After covering the first Oran Park WorldSBK event in an earlier column (1988 Link), this time around we take a look at the second WSBK event to be held in Australia – the 1989 round, again at Oran Park.
The first race was run under wet, then drying conditions and was won by Peter Goddard from Rob Phillis and Fabrizio Pirovano.
F to R: Raymond Roche (Ducati 888), Aaron Slight (Kawasaki ZXR750), Rob Phillis (Kawasaki ZXR750).
The weather had cleared for the second race which saw Michael Dowson take the win followed by Raymond Roche and Rob Phillis. A spectacular coming together by Malcolm Campbell and Fabrizio Pirovano on lap 15 saw both fail to finish.
Race 2 podium. Winner – Michael Dowson.
Fred Merkel on the Honda RC30 went on to take his second consecutive championship.
Fabrizio Pirovano (Yamaha 0W01), Raymond Roche (Ducati 888), Malcolm Campbell (Honda RC30).Raymond Roche (Ducati 888).Aaron Slight (Kawasaki ZXR750), Stéphane Mertens (Honda RC30), Fred Merkel (Honda RC30).Graeme Morris (Ducati 851), John Richards (Yamaha FZR750).Fabrizio Pirovano (Yamaha 0W01), Malcolm Campbell (Honda RC30), Peter Goddard (Yamaha 0W01).F to R: Fabrizio Pirovano (Yamaha 0W01), Raymond Roche (Ducati 888), Malcolm Campbell (Honda RC30).Peter Goddard (Yamaha 0W01).The start of race 2.Fred Merkel on the grid for race 2.Roche awaiting the start of race 2.Roche’s Ducati 888 on the grid.Roche on the dummy grid for race 2.Team Manager Marco Lucchinelli on Roche’s bike.The Ducati pit.The Ducati pit.The Ducati pit.Rob Phillis (Kawasaki ZXR750).Michael Dowson (Yamaha 0W01).Fabrizio Pirovano (Yamaha 0W01).Rene Bongers (Yamaha 0W01).Chris Oldfield (Bimota YB4R).Fred Merkel (Honda RC30).Raymond Roche (Ducati 888).Rob Phillis (Kawasaki ZXR750).Jari Suhonen (Yamaha 0W01).Fred Merkel (Honda RC30).Aaron Slight (Kawasaki ZXR750).Raymond Roche (Ducati 888).Aaron Slight (Kawasaki ZXR750).Rob Phillis (Kawasaki ZXR750).Michael Dowson (Yamaha 0W01).Anders Anderson (Yamaha 0W01) follows Malcolm Campbell (Honda RC30).Fred Merkel (Honda RC30).Aaron Slight (Kawasaki ZXR750), Fabrizio Pirovano (Yamaha 0W01).Chris Oldfield (Bimota YB4R).Stéphane Mertens (Honda RC30).Malcolm Campbell (Honda RC30).Michael Dowson (Yamaha 0W01).Fabrizio Pirovano (Yamaha 0W01), Anders Anderson (Yamaha 0W01).Rob Phillis (Kawasaki ZXR750), Michael Dowson (Yamaha 0W01).Rob Phillis (Kawasaki ZXR750), Fabrizio Pirovano (Yamaha 0W01).Fabrizio Pirovano (Yamaha 0W01).Fabrizio Pirovano (Yamaha 0W01, Aaron Slight (Kawasaki ZXR750, Anders Anderson (Yamaha 0W01.Race 2 podium. Third place – Rob Phillis.Race 2 podium. Second place – Raymond Roche.Fabrizio Pirovano is carried back to the pits by a team member.The Pirovano-Campbell accident!The Pirovano-Campbell accident!The Pirovano-Campbell accident!The Pirovano-Campbell accident!
