What was the closest finish ever in bike racing?

[Yoong Montoya]

The closest I've seen was Imola 2001 Race 2, where Laconi beat Xaus by 0.021s.

[f1manoz]

There were certainly a tonne of close finishes in 500cc/MotoGP from 1999-2001 when all the bikes were so close. I can't think of anything exact, but I'm sure 1999/2000 were seasons which had the closest finishes between the top 15 ever...

[gomick]

lots of close 125cc/250cc finishes too - to many to think of the top of my head at this time of year

[elephino]

I remember a race at Oran Park in about 1984, I think, where Mal Campbell and, Downson I think, came together coming out of the last corner and stayed alongside all the way to the line.

[gomick]

so who won elephino - they where both great aussie riders.....

[chunder]

Must have eitehr been Jacque/Nakano for the title in 2000 at Phillip Island. Criville when he brilliantly duped Doohan at Brno by powering round the outside of him, causing Doohan to throw his teddies out the pram. Or maybe Slight on Edwards at Phillip Island.

[Airhead]

All good choices. Yeah Creville, a real worry for Doohan wasn't he?

[f1manoz]

The Jacque/Nakano finish at the Island was the best finish to a grand prix I've ever seen. I was out of my seat the entire last five laps cheering on the Frenchie!

[Kojima_KE007]

How about Czech GP 1996 between Mick Doohan and Alex Criville at Brno and wasn't that actually the closest GP500 finish?

[Mr V]

What about Foggy beating Edwards by 0.005 of a second at Monza in 1999?

[gomick]

Originally posted by chunder
Criville when he brilliantly duped Doohan at Brno by powering round the outside of him, causing Doohan to throw his teddies out the pram.

mick did whinge a bit over that one didnt he - 1 whinge from a 5-time world champion is always memorable

[chunder]

Did it more than once I think! Remember the Okada "desperate move" one and the Nobu Aoki "he can use my settings" one.
But then again if he was beaten by a good rider fauirly like Cadalora, Beattie or Crafar then he would be gracious in defeat.
But he really didn'y like getting duped by Alex. And y'know I think the reason is that Crivilles tactics were perfect. Let Mick do the work and pull away, go with him, if he lest me in fron slow down and hope I can stay with him til the end then dup him at the last bend.
Not really racecraft in the proper fashion but you have to say it left Mick mighty miffed.
Not as miffed as Alex though who only really managed to do it a handful of times over goodness knows how many races

[gomick]

true, a handful of times over 3 or 4 seasons.....

[Kojima_KE007]

Originally posted by Mr V
What about Foggy beating Edwards by 0.005 of a second at Monza in 1999?

How could I forget that one. One of the best finishes ever in my opinion.

[Yoong Montoya]

Originally posted by chunder
But he really didn'y like getting duped by Alex. And y'know I think the reason is that Crivilles tactics were perfect. Let Mick do the work and pull away, go with him, if he lest me in fron slow down and hope I can stay with him til the end then dup him at the last bend.

Rossi knows how that feels. Sachsenring 2003 must have been the most humiliating moment of his career - he thought he was toying with Sete, only to discover that HE was the one being toyed with!

(BTW didn't Sete beat Rossi that time by about 0.005 of a second or something like that? And Rossi beat Sete by about the same margin the following race at Brno.)

[chunder]

Both very close finishes, real last corner drags to the line.
Think Rossi's most humiloiating moment was in teh wet race in Mugello with the blue bike when he dropped it just after taking Barros for the lead. Your eally gotta win in specially painted bikes I reckon, or at least not crash just after you have taken the elad!

[gomick]

was that the race he dropped the bike on the warm up lap

[Yoong Montoya]

Originally posted by gomick
was that the race he dropped the bike on the warm up lap

That was Ruben Xaus at Laguna Seca 2002 wasn't it? Did a DC and binned it on the warm up lap in race 2

[TheMan]

Xaus might have done it at Laguna Seca but Rossi did come off in the warm up lap at Mugello on the Blue bike, and still should have won the race.

[Bleu]

In 500cc there have been some race few years ago when top two had difference of 0,002 seconds.

Not sure of the race, maybe it was at A1-Ring

But Phillip Island 2000 was great. Jacque beat Nakano by 0,014 and that difference was enough to win the championship. If Nakano had won the race, he would have been a champion.

[elephino]

Originally posted by gomick
so who won elephino - they where both great aussie riders.....

I'm pretty sure it was Downson, but don't quote me on it.

Wasn't it Scott Goodyear and...oh sorry, that was Indy 500

I can't think of any other really really close races other than those already mentioned.

[Yoong Montoya]

Originally posted by Bleu
But Phillip Island 2000 was great. Jacque beat Nakano by 0,014 and that difference was enough to win the championship. If Nakano had won the race, he would have been a champion.

I take it that race was like Imola 2002 only with 250cc machines and a closer finish?

[crozier74]

Sorry for my lap of detail in this post, but IMO, classic finishes of recent times include:

Wet 250 race @ Donington Park in '02
Tyres played a part, and the leader ran wide at the last corner on the last lap and allowed the other to slip through.

Nakano & Jacques @ Phillip Island
What can you say? That really was a classic Jacques just pulled out from behind him at the last minute and beat him to the championship. Nakano must have been in despair. Great to watch!

Many of the recent Monza WSBK races
ie. Chili & Edwards

Hockenheim WSBK a few years back
5 riders in with a chance of winning all the way to the flag




P.S. On the subject of guys falling off on the warm-up lap, I think there was also Biagi at Jerez in 2002