30-Years ago the Last Push-Start Grand-Prix
30-years ago on 24 August 1986 the Misano, San Marino Grand Prix made history worth to remember. It was the last premier-class Grand-Prix to feature a push start.That was remarkable when you consider that some sidecar Grand-Prixs in the mid-1950s had clutch starts and an over-due safety improvement. Wayne Gardner had been hit on the grid at Monza in May 1986 when his Honda NSR500 was slow to fire and a rider flying through from the last row of the grid clipped his left leg. He sustained a knee injury that left him unable to run for a month, but fortunately nothing more serious.
The San Marinno Grand-Prix was a giddying 35 laps around the 3488 kilometers of the old anti-clockwise Misano layout. Wayne Gardner overtook fast-starter Didier de Radigues from Chevallier-Honda to lead until lap 20, but handling issues with the feisty ‘86 honda NSR500 meant he had no answer when fastest qualifier Eddie Lawson powered through after a moderate start to record his seventh victory of the season by 9.87 seconds.
Randy Mamola and Mike Baldwin were third and fourth on the Team Roberts Yamahas, so the race result exactly matched the final championship standings. Exciting rookie Kevin Schwantz finished tenth on a Suzuki.Tag: Grand-Prix Racing Push-Start MotoGP Wayne Gardner Eddie Lawson Honda NSR500 30-Years Anniversary Didier de Radigues Randy Mamola Mike Baldwin Kevin Schwantz History Yamaha Honda Suzuki
