Throwback Thursday: Jimmy Filice Celebrates 250cc Grand Prix Victory
Larry Lawrence | November 3, 2016
Cycle News Photo Collection
Jimmy Filice joined a very exclusive club on April 10, 1988 when he scored victory in his Grand Prix debut. Filice took victory over Sito Pons (right) and Dominique Sarron (left) in the 250cc Grand Prix race at Laguna Seca Raceway.
Jimbo said the factory Honda NSR250 was the best bike he’d ever ridden during his career. He was conservative in qualifying, but still nearly matched the pole time set by future 250GP world champ John Kocinski.
“I knew right then I had a really good chance to win the race,” Filice recalled.
He not only won, but also turned in the race of a lifetime and took the checkered flag by a 12-second margin. The victory marked the pinnacle of Filice’s racing career and put him in a very select group of only four American riders (including himself, John Kocinski, Freddie Spencer and Kenny Roberts) to have won a World Championship 250 Grand Prix race in the history of the series.
You can read about Jimmy’s victory and the rest of his illustrious racing career on the pages of the Cycle News Archives by subscribing today at https://www.cyclenews.com/cycle-news-archives/
