sliding on a lap, even on the straights.
The way that Doohan was riding back in 98 was like it took his bicycle went for a ride in a park and came back home with out a single drop of sweat!and those 2 strokes was beast compare to 2022 bikes!
In the 90s i've watched all the races, 500cc 250cc 125cc and man i hated Doohan, because he was winning everything! Now when i look back i can only 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Many don't know that Micks 5 World Championships all came after he nearly lost his leg in very early 90's. The doctors in Assen nearly cost him his leg with their ignorance & arrogance. Eventually, Mick got to his own Doctor who sewed the badly injured leg to the good leg for two weeks to keep blood flow in the injury. Prior to that, the leg was black & dying, and as more dead & decaying flesh was removed, they were down to bone, screws & plates, hence the sewing two legs together. The fact that he could walk again, let alone ride, let alone win 5 x GP championships speaks volumes. Whilst riders like Rossi are great, Doohan rode in a time when the bikes were much more dangerous, as well as the courses. More skill was required to pilot the NSR's of the day,where as these days it is all very sanitised. Push,push push until the tyres give away, is very much what GP is all about these days. Electronics and rider aids have turned me off GP and onto irish road racing, IOMTT, NW200, UlsterGP etc. These are the real racers, riding real race bikes. GP & F1 are both boring & predictable, with the same results over & over. Try this instead @ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ORPxY92n2jE.html
Almost lost his leg came back to finishing the last two races and STILL finished 2nd in points just 4 behind Wayne Rainey. Mick in my opinion is the greatest of all time his leg was never truly fixed and he still dominated. No doubt in my mind he would have eclipsed Rossi in stats.
The golden era of 500cc GP racing. I remember those days. Some of the best motorcycle racing to be seen. Definitely better than todays electronic ridden Moto GP.
youre an idiot. the electronics dont even make the riders faster its a control ecu all the teams get the same and it slows you down to run into the tc. on top of that there's only about 10 seconds between 1st and 15th each race. much closer and less predictable
I'm an idiot? What the hell are you even talking about? Did you respond to the wrong post? Who said anything about electronis making anybody faster? If you have a disagreement? Make it relevant to the post. Reread my post you tool. Or have somebody that can read do it for you.
@@mikeconlin9406 no, you just clearly have no understanding of how modern or older gp bikes actually operate which leads you to making completely ridiculous comments on them
@@motogplounge6305 You're obviously a G.P. master. Here's the deal. I gave my opinion on a open forum. I could give a rats ass if you agree or not. You've let your (2nd) completely ignorant comment be heard. Now move on. Go troll somebody else that has the time or want to engage in your stupidity. Seriously, get a clue or a life. Or maybe both.
In his day Mick was an animal! Today’s generation will never understand the skill required to ride the 500cc two-stroke GP bike of yesteryear... before anti-lock, anti-wheelie, anti-skid, anti-everything. These machines were BRUTAL!
@@craigdonovan4277 Hey Craig. I believe Doohan mangled is right leg in a crash at Assen 1992. That affected his ability to use the foot pedal for the rear brake. So Honda and Mick adopted a thumb actuated rear break lever on the left clip on right under the clutch lever. As far as I know. Mick had no issues with the leg he shifts with.
that particular NSR, with Doohan onboard ........was a HELL of a bike........SCREAMER indeed............it really is no wonder he won 5 in a row.........could have been 7 or 8.......wb
The fact was that the Screamer gave no advantage. Mick only requested that engine firing order because he was the only guy who could ride it. In previous seasons, everybody had switched to “Big band” engines where all four cylinders fired very close together because they gave better traction, drive and less high sides. Mick knew he could ride the non big bang Screamer, and if other teams followed, their screamers would spit their riders off. And they did.
@@SvenTviking He was a master like Spencer was when he wanted a V4 . Doohan looks so smooth on this and I have not seen any current day rider look that smooth and their machines .
Best ever qualifying lap is Jorge Lorenzo Valencia 2015. Immense pressure from Rossi fan death threats, having to win to take the crown, lays down the fastest ever lap there. Go Jorge!
The riding styles have become much more aggressive in the last 20+ years; dragging elbow! Look at how Doohan rode!, he leaned the opposite way into the tank on some corners..? I remember Jean-Phillipe Ruggia being the first rider to drag elbow, on a 250cc 2T bike!!! Really fascinating the level of trust the modern GP rider has in his tire grip!...
Lol. Assen wasnt a slide the rear and gas it circuit. Go watch hmmm french gp with shwantz v gardner/doohan/rainey etc. Rear smoking sideways on one wheel lap after lap. Mid to late 80s thru to the mid 90s the slides were vicious. None of the nanny srate electronics nursemaidingnthem like today.
The glory days of the 2-strokes! The ability of those riders to tame that aggressive power delivery with no rider aids… I wish Wayne and Mick hadn’t had their bad offs in 92 and 93(I really feel for Wayne more though, having had a somewhat similar injury), just think how the battles may have gone throughout the 90s. I was lucky enough to see them race against each other in person though. Mick won! 🇦🇺 Simon Crafar was so sportsmanlike in this, he wanted to shake Mick’s hand!
I reckon this would be the only time you’d see an Aussie & a Kiwi on the front row? Bloody brilliant Mick & now sedate commentator Simon. Oh & obviously Simon worked on his language skills since those great days?...🤬🤭😇😂
