Why did Lackey run the #1 plate at Carlsbad in 1980 ?

ATKpilot99
Profile picture for user ATKpilot99
Posts
9806
Joined
4/13/2010
Location
Lake Geneva, WI US
ATKpilot99
Edited Date/Time 11/24/2018 11:44am
Tried looking it up but never could find why .
|
FreshTopEnd
Profile picture for user FreshTopEnd
Posts
12476
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA US
Fantasy
4231st
FreshTopEnd 11/20/2018 8:39am
11/20/2018 8:39am
Leading the title at that point? Believe the number changed during the course of the season according to points. Recall Mikkola and DeCoster running 1 and 2 at Carlsbad in 1977 and Mikkola had won the 250 title the year before, so clearly his number wasn't based on prior season 500 results.
ATKpilot99
Profile picture for user ATKpilot99
Posts
9806
Joined
4/13/2010
Location
Lake Geneva, WI US
ATKpilot99 11/20/2018 8:42am
11/20/2018 8:42am Edited Date/Time 11/20/2018 9:54am
Ah ok . Makes sense. The title went down to the final race that year. And pretty sure Lackey was leading the points at that race.
project racer 11/20/2018 10:24am
11/20/2018 10:24am
Makes sense . I always had a weird thought that each country issued the #1 for their highest ranking rider in the points for their home GP. Brad being top American, he runs #1 at the home GP.

That would not make sense ,though, would it ? Who would run #1 at the first race ?
Sir Roostsalot 11/21/2018 2:35pm
11/21/2018 2:35pm
But MM23 showed 'em who the real #1 was. First race I ever watched on TV. The start to a lifelong obsession.

The Shop

See All »
Robgvx
Profile picture for user Robgvx
Posts
3687
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
GB
Robgvx 11/22/2018 12:12am
11/22/2018 12:12am Edited Date/Time 11/22/2018 12:14am
I seem to remember that back then numbers weren’t related to finishing positions, either current or previous year. They were assigned by the host club/promoter randomly or however they wished.

I might be wrong though.
philG
Profile picture for user philG
Posts
9710
Joined
5/12/2012
Location
GB
philG 11/22/2018 2:59am
11/22/2018 2:59am Edited Date/Time 11/22/2018 2:59am
Pretty much random . The year after he won , he raced #1 on the Yamaha. I would say it was a waste to win and retire but he had been at it a long time by then. Suzuki did want to pay and he did nt want to ride for less
ATKpilot99
Profile picture for user ATKpilot99
Posts
9806
Joined
4/13/2010
Location
Lake Geneva, WI US
ATKpilot99 11/22/2018 5:47am
11/22/2018 5:47am Edited Date/Time 11/22/2018 5:52am
philG wrote:
Pretty much random . The year after he won , he raced #1 on the Yamaha. I would say it was a waste to win and...
Pretty much random . The year after he won , he raced #1 on the Yamaha. I would say it was a waste to win and retire but he had been at it a long time by then. Suzuki did want to pay and he did nt want to ride for less
I figured that was because he was the previous years champion when he ran it on the Yamaha in 83 . I wasn't aware they did it randomly. By the mid 80s it seemed they were numbered by previous years standings at least for the top 10 ? Edit . Sctatch that . I think I remember Geboers running #9 in 88 and he was 250 champ in 87.
philG
Profile picture for user philG
Posts
9710
Joined
5/12/2012
Location
GB
philG 11/22/2018 7:02am
11/22/2018 7:02am
Yeah... i think they changed it early 80s .. the riders used to be grouped by nationality in the programs apart from the top 10.
Robgvx
Profile picture for user Robgvx
Posts
3687
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
GB
Robgvx 11/23/2018 12:53am
11/23/2018 12:53am
In the mid-80s only the top 8 were assigned numbers based on previous year’s finishing positions (and also were immune from qualifying). All others were random upon entry for each GP, usually in blocks by country. That’s why we had different numbers at each GP (and hence couldn’t easily have printed numbers on jerseys).

Incoming champs from others classes got #9 like Heinz, Jacky and Eric. I requested #10 when entering for each GP in 1987 and got it a number of times.

From 1989 they switched to season-long numbers based on previous year for everybody.
2

Post a reply to: Why did Lackey run the #1 plate at Carlsbad in 1980 ?