Throwback Thursday: All-American Podium in the 1983 Austrian GP
Larry Lawrence | August 10, 2017
Kenny Roberts (center) smiles after winning the Austrian Grand Prix at the Salzburgring in 1983 ahead of his Yamaha teammate Eddie Lawson (left) and Suzuki factory rider Randy Mamola. (Photo by Henny Ray Abrams)
With MotoGP visiting Austria this weekend, we thought it would be fun to look back at a previous Austrian Grand Prix.
This photo shows the podium finishers from the 1983 GP, held that season at the Salzburgring. Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson went first and second, giving Yamaha the top two spots, while Randy Mamola finished third on a Suzuki.
Freddie Spencer suffered one of his rare DNFs that day experiencing crankshaft problems with his Honda.
American riders swept the podium in the 500cc Grand Prix World Championship five times that season. At the end of the season the top four riders in the series were Americans, with Freddie Spencer taking the World Championship ahead of Kenny Roberts, Randy Mamola and Eddie Lawson in that order.
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