Randy Mamola
Randy Mamola ( born November 10, 1959 in Santa Clara, California, United States ) is a former American professional motorcycle racer.
Career
His plans to become a drummer, Randy Mamola gave up in favor of motorcycle racing at the age of twelve years. He coached his driving skills on the course of a police sports facility near his parents' house. First racing experience was gained with small racing events near the airport of San José, and soon became one of the fastest young drivers in California. Mamola was 14 when he was sponsored by Yamaha. Following his idol Kenny Roberts sr. , In whose colors he drove his race, he was nicknamed Baby Kenny is intended. After Mamola won the New Zealand 125cc Championship, he earned at the age of 16 years, the AMA racing license and began in 1977, after high school, his professional career as a racing driver.
Mamola raced in the AMA 250 Championship, finished second in his first season, three podiums, was championship runner-up and took the following year, 1978, the title. 1979 Bimota went Mamola for the AMA 250 cc race at Daytona, where he finished third behind Skip Aksland and Freddie Spencer. This was followed in the Anglo-American Match Races second place behind Mike Baldwin, but before Barry Sheene.
In 1979 came as a consequence of the recent successes of the rise in the Motorcycle World Championship. With a Yamaha was Mamola WM- fourth in the 250 cc class and a private Suzuki Cup rollercoaster in the 500s - although he participated in the large class only at half of the race. This performance earned him a contract for 1980 with Suzuki for the 500 cc class, he turned this into his first victories and a second world space. Mamola took until 1991 for various teams in the World Cup and was able to decide for themselves 13 races. He was a total of four runners-up, but could never win the title.
Mamola worked until 2009 as a commentator for broadcasts of motorcycle racing for the British TV channel Euro Sport. He is committed to the co-founded by him charity Riders for Health. As part of MotoGP race chauffeured celebrities Mamola on a Ducati Desmosedici two-seater with 230 hp at racing speed to the respective track.