1983 South African motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1983 South African motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the FIM 1983 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 18–19 March 1983 at the Kyalami circuit which, has an elevation of 6,000 feet above sea level.[2] It was the first Grand Prix motorcycle race held on the African continent.[2] Because of the cost of flying Grand Prix teams and their equipment to South Africa, organizers were allowed to run just two classes rather than the three normally required by the FIM.[2]

  1983 South African Grand Prix
Race details
Race 1 of 12 races in the
1983 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date19 March 1983
Official nameNashua Motorcycle Grand Prix[1]
LocationKyalami
Course
  • Permanent racing facility
  • 4.014 km (2.494 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider Freddie Spencer
Time 1:26.600
Fastest lap
Rider Freddie Spencer
Time 1:26.430
Podium
First Freddie Spencer
Second Kenny Roberts
Third Ron Haslam
250 cc
Pole position
Rider Jean-François Baldé
Time 1:31.700
Fastest lap
Rider Jean-François Baldé
Time 1:31.450
Podium
First Jean-François Baldé
Second Didier de Radiguès
Third Hervé Guilleux
125 cc
Pole position
Rider No 125cc was held
Fastest lap
Rider No 125cc was held
Podium
First No 125cc was held
Second No 125cc was held
Third No 125cc was held
50 cc
Pole position
Rider No 50cc was held
Fastest lap
Rider No 50cc was held
Podium
First No 50cc was held
Second No 50cc was held
Third No 50cc was held

Summary

Qualifying

Qualifying was led by Honda's Freddie Spencer with Eddie Lawson, Takazumi Katayama, Kenny Roberts, Ron Haslam, Marco Lucchinelli and Franco Uncini filling out the front row of the starting grid.[2]

Race

The race started with the four factory-backed Hondas leading the field with Spencer out in front.[2] Suzuki's Randy Mamola was in fifth with Roberts closing in on the leaders.[2] Despite an overheating motorcycle, Roberts managed to secure second place on the ninth lap when he passed Haslam but, by then Spencer had built a 10 second lead.[2] Roberts was able to close the gap to 5 seconds but, his overheating engine prevented him from gaining any further time and he had to settle for second place behind race winner Spencer.[2] Haslam battled Yamaha's Marc Fontan to secure third place.[2] Katayama had made a poor tire choice and when he tried to increase his pace late in the race, he crashed while trying to pass Jon Ekerold's Cagiva.[2] Katayama's crash promoted Mamola to fifth place.[2]

Jean-François Baldé led teammate Didier de Radiguès across the finish line to post an impressive one-two finish in the 250cc race for Alain Chevallier's privateer Yamaha team.

Classification

500 cc
Pos. Rider Team Machine Time/Retired Points
1 Freddie Spencer HRC-Honda NS500 43'58.500 15
2 Kenny Roberts Marlboro Agostini-Yamaha YZR500 +7.200 12
3 Ron Haslam HRC-Honda NS500 +13.300 10
4 Marc Fontan Sonauto Gauloises-Yamaha YZR500 +13.500 8
5 Randy Mamola HB Sinclair-Suzuki RG500 +28.400 6
6 Franco Uncini HB Gallina-Suzuki RG500 +37.700 5
7 Raymond Roche Moto Club Paul Ricard NS500 +41.500 4
8 Eddie Lawson Marlboro Agostini Yamaha YZR500 +42.400 3
9 Marco Lucchinelli HRC-Honda NS500 +45.400 2
10 Barry Sheene Heron-Suzuki RG500 +1'08.300 1
11 Loris Reggiani HB Gallina-Suzuki RG500 +1'09.700
12 Sergio Pellandini Carimati-Pezzani Racing RG500 +1'13.800
13 Maurizio Massimiani HIRT Italia RS500 +1 lap
14 Fabio Biliotti Moto Club Condor RG500 +1 lap
15 Virginio Ferrari Cagiva GP500 +1 lap
16 Marco Greco RG500 +1 lap
17 Jon Ekerold Cagiva GP500 +1 lap
18 Corrado Tuzii Beton Bloc Racing RS500 +1 lap
19 Gary Lingham Myers Motorcycles RG500 +1 lap
20 Steve Parrish Mitsui Yamaha YZR500 +1 lap
21 Alfons Amerschläger Skoal Bandit Heron Suzuki RG500 +2 laps
22 Wolfgang Schwarz ES Motorradzubeh Racing Team RG500 +2 laps
Ret Takazumi Katayama HRC-Honda NS500 Accident
Ret Gustav Reiner RG500 Accident
Ret Boet van Dulmen Shell Nederland-Suzuki RG500 Mechanical
Ret Chris Guy RG500 Mechanical
Ret Leandro Becheroni RG500 Accident
Ret Michel Frutschi RS500 Accident
Ret Guido Paci RS500 Accident
DNQ Wolfgang von Muralt RG500 Did not qualify
DNQ Jean-François Baldé RS500 Did not qualify
DNQ Frank Kaserer RG500 Did not qualify
DNQ Børge Nielsen RG500 Did not qualify
DNQ Philippe Coulon Marlboro-Suzuki RG500 Did not qualify
DNQ Andreas Hofmann RG500 Did not qualify
DNQ Walter Migliorati Moto Club Carate RG500 Did not qualify
DNQ Lorenzo Ghiselli RG500 Did not qualify
DNQ Bent Slydal RG500 Did not qualify
Sources: [3][4]
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gollark: That sounds mean and thus impossible.
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References
  1. "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1983". Archive.today. 25 July 2015. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015.
  2. Clifford, Peter (1983), Motocourse 1983-1984, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 0-905138-26-0
  3. "1983 South African MotoGP". Motorsportmagazine.com. 9 October 2017.
  4. "1983 South African GP Results". MotoGP official website. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
Previous race:
1982 German Grand Prix		 FIM Grand Prix World Championship
1983 season		 Next race:
1983 French Grand Prix
Previous race:
None		 South African Grand Prix Next race:
1984 South African Grand Prix
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