Juan López Mella

Juan Manuel López Mella (Lugo, 12 April 1965 - Albacete, 10 May 1995) was a Spanish professional Grand Prix and Superbike motorcycle racer. Entering international competitions for the first time in 1987, he was named Spanish Superbike champion in 1991 and 1992, becoming the highest placed private rider overall in 1993. In 1995, he started riding in the Thunderbike tournament but was killed in a road accident on 10 May. His city of birth has named a park that teaches road safety in his honour.

Juan López Mella
Juan López Mella, riding his Repsol ROC-Yamaha at the 1994 Italian Grand Prix
NationalitySpanish
Born(1965-04-12)April 12, 1965
Lugo, Spain
DiedMay 10, 1995(1995-05-10) (aged 30)
Albacete, Spain
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1989, 1992 - 1994
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
40 0 0 0 0 76
Superbike World Championship
Active years1990 - 1992
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
33 0 1 0 0 94

Motorcycling career

Born on 12 April 1965 in Lugo in Galacia, Spain, Juan López Mella started his racing career with motocross but by the age of eighteen had moved to asphalt.[1] After debuting nationally in the Criterium Solo Moto in 1985, he progressed to racing in the World Championships in the 250cc class in 1987. After a season riding a Yamaha, during which he scored no points, he moved to a Honda in 1988; once again he finished outside the championship rankings.[2] In 1989, he raced in the World Motorcycle Championship, coming fortieth at the end of the season.[3]

Between 1990 and 1992, he competed in the Superbike World Championship, finishing with thirty three starts and ninety nine points over the three seasons.[4] During the 1991 season, he achieved his sole podium placing when he came third in the Spanish round at Jarama with a time of 40:05.859.[5] He subsequently competed twice in 1992, coming thirteenth both times.[6] He was named Spanish Superbike champion in both 1991 and 1992.[7]

In 1992, he entered in the Grand Prix 500 cc class with a Yamaha YZR500, riding for his own Lopez Mella Racing Team during the 1993 and 1994 seasons.[4] In 1993, he came twelfth overall, the highest placed amongst the private sponsored riders.[8] During 1994, he replaced Kevin Schwantz in the Suzuki team for the European Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.[9] He came thirteenth riding a Suzuki RGV500.[10]

Death and legacy

In 1995, López Mella started the season racing in the Thunderbike Trophy, completing the first race at Jerez de la Frontera in fourth place. However, on the evening of 10 May, while riding with Cristina Blanco Trinidad near Albacete, his motorbike left the road and crashed. An ambulance was called to take him to the hospital in the town but he died before arriving.[11] In his honour, Lugo named a park that is set up to teach road safety in his name.[12]

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Pts Ref
1989 250cc Honda RS250R JPN
 AUS
 USA
 ESP
14		 NAT
Ret		 GER
19		 AUT
Ret		 YUG
 NED
Ret		 BEL
 FRA
18		 GBR
Ret		 SWE
15		 CZE
16		 BRA
15		 40th 4 [13]
1992 500cc Yamaha YZR500 JPN
AUS
MAL
SPA
19		 ITA
18		 EUR
15		 GER
12		 NED
DNS		 HUN
FRA
GBR
BRA
13		 RSA
DNS		 - 0 [14]
1993 500cc Yamaha YZR500 AUS
Ret		 MAL
13		 JPN
Ret		 SPA
8		 AUT
13		 GER
14		 NED
Ret		 EUR
7		 RSM
Ret		 GBR
7		 CZE
14		 ITA
12		 USA
10		 FIM
Ret		 12th 46 [15]
1994 500cc Yamaha YZR500
(exc 14 Suzuki RGV500)		 AUS
13		 MAL
Ret		 JPN
15		 SPA
13		 AUT
Ret		 GER
12		 NED
Ret		 ITA
10		 FRA
10		 GBR
 CZE
Ret		 USA
DNS		 ARG
DNS		 EUR
13		 16th 26 [16]

Superbike World Championship

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos. Pts Ref
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1990 Honda VFR750R SPA
12		 SPA
Ret		 GBR
19		 GBR
Ret		 HUN
12		 HUN
Ret		 GER
11		 GER
Ret		 CAN
Ret		 CAN
16		 USA USA AUT AUT JPN JPN FRA FRA ITA
Ret		 ITA
23		 MAL MAL AUS AUS NZL NZL 39th 13 [17]
1991 Honda VFR750R GBR
11		 GBR
11		 SPA
3		 SPA
4		 CAN CAN USA
14		 USA AUT
Ret		 AUT
Ret		 SMR
Ret		 SMR
11		 SWE
Ret		 SWE
Ret		 JPN
17		 JPN
18		 MAL
14		 MAL
10		 GER GER FRA
16		 FRA
18		 ITA
13		 ITA
15		 AUS AUS 16th 57 [18]
1992 Honda VFR750R SPA
14		 SPA
10		 GBR
16		 GBR GER GER BEL BEL SPA SPA AUT AUT ITA ITA MAL MAL JPN JPN NED NED ITA ITA AUS AUS NZL NZL 44th 24 [19]
gollark: Pretty much, yes.
gollark: Yes.
gollark: There's no *inherent* goodness/badness of acts. You can't just crash trolleys together in a particle collider and observe moralons coming out of it or something to determine what's good and bad.
gollark: Well, yes, current moral standards are "better" in a bunch of dimensions we like, but those are only "better" in the first place because current moral standards say so.
gollark: Yes.

References
  1. González, J.L. (17 February 2013). "Juan LOPEZ MELLA". Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  2. Alcoba, Luis Carlos (May 1991). "Carallo: En Linea ... con Juan Manuel López Mella". Motociclismo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  3. "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Magazine Database. 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  4. "Juan López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  5. "1991 Superbike World Championship Jarama". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  6. Antoine, Glon (1993). "Championnat d'Europe de Vitesse Motorcycle 1992 - Superbikes 750cc". Racing Memory (in French). Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  7. Moakes, Dan (11 April 2007). "World and Domestic Superbike Champions". F1 Network. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  8. El Mundo Deportivo (25 March 1994). "López Mella, el mejor privado". El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish): 42. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  9. El Mundo Deportivo (29 September 1994). "López Mella, con la Suzuki de Schwantz". El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish): 38. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  10. "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  11. "Muere en accidente de tráfico Juan López Mella" (in Spanish). 5 November 1995. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2020. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. La Vox (23 May 2009). "Lugo da a tres canchas de deporte el nombre de las jugadoras que murieron en el accidente del microbús". La Vox de Galacia (in Galician).
  13. "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  14. "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  15. "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  16. "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  17. "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  18. "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  19. "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
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