Mike Baldwin (motorcyclist)
Mike Baldwin ( born January 15, 1955 in Pasadena, California ) is a former American professional motorcycle racer.
Career
Mike Baldwin's first motorcycle was at the age of 14 years, a mini bike, powered by a lawnmower engine. A year later, he switched to a 50 - cc Honda, with which he drove through the surrounding forests.
1972, at the age of 17 years, Baldwin saw with a friend a motorcycle race which its two animated to provide their bikes with number plates and participate even to a club race. Baldwin finished with his Kawasaki 750 H2 right away to fifth place. His parents knew at that time nothing of the racing activities of her son.
During the semester break Mike Baldwin attended a course at Kawasaki and then was service manager in a Kawasaki newly established branch. A wealthy customer of this branch and sponsors Baldwin had a highly tuned Kawasaki Z1 and asked Baldwin to move this machine even on a race track. During these tests the customer for Baldwin acquired by another racer ever a Yamaha TZ 125 and TZ 250 Baldwin started on these machines a few weeks later in Canada, where she won immediately the race in the 250 cc class, but he suggested starting off for Yamaha Canada later formula 750 world Champion Steve Baker. There followed many other victories at various club races on the Yamaha TZ.
Mid -1970s, Mike Baldwin took part on Superbikes of the Italian brands Ducati and Laverda in long-distance races, partly, he started at Club races in one weekend in eight to nine classes simultaneously. He also took part in Dirttrack and in winter ice racing, thereby improving his driving skills and machine control.
1975 Baldwin started in a beginner class of the AMA, filled with climbers from the Club class, while talents like Richard Schlachter, Dave Roper, David Emde and Harry Klinzmann.
In 1976, Baldwin was one of the most successful rider in the AMA 250 cc class, but he got his big break on a set up by Reno Leoni Moto Guzzi Le Mans in an AMA Superbike race in Loudon. Soon Baldwin competed in all three classes of AMA Road Championship, Formula 750, the 250 cc Grand Prix and Superbike class; yet he could win a Superbike race at Charlotte.
1978 Mike Baldwin won with his Yamaha TZ 750, the Formula 1 championship road ( follow the series formula 750 ), among others, by victories at Sears Point and Pocono; impressive was his third place at Laguna Seca behind the successful American participants in the Motorcycle World Championship Kenny Roberts sr. and Steve Baker. He was also in this year in Canada and successfully Suzuka (Japan) with two rounds of the Formula 750 World Championship. In Canada, where the race was held on the track of Mosport, he beat the then top U.S. rider and eventual champion Kenny Roberts high house by a margin of 40 seconds. In addition, Baldwin won in 1978 along with Wes Cooley Suzuki on the inaugural 8- hour race at Suzuka, Japan.
In 1979, Kawasaki took the talented rider under contract. And almost Baldwin could have celebrated the so-called Daytona Triple Crown, winning the Daytona 200, the lightweight class and the Superbike class, if it would not have a training accident in which he broke his collarbone stopped. Since he could not participate in the qualifying through this injury, he had to start at the end of the field in the Daytona 200. The leaders had already traveled three quarters of the first round as the third starting group with Baldwin was sent at the end of the track. At the end he won with his Kawasaki KR 750 despite the great start residue and the aching shoulder to fourth place and could feel a moral winner.
In addition to his involvement in the AMA race Mike Baldwin took in 1979 with a private Suzuki also to race in the 500 cc class for the Motorcycle World Championship in Europe in part. Among other things, with a pole position and finished third in the Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama in Spain. During this race, he evolved as Kenny Roberts' challenger for the crown of best U.S. American motorcycle racer, until an injury forced him to take a break.
In a race in Loudon in June 1979 for Kawasaki suffered Mike Baldwin in an accident a complicated fracture, until mid- 1980, he was - still not fully recovered - again take part in the racing, now for Honda, as support for Freddie Spencer, who for Honda should win the AMA Superbike Championship. At the end of Baldwin was ninth in the championship.
In 1981, Baldwin with David Aldana for Honda in the World Endurance Championship in part. Although no luck to the team this year was granted, Baldwin won for the second time in his career, the 8- hour race at Suzuka.
The following year, in 1982, Mike Baldwin was fully recovered and now went back to the United States. For Honda, he went with the revolutionary FWA 1000 V -Four at the start and helped the company so that the first win a title in the AMA Foreml -1 championship with a four-stroke motorcycle. Baldwin was successful in this class in the next few years and was able to defend his title in 1983, 1984 and 1985. In the AMA Superbike Championship for 1982 Baldwin was second behind the Kawasaki rider Eddie Lawson, 1983, he also reached the second place overall, this time behind Wayne Rainey ( Kebenfalls awasaki ).
In 1984, Baldwin with a factory Honda for the third time - and the first driver ever - winning the 8 hours of Suzuka, this time as a team with Fred Merkel.
In 1985, the Americans took parallel to the AMA races in the USA to the race-free weekends with his Honda back in a couple of races derWeltmeisterschaft in the 500 cc class in Europe in part and finished the season with overall ten points with Boet van Dulmen from.
1986 graduated from Baldwin on the Yamaha Team Lucky Strike Roberts in the team of Kenny Roberts with the fourth overall his most successful season in the 500cc World Championship. He reached in eleven races five podium finishes and had to be in the standings, only Eddie Lawson (Yamaha ), Wayne Gardner (Honda) and his teammate Randy Mamola beaten. In the same year, he scored the last win of his career at a national race at Laguna Seca.
In 1987, Mike Baldwin injured at the Grand Prix of Germany at the Hockenheimring, so he then had to give in some races at the start and finished with just six points on rank 18.
In the last "full -time" year of his racing career in 1988, Baldwin launched a private team on a Honda. His best finish was tenth at the U.S. Grand Prix; in the end he was ranked 19th He also scored on a Suzuki in fourth place overall in the AMA Superbike Championship.
After 1988, Baldwin took sporadically participated in various national races in the United States, his last, he played on a Honda Superbike in Miami in November 1991.
After his playing career, Baldwin opened a racing school, later he found a job with an oil company.
Mike Baldwin is married and has two children.
Statistics
Title
- Victory at the 8- hour race at Suzuka: 1978, 1981, 1984