www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 831 Anytime a group of retired guys gather around a table, there are bound to be a few tall tales and perhaps a little competition. For example, of Turn 9 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, dubbed the Rainey Curve, Carmel Valley resident Wayne Rainey suggests a dubious honor. “I have to come out and clean it,” he says with a laugh. Kenny Roberts smiles and leans back. “I have a road named after me in Japan,” he tells the group. These are not ordinary retirees. King Kenny became the first American to win a 500cc motorcycle Grand Prix world championship in 1978, following up with titles in ’79 and ’80. Rainey also claimed crowns in consecutive years, 1990-1992. He was leading again in 1993 until a crash at the Grand Prix in Italy left him paralyzed from the waist down. Joining them at the table on Aug. 15 during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion were Steady Eddie Lawson, a four-time world champion, Fast Freddie Spencer, who took home two titles, 1993 winner Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jr., champion in 2000. The six represent the only Americans to win 500cc world championships in Grand Prix history. And they dominated the sport, with the five older riders capturing 13 titles in a 16-year span. It was a feat media and race officials elsewhere in the world did not welcome—and one that binds the group together. “I didn’t mind finishing fourth,” says Lawson of the 1983 season, when Americans—Spencer, Roberts and Randy Mamola—finished one-two-three in championship points. Even a decade later before the Australian Grand Prix, there was talk that the interlopers could not keep pace with the local riders. Schwantz smiles and flashes an Aussie “up yours” gesture. He won the race ahead of Rainey and fellow American Doug Chandler. Then the era came to an end. Two years after Roberts Jr.’s championship, MotoGP was launched as global motorcycle racing’s top series. Only one American, the late Nicky Hayden in 2006, captured that crown. “We used to be one-two-three,” Roberts observes. “We took it for granted. Now we’re not in the show.” “I didn’t realize I got to be a part of history,” Lawson adds. “I don’t see that happening again.” Organizers of the Reunion brought the only six American 500cc world champions together for a weekend. It had been more than 20 years since they last gathered. And all six rode laps on the bikes they made famous—a special moment, as they once again watched individual riding styles. “I haven’t felt that since I raced,” Rainey says. But they also had time to relive the past and share stories. Roberts recalls coming to the pits following a cooldown lap after winning a race. He reported smoke in the Corkscrew, but was told there was no fire, just a lot of cannabis. He remembers the exchange: “Isn’t that illegal?” “Not at the Corkscrew.” The iconic corner was a bugbear. Spencer tells of the time in 1984 when he wheelied his bike and skidded off track, breaking a collar bone. What made matters worse was that it was a national race, not part of the Grand Prix calendar. “Honda was really happy with me,” he says. “We all broke our collar bones,” Schwantz points out—although Rainey, from his wheelchair, is quick to jump in: “I didn’t.” They laugh easily, but these riders changed the sport. Americans at the time were accustomed to motocross and flat track, where motorcycles churned dirt. Road racing was unfamiliar. When Roberts broke through on the international scene, he campaigned for sanctioning bodies to take responsibility for safety standards. Still, he admits to skinning as much padding from his suit as possible. Pointing to his son across the table, the King says, “My suit was 10 pounds lighter than his.” There are 139 Grand Prix wins sitting relaxed around the table on this rare Saturday at Laguna Seca. But the intensity that led to a period when a few American riders shook up the world has not diminished. After he won the national championship, Rainey recalls seeking a Grand Prix ride, only to be told he wasn’t ready for the big stage. “I remembered that,” he says. Six Guns The Americans who shook up the motorcycle racing world gather at Laguna Seca. By Dave Faries “Isn’t that illegal? Not at the Corkscrew.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE CHERYL BRUNO American motorcycle racing champions gathered at Laguna Seca with the author. Clockwise from far left: Freddie Spencer, Kevin Schwantz (hidden next to Spencer), Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, the Weekly, Kenny Roberts Jr.
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