MotoGP: TT Assen History 1949-2010

Motorcycling History

Assen is the only venue that has hosted a MotoGP event every year since the motorcycle World Championship Grand Prix series started in 1949.

Below is a selection of highlights and milestones from the 61 Dutch TT events that have taken place since it became part of the world championship series:

1949 – Held on the original 16.5 km long circuit. History was made by Nello Pagani, who won both the 500cc and 125cc races to become the first rider to win two races at a Grand Prix event.

1955 – This year saw a major revision of the circuit, which was reduced in length to 7.7km. There was a riders’ protest during the 350cc race when more than a dozen riders pulled into the pits at the end of the first lap in protest at the lack of financial rewards for taking part in Grand Prix racing. As a result 13 riders were suspended from racing for six months.

1964 – Jim Redman became the first rider to win three Grand Prix races on the same day when he took the victories in the 125cc, 250cc and 350cc classes on his Honda.

1967 – Mike Hailwood (Honda) matched the feat of Redman by winning three GP races on the same day; this time in the 250cc, 350cc and 500cc classes.

1968 -Paul Lodewijkx, riding the Dutch built Jamathi, won the 50cc race to become the first Dutch rider to stand on the top step of the podium at his home Grand Prix.

1974 – American Kenny Roberts (Yamaha) made his Grand Prix debut in the 250cc race. He qualified on pole before finishing third in the race.

1975 – Barry Sheene (Suzuki) took his first victory in the 500cc class from Giacomo Agostini. The two riders were so close across the line that they were credited with the same time – the only occasion this has occurred in the premier-class.

1976 – Giacomo Agostini gave MV Agusta the last of their 76 victories in the 350cc class.

1977 – At his home Grand Prix, Wil Hartog riding a Suzuki became the first Dutch rider to win a 500cc Grand Prix.

1980 -Jack Middleburg, on his privateer Yamaha, took his first GP victory at his home Grand Prix. This was the last win in the class for a bike using an in-line 4-cylinder arrangement.

1985 – Randy Mamola won the wet 500cc race riding the three-cylinder NS500 Honda. This was the last time that a premier-class race has been won by a machine with less than four-cylinders.

1988 – Christian Sarron (Yamaha) started from pole in the 500cc race to complete a unique family double with his brother Dominique (Honda) starting from pole in the 250cc class.

1991 – Kevin Schwantz (Suzuki) set a new lap record, on his way to winning the 500cc race that was never bettered in the ten years up to 2001 when significant alterations were made to the circuit.

1992 – Championship leader Mick Doohan crashed in qualifying and missed the race due to injuries. Alex Criville (Honda) became the first Spanish rider to win a 500cc Grand Prix.

1998 – Valentino Rossi (Aprilia) won for the first time in the 250cc class and Marco Melandri (Aprilia) won the 125cc race to become the first 15 year old rider to win a Grand Prix race.

2001 – Jeremy McWilliams (Aprilia) became the first British rider to win a 250cc GP since 1983.

2002 – Dani Pedrosa (Honda) took his first Grand Prix victory in the 125cc class to become the youngest Spanish rider to win a GP at that time.

2006 – Nicky Hayden’s victory in the MotoGP race was the 200th victory in the premier-class for Honda.

2007 – Valentino Rossi gives Yamaha their 150th Grand Prix victory in the premier-class.

Dutch TT: Racing Numbers

241 – There have been a total of 241 motorcycle Grand Prix races held at the Assen circuit.

80 – This is the 80th time that a Dutch TT event has been held. The first running of the Dutch TT was in 1925 and it has taken place every year since with the exception of the years 1940 to 1945 because of the Second World War.

56 Years Ago – On the first day of practice at Assen, it will be 56 years ago to the day that the 1954 Ulster Grand Prix took place. The 500cc event, won by Ray Amm on a Norton, was reduced to 112 miles due to adverse weather conditions and consequently did not count towards the world championship as it was below the minimum length of 125 miles for a GP event at that time.

23 – Claudio Corti will celebrate his 23rd birthday on the day of qualifying at the Dutch TT.

4 – Yamaha is the most successful manufacturer at the Dutch TT since the start of the four-stroke MotoGP formula with four victories. Honda have had three MotoGP wins at the Dutch TT, the last one being in 2006. Ducati’s single MotoGP win at Assen was two years ago.

Assen TT: Winners From 1975-2009