AN AGE OF SUPERHEROESGP racing's golden age with Schwantz, Rainey, Doohan, Lawson & Gardner
Mat OxleyForeword by Valentino RossiPublished by Haynes
Out now! RRP: £30.00, Hardcover, ISBN: 978 1 84425 583 2
Everyone has their heroes - even reigning MotoGP king Valentino Rossi.
The Italian motorcycling genius grew up inspired by the talent and bravery of a unique band of bike racing brothers who are the stars of An Age of Superheroes, a stunning new book from Haynes.
This gang of five rock-hard racers - Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey, Mick Doohan, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Gardner - ruled the Golden Age of Grand Prix motorcycling during the late 1980s and early 1990s, dazzling fans with their never-say-die riding aboard vicious 190mph two-strokes GP bikes. Rossi grew up watching the races from his father's sofa, spellbound by the Superheroes' antics. Even then, he knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up...
'I think they were the real riders,' says Rossi in his foreword for An Age of Superheroes. 'The 500 Grands Prix in that period were unforgettable because the bikes were unbelievable - very difficult to ride - so it was always a big fight with the bikes. They had bad tyres and bad brakes, but a lot of power, so there were many big crashes and bad injuries. I think in this time it was more like war than racing. The battle between Schwantz, Rainey, Doohan, Gardner and Lawson was incredible. These guys were very brave, always many injuries.'
Schwantz, Rainey and the rest all graduated to Grand Prix racing from the same school of hard knocks - dirt bike racing in the United States and Australia, arguably the most hardcore bike sport this side of the GPs. This rough, tough world of full-throttle and wheelspin gave these men the right stuff to race 500 GP bikes around racetracks that are now considered far too dangerous for World Championship racing.
An Age of Superheroes is a glorious 240 page large-format, full-colour celebration of those brave racing days of old, when men were men and the devil took the hindmost.
Schwantz, Rainey, Doohan, Gardner and Lawson all contributed their personal memories to the book - including hilarious racing tales and amazing behind-the- scenes revelations - making this a unique tribute to the Golden Age of motorcycle racing.
An Age of Superheroes is packed with stunning photography contributed from the most talented photographers of the period. Many of the photos have never seen before.
Author Mat Oxley is a former racer and Isle of Man TT winner who started covering Grand Prix racing when the Superheroes were hard at it. He is therefore perfectly placed to compile this thrilling account of an unforgettable era.
