Wayne Rainey’s mistake on the final lap enabled Schwantz’s win
In this week’s Throwback we go back 31 years to 1991 and the Dutch TT in Assen, Netherlands. That year’s Grand Prix was a thrilling showdown between Americans Kevin Schwantz and Wayne Rainey. The race was red flagged early on due to rain so the race would be decided on aggregate time. Rainey was leading late in the second leg of the race but going into the final lap he didn’t appear to have enough of a gap on Schwantz. So Rainey dug in and turned in what appeared to be one of the best laps of his racing career. He widened the gap enough to win the race, but in the final chicane before the front straight Rainey entered the turn too hot and had to run through the grass. That allowed Schwantz to move up and make the last-second pass to earn him the victory. Australian Wayne Gardner took third. Rainey would say years later that of all the races he ran, this is the one he has the biggest regret not winning. Ultimately the sting of the Assen loss was lessened later that season when Rainey wrapped up the 1991 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship. In this shot the riders are spraying champagne on the podium with a happy Schwantz smiling at Rainey and Gardner ducking the spray.
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