Watching the racing in his native Imola, Gresini was drawn to the sport, especially the famous F750 races held there, featuring his hero, Marco Lucchinelli.
Fausto: “Day by day it improved – the passion. My first motorcycle, in 1979, was a Minarelli, a 50cc race bike. For my first race, at Misano, I was aged 17 and retired with a broken engine. Then in my second race, I crashed... it got better.
“I spent only one year on the 50cc and then moved to the Aspes 125cc trophy for 1980. The 125cc Italian championship was in 1981, and I modified the Aspes with a different frame and for 1982 I used a Mallanca and won four or five races, but not the championship. It was crash or win, I was very aggressive”.
People often underestimate the challenge of racing a 125 Grand Prix machine. Kel Carruthers: “People don't realize just how much effort you had to put into riding a 125. You make a little mistake on a 125 and you’ve lost ground. On a bigger bike, you make a little mistake and get back on it again and not lose all that much.
“The best lap I ever did at the Isle of Man was a little CR93 Honda going around at like 89mph, and it was a perfect lap almost. You have to be tucked in all the way.” And there was an exception to that rule as well.
Kel: “I’ve been down Bray Hill at 160mph, and on the 125 I’d be sitting up watching the rev counter because you didn’t dare go over 14,000 rpm and the five-speed was geared for Sulby Straight, not for going down the big hills. So, I’d look like some dummy coming down Bray Hill sitting upon a 125…”
As they say, it is easier to smooth out a fast guy, than to speed up a slow guy, and Fausto was moving up into the European championship and 125 world championships.
Bu hikaye Classic Racer dergisinin September/October 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Classic Racer dergisinin September/October 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Whatever Happened To? Michael O'rourke
Michael was born on April 11, 1931, in Plumstead London and the family later moved to Camberwell.
Webster Stars At Stafford
Steve Webster, the most successful sidecar racer of all time, will be guest of honor at the Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show this October.
The Early Years Of Fausto Gresini
Before Gresini Racing became a world championship-winning team, Fausto Gresini was a fixture in the 125cc world championships as a rider. He won two 125cc world championships, finished runnerup three times, and third once, with 25 Grands Prix wins.
The Bob Mac
The SCRMC recently served up a full card of classic racing at the East Fortune circuit, for the traditional Bob Mac meeting. Against the backdrop of the former First and Second World War airfield, there was some real-life flying action around Scotland’s fastest road race venue, which has been in existence since the very early Seventies.
Record Breaking Weekend Of Classic Action
British Historic Racing’s third racing weekend of the year was held at the lovely one-mile-long Kent circuit of Lydden, just a few miles outside of Dover.
Specialist Spotlight Louigi Moto
We're shining a light on some of the biggest and best players In the Classic Racing world and this time we've been speaking to Louigi Moto's Richard Llewellin.
John Williams A Private Matter
Despite the interest fromYamaha and Honda, it was Suzuki who John lined up with in 1976 and it saw John and wife Margaret give up the life of the privateer, replacing it with the more luxurious comforts of a factory-backed rider. He also had an eye on his future though and included a gents’ boutique amongst his business interests.
Goodbye Gene
Gene Romero excelled in every aspect of motorcycle racing across a long and successful career. And he was known as ‘Burrito’.
Farewell Itoh-San
It is with great sadness that I write this tribute to a long-time Japanese Suzuki Team icon who was one of Suzuki’s flagship riders and my friend of 59 years.
Boxing Clever
Last September, after more than 10 years of trying, BMW finally scored a victory at the UK's annual Goodwood Revival. The top step of the podium came courtesy of double World Superbike champion Troy Corser and his Austrian teammate Herbert Schwab on a supercharged 1929 R57 Kompressor. Now the German manufacturer's BMW Group Classic historic vehicle division will be trying to make it two in a row in 2019, when the race reverts to its later format for bikes built before 1967 And they will be trying to do it on this — the RS500 OL Special.