Ducati’s First World Superbike Race Down Under
After a stunning debut in the newly created World Superbike Championship with Marco Lucchinelli, Ducati hired Frenchman Raymond Roche for its second assault on the title in 1989. Unlike the first year, Ducati contested all the rounds and Roche arrived at Sydney’s Oran Park on the blood red Ducati 888 ready to do battle with an impressive bunch of Aussie locals. Phil Aynsley was there and captured the mood.
Ironically in deciding not to contest the final two rounds of the 1988 season, Ducati gave up a chance to win the first ever World Superbike Championship. Ducati wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Former 500cc GP racer Roche had already posted the most victories so far but reliability issues dogged the 888 which kept his points tally suppressed. Reigning champion Flying Fred Merkel was in the points lead just ahead of Stephane Mertens, both men Honda RC30 mounted.
The internationals arrived at concrete wall lined Oran Park (the circuit was closed last year) to do battle with a bunch of fast locals on factory bikes. In ’88, Michael Doohan had won both races on his Marlboro Yamaha but with the future multi 500cc champion off to GPs it was his erstwhile team mate Michael Dowson and new hire Peter Goddard whom Yamaha relied upon. Yamaha Japan flew in a brace of factory OW01′s. Also factory mounted were Robbie Phillis and Kiwi Aaron Slight on the trick Kawasaki ZXR750s. A young promising up and coming 250cc rider was given a kitted RC30. His name was Darryl Beattie.
The race was pretty much a repeat of the year before. This time both Yamaha locals got a win with Goddard taking the first race ahead of Phillis and Pirovano. Roche boomed home in 4th. In the second race Dowson took the checkered flag first with Roche second and Phillis 3rd.
The title contenders finished down the order but with just the final New Zealand round to go it was Mertens with a slender two point lead. The title was more or less decided in that penultimate race in New Zealand. Mertens crashed out after a freak accident involving a shattered brake disc which made Merkel chanmpion for the second time running.
Raymond Roche finished 3rd. Of course, the very next year, he would win the title for Ducati. In doing so he started an incredible run of Ducati World Championships for riders such as Doug Polen, Carl Fogarty, Troy Corser, Troy Bayliss, Neil Hodgson and James Toseland. This year, Carlos Checa added himself to the Ducati World Superbike Champions’ list.
All the photographs were taken by Phil Aynsley. Check out more photos of Raymond Roche at Oran Park in 1989 on his site.
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What a great write-up, Mark! My knowledge of the early years of Ducati’s WSBK efforts is quite poor and this gives me just the insight I need. Thanks a lot!