Rainey to Ride YZR500 for First Time Since Paralyzing 1993 Crash

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Wayne Rainey piloting his Yamaha YZR500, the bike that ruled the podium for much of 1990, 1991, and 1992. (Goodwood/)

For the first time since a horrific accident at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix in Misano left him paralyzed from the chest down, three-time World Champion Wayne Rainey will pilot a Yamaha YZR500.

The bike in question is just any YZR; it’s Rainey’s championship-winning 1992 YZR500. Yamaha has customized the two-stroke to allow Rainey to ride it on Goodwood’s famous hill climb during the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed (FOS) June 23–26 in West Sussex, England.

The theme for this year’s June event is “The Innovators – Masterminds of Motorsport.” Few will deny that the 61-year-old Californian, who won three consecutive Grand Prix titles from 1990 through 1992, fits the theme perfectly.

Related: These Are Wayne Rainey’s Favorite Bikes

Rainey next to two of his championship-winning Yamaha YZR500 GP bikes. (Goodwood/)

“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 hill climb,” said Rainey, who currently serves as the president of MotoAmerica, in a press release.

“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.”

This is not Rainey’s first return to the racetrack since suffering a broken sixth thoracic vertebra while leading the 1993 Italian Grand Prix. In 2019, Rainey rode a modified Yamaha YZF-R1, first at Willow Springs Circuit in California, then alongside former rivals Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson ahead of the Sound of Engine Festival at Suzuka.

Since 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed has hosted hill climb racing events celebrating racing history. The world’s most iconic motorcycle racers are always present, from nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi to the 23-time Isle of Man TT winner John McGuinness.

This will be the first year that fans will get to meet and see Rainey on a historic ride. Rainey has battled with the best of them, including Mick Doohan, Lawson, and Wayne Gardner. His early-’90s rivalry with Kevin Schwantz gave the sport some of the fiercest on-track duels in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history.

Related: SR Archive: Harris Yamaha 500 Grand Prix Bike

Rainey won three consecutive titles riding Yamaha YZR500 machinery like this. (Goodwood/)

“The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an amazing event that is a showcase for two- and four-wheel motorsports legends—both human and mechanical,” said Lin Jarvis, managing director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl, who helped organize Rainey’s return.

“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 also commented: “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.”

For more, visit the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

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