This year sees the 60th season Anniversary of MotoGP. Dorna, the company behind MotoGP, held a press conference yesterday (20th June) at Donington Park media centre to mark this special Anniversary and the very first ceremony handing out the 'MotoGP Champions Towers' to all past winners of the world championship.
Present at the UK conference was Dave Hailwood, the son of the legendary Mike Hailwood who won the championship consecutively from 1962 - 1965, Phil Read who was world champion in 1973 and 1974, Stuart Graham who's father was TT winner Les Graham and the first man to win a MotoGP race 60 years ago in 1949. Of course it wasn't called MotoGP back in 1949, it was known as the 500cc World Championship.
Each of the three guests invited were presented with a spectacular 'MotoGP Champions Towers' trophy by the CEO of Dorna Sports Carmello Ezpeleta and the FIM Road-racing Commission President Claude Danis.
For the obvious reasons Dave Hailwood and Stuart Graham picked up the trophies on behalf of their deceased fathers. During the remainder of the year, all past winners of MotoGP and the 500cc World Championship will be handed one of these prestigious 'MotoGP Champions Towers'. Other past British winners who could not attend the event were Geoff Duke who won in 1951,1953,1954 and 1955, John Surtees the champion i9n 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1960. Barry Sheene's family will be presented with his trophy who now reside in Australia.
The head man from Dorna, Carmello Ezpeleta stated, "For us, much of the success of MotoGP is down to it's tradition and history, and in the 60th season of the championship we wanted to honour the former champions who have shaped the sport we know today. We chose Britain as the first place to do this as it is the spiritual home of the Sport, where the first 500cc race took place on the Isle of Man Mountain course on June 17th in 1949."
On receiving his trophy Phil Read said, "It's a real honour for me to receive this trophy. It's great that the heroes of the past can be recognised in this modern age, and to see all the names together on the trophy is a reminder of the great history of this sport."
An LB piece.
