The US's history in MotoGP

Nicky Hayden celebrating his 2006 MotoGP World Championship after the Valencian Grand Prix in Cheste. Photograph: Javier Soriano/Getty Images

MotoGP as we know it nowadays hosts a very rich presence of Spanish and Italian riders thanks to the countries's great amount of race tracks and junior categories which allows for a better rider development than in many other places. However, as weird as it may seem, there was once a time where these 2 weren't dominating the Motorcycle World Championships scene, but rather the United States.

Kenny Roberts Sr. riding his Yamaha around the Nürburgring. Photograph: Gold & Goose

Long gone are the days where Kenny Roberts Sr. bursted onto the scene in 1978 winning the 500cc World Championship in his debut against Barry Sheene who had labeled him as "no threat" upon his arrival. Roberts went on to take 3 consecutive titles between 1978 and 1980, the first ones for an American rider. His experience in dirt tracks set a wonderful foundation for his unmistakable riding style. The back then nearly unridable 500cc bikes had a very loose rear end, and Roberts could only watch how the other riders struggled to keep the bike ontrack while he could control his Yamaha's rear end with ease. In his 6 season long career, he won 3 500cc World Championships, 24 races and got 44 podiums, a magnificent career.

Freddie Spencer riding his Marlboro Agostini Yamaha in the 1989 Australian GP, one of his last races.

With Roberts Sr.'s titles, the floodgates then opened for the Americans in the World Championships. Freddie Spencer, a fellow American, fought for the 1983 title against Roberts himself, a title that Spencer ended up winning by just 2 points in Roberts's last season in the 500cc championship. Spencer then would take another title in 1985, though he would not only take the 500cc one, but also the 250cc. To this day, Spencer remains the last rider to have won the senior and intermediate class in the same season, a true show of his greatness. He would lose the 1984 title to another american though, Eddie Lawson.

Eddie Lawson riding his 1986 Yamaha YZR500 0W81. Photograph: Yamaha

Lawson not only took Spencer's title away, he started a whole kingdom. He would win the 500cc World Championship in 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1989, the only American to win 4 500cc titles in MotoGP history. He was known for his precise and clinical riding style, as well as that flow that made Eddie so characteristic. Not only did he win 4 titles, he also became the first rider in Motorcycle World Championship's history to win back-to-back 500cc titles in 2 different teams and bikes. "Steady Eddie" as he was called back in the day had something else, something that set him apart from the rest of the riders. Only Lawson's unstoppable 1985 and his Yamaha's poor reliability in 1987 stopped him from winning 5 titles in a row. After little understanding with Honda, Lawson returned to Yamaha in 1990, but an injury in the United States GP pulled him aside for 6 GPs, finishing 7th in the standings. For 1991 Eddie had seen enough of Yamaha and decided to go bold. Knowing his retirement would come soon, he would spend his last 2 years in the 500cc class in the new Cagiva bike to help them get to the top of the field. In those 2 years before retirement, Lawson got 1 win, 2 podiums and a best place of 6th in the cmapionship in 1991. However, he wouldn't be the last american to be king of the hill.

Randy Mamola riding his 1989 C589 Cagiva 500cc machine. Photograph: Goose & Gold

Before Dani Pedrosa became the "King with no crown", Randy Mamola was there. 500cc runner up in 1980, 1981, 1984 and 1987, his 13 wins and 54 podiums in the senior class is nothing short of an amazing career for the Californian. You might not see his name in the MotoGP World Champions's trophy, but his legacy earned him a spot as an official MotoGP Legend.

Wayne Rainey talking with Kevin Schwantz during their rivalry in the 1990s.

After Lawson came these 2. The US could only watch as their riders dominated the 500cc scene. There was Wayne Rainey, Yamaha's eternal golden boy, and of course, Kevin Schwantz, Suzuki's best and protegé. Their rivalry comes a long way from back in the AMA days, but it was in the 500cc days where it became international and unavoidable. After Lawson's injury in 1990, it was a clear path for the 2 to fight for the title, although a very young Mick Doohan in the Honda machinery was getting closer every race. It was often Schwantz who did miracles with his inferior Suzuki bike, at times taking it to places where it most definetely shouldn't have been. But Rainey's consistency and patience was all he needed to take the 1990, 1991 and 1992 crowns. ahead of Kevin. It has to be noted that, hadn't it been for Doohan's leg injury in 1992, it was certain that the Aussie would've won that title and more, but that wasn't the case after all. In 1993 it seemed like Schwantz and Suzuki had finally gotten it right. Kevin's magnificent performances got him to lead the championship before the dark 1993 Misano race. There, during the race, disaster would strike. Wayne Rainey had a horrible crash which left him paralized from the waste down, ending his career with inmediately. With Rainey out, and Doohan still recovering from his injury, Schwantz took it easy to win the 1993 500cc World Championship. But it looked like something in him had clicked after Rainey's crash, something was wrong. For 1994 and 1995 he stayed in the World Championship wearing the so much deserved number 1. He began 1994 with great form, often challening Doohan, but his season was cut short after the Czech GP. He could only watch as Doohan would take the first of his 500cc world titles. Schwantz returned for the 1995 first 3 races, but he had enough and retired after the 1995 Japanese GP.

Kenny Roberts Jr. leading Valentino Rossi in the 2000 Valencian GP.

1993 would prove to be the last senior class title for any American until the year 2000. The first year of the 21st century was a weird one for the Motorcycle Grand Prix world. There wasn't a clear dominant force like it had been in Doohan's or Criville's years. Kenny Roberts Jr., son of Roberts Sr. did exactly what he needed to do to take that year's 500cc World Championship home. With 4 wins he took what became Suzuki's last senior class crown until Joan Mir in 2020, but taking the title in that bike was nothing short of genius. In 2001 however he started going downhill with no brakes, and nor his Suzuki nor his father's premier class team which was created after the MotoGP era began could stop it. In 2007 Kenny Jr. had enough and hung up his boots, ending a career that, while it couldn't be compared to that of his father's, it was very good.

Nicky Hayden after his win in the 2006 MotoGP United States GP, the "Kentucky Kid"'s last one in the premier class. Photograph: Gigi Solano

The last rider coming from the United States to take a senior class World Championship was the forever remembered Nicky Hayden. The Kentucky Kid as he was called, always had something in store for us during the 990cc four-stroke era. With 3 wins, 2 of them taken during his World Championship year in 2006, Hayden was one to watch everytime. His 2006 season wasn't the best season ever, but he was consistent and challenged on a frequent basis, something that his rivals lacked during most of the season. Beating Rossi, Capirossi, Pedrosa and Melandri, all of which were in great shape, was something a lot of riders can only dream about today, but Nicky beat them all. Unfortunately MotoGP's change to the 800cc bikes ended all of Nicky's momentum which he could never get back again. Nicky unfortunately died in 2017 after being involved in a crash with a car while he was biking.

Ben Spies riding his Yamaha as a wildcard in the Valencian GP after winning the 2009 WorldSBK title. Photography: Yamaha

Ben Spies and Colin Edwards would also race in MotoGP at the same time as Nicky Hayden, but unfortunately neither of the 2 would get close to winning the title, though they would win at least a championship each in the World Superbikes series. Spies was Yamaha's hope after Rossi, and for some time it seemed like he would be able to fight for big things when he joined MotoGP full-time in 2010. However, his injuries and physical problems as well as his fear to flying could only stop him from archieving what he was one destined to be. Spies retired in 2013. Meanwhile, Colin Edwards had a very long career in MotoGP, but still to this day holds the record of the MotoGP rider with the most podiums in MotoGP without a single win (12). That however doesn't matter to good old Colin who says he remains "satisfied and happy" about his MotoGP stint.

Joe Roberts during the 2024 Spanish Moto2 qualifying session. Photograph: Dorna

After Hayden and Edward's retirement in 2015, no American rider has raced in MotoGP full-time, with the only one that has been closed to a chance being the ever so inconsistent Joe Roberts, who can't quite get the hang of his Moto2 machinery. Joe has been very close to striking a deal to race in MotoGP several times, but it seems as though that everytime he is close to getting a deal, his performances just go down a cliff. He still had hope to land a MotoGP ride, but his chances are only shrinking as time goes on.

In 2024 Justin Marks owner of NASCAR team Trackhouse Racing started his own MotoGP team after buying what was left of RNF Racing. They currently are a satellite team of Aprilia and have been speculated to a switch to Honda depending on Honda's NASCAR plans. Currently as of the writing of this article the team has no podiums or wins yet, but with young rider Ai Ogura leading the team he has the potential to bring the team to glory. And with Trackhouse coming into the fold as Liberty Media takes over there are chances of Trackhouse being used as a tool to promote the sport in the states. The U.S. is in desperate hope of a MotoGP rider, even more after Dorna's new ownership in the series. The creating of a new 24/7 channel as well as free coverage has been welcome in the country, but that isn't everything that is needed to get people's attention. Will we see an American in the MotoGP class? Doesn't look like it will come soon, but we can only dream.