In the four previous editions of “Rainey’s Ride To The Races,” MotoAmerica fans have had the opportunity to spend an unforgettable day riding motorcycles with racing legends on the Monterey Peninsula and hanging out with those same racers at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. This year the tradition continues, but with one special addition: Wayne Rainey will take to the track on which he dominated Grand Prix racing in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the three-time 500cc World Champion set to do a few laps over the course of the weekend on a custom-built Yamaha XSR900 GP.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is excited to announce that the fifth annual “Rainey’s Ride To The Races” will take place in conjunction with the fifth round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
“Rainey’s Ride To The Races” will be held on Friday, July 11, the opening day of the fifth round of the MotoAmerica Championship, and it will again benefit the Roadracing World Action Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes motorcycle racing safety with the facilitation of soft barrier systems at racing events.
This year’s ride includes the following legends:
- Three-time World Champion Kenny Roberts
- Four-time World Champion Eddie Lawson
- Three-time AMA Grand National Champion and 1988 AMA Superbike Champion Bubba Shobert
- Three-time World Champion Freddie Spencer
- 2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr.
- Seven-time Supercross and Motocross National Champion Rick Johnson
- Three-time AMA Superbike Champion Doug Chandler
In addition to the legends listed above, this year’s festivities include three special guests: world-renowned crew chiefs Bud Aksland, Kel Carruthers, and Erv Kanemoto.
Bud Aksland was an engine builder and a tuner, and he was the first to recognize the potential of a young racer named Kenny Roberts. Aksland would soon become Roberts’ first sponsor and would remain associated with Roberts throughout his post-racing career, helping with the development of race bikes, including Roberts’ Proton V5. Aksland was also the head engine developer for Rainey’s World Championships and served as John Kocinski’s crew chief when Kocinski won three consecutive AMA 250cc titles in 1987, 1988, and 1989.
A two-time Isle of Man TT winner and 1969 250cc World Champion, Kel Carruthers dominated AMA road racing in the early 1970s before moving to a team manager/crew chief role after retiring as a racer. After several successful seasons with Kenny Roberts in AMA road racing, the duo went to Europe in 1978, where Carruthers guided Roberts to three successive 500cc World Championships. Carruthers was also Eddie Lawson’s crew chief for three of his four 500cc World titles with Yamaha.
Erv Kanemoto was the man behind Freddie Spencer’s three World Championships, including the pairing’s historic 1985 season when Spencer rode Kanemoto-tuned Hondas to two World Championships in one season with titles in both the 500cc and 250cc classes. Kanemoto joined forces with Eddie Lawson in 1989 and earned the last of his four World Championships.
“Each year, ‘Rainey’s Ride To The Races’ brings together some of the biggest legends in our sport, and it’s always a great experience for us and our fans,” Rainey said. “This year is even more special because we’ve added guests
Bud Aksland, Kel Carruthers, and Erv Kanemoto to the list of legends. Also, I will be getting back on the track at Laguna Seca and riding a few laps at the place where I had some of my greatest races. I’ve got a lot of memories there, and I’m looking forward to making a few more.”
The 100-mile ride will begin at Baja Cantina in Carmel Valley, California, and will tour the best parts of the Monterey Peninsula, including in and around the Santa Lucia Mountains, the Salinas Valley foothills, local wineries, and the stunning Steinbeck country. The ride will conclude at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with two laps around the racetrack, lunch, and a Q&A session with the legends at the Turn 3 Paddock Suite.
The ride will be limited to 50 participants who purchase the special $700 Premium “Rainey’s Ride To The Races” Ticket, which includes the Q&A session and lunch with the legends in the climate-controlled Turn 3 Paddock Suite on Friday. While a three-day general admission ticket is included in the donation, for an additional $700, “Rainey’s Ride To The Races” ticket purchasers can upgrade to the MotoAmerica Superfan VIP Experience in the Turn 3 Paddock Suite for the entire weekend.
As always, the ride will be chaperoned by our friends at the California Highway Patrol.
For more information and to purchase tickets to “Rainey’s Ride To The Races,” click HERE
