The Life and Times of “Fast” Freddie Spencer, World Motorcycle Grand Prix Champion

                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                Ride the Wind Young Man

                                   

                                                              Born to Race  

 

The story of Fast Freddie Spencer’s ascension from small town America to stand alone on top of the podium as three-time World Grand Prix Champion.  

     We humans are a predictable lot!  If we design something to blow things up we want to see just how big a bang our new toy will make.  Invent a vessel designed to dive deep into the ocean depths and we just have to see how deep it will go.  Design, engineer and build the first two-wheeled motorised transport to move a human from point A to point B and what do we need to know next? You guessed it, just how fast will this two-wheeled contraption go anyway? 

     Probably not the thought Gottlieb Daimler, the inventor of the first motorised two-wheeled human transport ‘Einspur’ (one-track(1885)), had in mind after the historic first journey of his two-wheeled inspiration.  But as the next century of relentless pursuit for motorised two-wheeled perfection progressed, the need-for-speed increased.  Eventually resulting in the formation of fledgling organizations dedicated to seeing how high their motorcycle can climb up cemetery hill?  Who quits first in a long distance competition the man or machine?   And who’s the best sportbike racer of all time in their unrelenting desire for sportbike riding perfection?   Today’s current seven time World Grand Prix Champion Valentino Rossi might make a claim on the title of greatest?  Maybe past legends like Barry Sheene, Giacomo Agostini or Mike the Bike Hailwood would have a few words to say on the subject?  Absolutely the question is subjective requiring categorization by racing era, by size of bike engine, possibly the type of circuit used.  Maybe even additional esoteric criteria best left to the individual voter might be used to determine who we feel is the greatest of all time?  

We begin our discussion of candidates for the title of the top racer of all time in the early part of the 1960’s in the sunny state of California.  A decade that will always be known as the time of a legend considered by many to be the best to ever step onto a sportbike track.  With the life and times of an American champion loved and idolized by millions of adoring fans for his winning ways on a motorcycle.  He won his way from the dirt tracks of rural America to the pinnacle of the sportbike world for competitors, to stand alone on the mountain of professional sportbike racing, by winning the World Grand Prix Championship three times during an illustrious career spanning four decades.  On the legendary Honda NS 500 two-stroke triple on which he won so many times during his outstanding career.  And just two years later cementing his legendary status among his fans, by becoming the only racer in Grand Prix history to win both the 500cc and 250cc championships in the same season.  A feat the fans think may never be equaled and the racers of today say maybe impossible to match considering the level of competition on the GP tracks of today. A human being so comfortable on a bike; he looked like he was born on one when riding.   His ability to alter racing styles and techniques depending on the size and power of the sportbike he was racing, made this former champion a force to be reckoned with no matter the track or class of sportbike he was riding.  At ease on any sportbike or in any era of competition and able to ride anything with two wheels like he was born to the task, this individual was a hero for all seasons.   

Fast Freddie Spencer is his name and riding sportbikes to victory was his game whenever he left the start line of a race. Friendly and enthusiastic off the track but fierce and driven on the track, Freddie Spencer was born Frederick Burdette Spencer on December 20, 1961 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Declared a developing prodigy as a young man by those who watched him progress through the lower ranks. Fast Freddie as his fans called him, began riding at the tender age of 4 and enthusiastically entered his first motorcycle race at the age of 5.  After the trial year of crashes, bruises and bumps that all beginning riders experience during their first year learning to control their mount.

Rising quickly up the ladder of success Freddie had won 10 Texas and Louisiana State Championships by the young age of eleven in short and dirt track classes.  First racing in TT Scramble dirt track events in Dallas, Texas before moving up to short track competitions. 

Fast Freddie entered his first street race in 1972 at the amazing age of 11 in the 0-250cc stock classes on a 100cc Yamaha at Green Valley Raceway in Dallas, Texas.  And by 1977 he had won 12 national road racing championships in both AMA and WERA sanctioned events throughout the continental United States.

Fast Freddie decided to drive his bike up to the start line of the professional ranks in 1978 at the age of 17, winning every competition in the AMA 250cc Grand Prix novice class that year.  Before moving up to the expert division of the AMA 250cc Grand Prix in 1979 and capturing the title in all but one race while defeating Eddie Lawson for the championship.  

Always yearning for the open road Freddie decided to enter the superbike championship in 1979, he placed third in the point’s championship, yet won the Sears Point and Laguna Seca rounds of the series.  His stunning victory on a Kawasaki at Sears Point made him the youngest competitor in history to win an AMA superbike national at 18 years, eight months of age.  And helped put the seal of success on the career of Fast Freddie Spencer but was just a shadow of the accomplishments to come that would create the legend of Freddie Spencer.   

The sun was shining on the career of a 19-year-old Freddie as dawn broke over the 1980 season, as he inked a deal with Honda America to race for the sportbike giant in the AMA Superbike Championship.  The AMA competition would be a learning experience for the growing prodigy that would lead to greater opportunities later in the year riding for Yamaha.  For Freddie would win the opening races of the Trans-Atlantic match series aboard a production Yamaha TZ 750 in 1980, out racing the world title holder at the time Kenny Roberts and former title owner Barry Sheene in the process. 

This was despite being handicapped by the advantage of the full factory support both Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene enjoyed at the time.  Energized by his success Kenny decided to ride his bike in the European Grand Prix in Belgium for the official Yamaha team in 1980. Kenny would finish 6^th among the field of heroes assembled at the old circuit but would learn valuable lessons he would use to facilitate his journey to stardom in the coming years.   

The Japanese sportbike developers contacted Freddie in 1981 to see if the 20-year-old phenomenon  would ride for them in the up coming 1982 season on the circuit.   Freddie agreed to ride in selected Grand Prix races in 1982 for the manufacturing giant Honda, as a lead up to his debut season competing in the World Grand Prix Championship. Freddie’s first coming out season would be a true learning experience for the young man who would one day enter the hall of fame.   Finishing 3^rd in the point’s race for the 500cc championship stung the confident young man and he vowed things would be different next year. 

As the sunset on 1982 Fast Freddie looked toward his 22nd year on planet Earth with vengeance in mind, winning titles filling his dreams, and visions of chequered flags waving in the air.  Well that’s it for now, join us next issue for the continuing story of the life, times and racing adventures of a true sportbike racing legend.  A man who continues to alter the landscape of the industry and sport he loves even after the cheers have ceased.