Doug Polen
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Doug Polen (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional motorcycle road racer.[1] Polen was a dominant national and world champion road racer in the late 1980s and early 1990s, culminating with his Superbike world championships in
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.[2][3] He raced successfully in AMA Superbike, Japanese Superbike Championship, Superbike World Championship and endurance racing. Polen was inducted to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2011.[1][4]
Motorcycle racing career
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Polen's family moved to Denton, Texas, where he began his motorcycle road racing career in 1977 as a privateer racer.[1] Injuries sustained in a crash in mid-1982 made Polen decide to quit racing but, friends convinced him to begin racing again in late 1985.[1] In 1986, he competed in the newly created Suzuki GSXR National Cup Series. He was so successful at winning races that in only two years, he earned $260,000 in contingency fees while competing in the Suzuki sponsored series.[5] He earned more money than any privateer rider in the history of American motorcycle racing.[5] His success earned him a contract to race for the Yoshimura Suzuki racing team in 1988.[1][6] With the Yoshimura team, he became the first competitor to win both the AMA 750cc Superbike and the 600cc Supersport titles.[1] In 1989 Polen had the opportunity to race for the Yoshimura team in Japan, winning the Formula 1 and Formula 3 in the All Japan Road Race Championship, the first time anyone had captured both titles the same season.[1] While in Japan, Polen received a one-time offer to race in the Japanese round of the
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Superbike World Championship and, made an impressive debut by winning the first race and finishing the second race in fourth place.[2] Polen joined Eraldo Ferracci's "Fast By Ferracci" Ducati racing team to compete in the 1991 Superbike World Championship.[1] He won the championship in a dominating fashion, winning 17 of 24 races in the series and finishing 150 points ahead of his nearest rival, the defending world champion Raymond Roche.[1][2] He also set a World Superbike Championship record by winning 6 consecutive pole positions, a record which stood for 18 years until it was broken by Ben Spies in
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.[3][7] Polen successfully defended his title by winning the 1992 Superbike World Championship.[1][2] He also finished third overall in the 1992 AMA Superbike national championship.[1]
In 1993, Polen left the world championship to compete exclusively in the United States and won the AMA Superbike national championship.[1] In
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he joined the UK-based Castrol Honda team to race the then-new RC45 in the Superbike World Championship, insisting that the team use Dunlop tyres due to his close ties with the company.[8] He left the team abruptly in early
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but not before teaming up with Aaron Slight to win the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race for Honda.[9][10] He teamed up with Peter Goddard to win the 1997 FIM Endurance World Championship before switching to a Honda to win the 1998 Endurance World Championship with Christian Lavieille.[1]
Polen's total of 18 AMA pole positions was a record until Mat Mladin matched it in 2006. His 13 fastest laps in World Superbike competition in
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is a single-season championship record.[11] After retiring from racing, Polen formed a road racing school to help motorcyclists improve their skills. In 2011 Polen was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.[1]
Career statistics
Superbike World Championship
Races by year
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year[12] | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 500cc | Suzuki | JPN Ret |
AUS | USA | SPA | NAT | GER | AUT | YUG | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | SWE | CZE | BRA | NC | 0 |
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 "Doug Polen at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Rider Profile - Doug Polen". wsb-archives.co.uk. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 DeWitt, Norman L. (2010). Grand Prix Motorcycle Racers: The American Heroes. ISBN 9781610600453. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ↑ "Ducati celebrates the AMA Hall of Fame Induction of two legends: Phil Schilling and Doug Polen". motorcycledaily.com. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Doug Polen: King of Club Racers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ↑ "Aztrackday Superbike School To Offer Instruction By Polen". Road Racing World. December 11, 2006. Retrieved August 25, 2007.
- ↑ "Spies Breaks Record, Earns Seventh Consecutive World Superbike Pole Position, At Miller". roadracingworld.com. May 30, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ↑ Dean Adams. "Eraldo's Boy Speaks Out: Interview with Larry Ferracci from 1995". Superbike Planet. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2007.
- ↑ "Doug Polen". motorcycle.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2006.
- ↑ "1994 Suzuka 8 Hours results". motoracing-japan.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ↑ "2006 Superbike World Championship - Round 12 - Magny Cours". mcnews.com.au (Motorcycle News Australia). October 8, 2006. Archived from the original on October 7, 2006. Retrieved August 25, 2007.
- ↑ "1989 Japanese Grand Prix results". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
