1990 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix

  1990 Belgian Grand Prix

Race details
Race 9 of 15 races in the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	7 July 1990
Location	Spa-Francorchamps
Course	Permanent racing facility 7.004 km (4.352 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider	Kevin Schwantz
Time	2:23.264
Fastest lap
Rider	Wayne Rainey
Time	2:45.784
Podium
First	Wayne Rainey
Second	Jean-Philippe Ruggia
Third	Eddie Lawson
250 cc
Pole position
Rider	John Kocinski
Time	2:31.106
Fastest lap
Rider	John Kocinski
Time	2:47.579
Podium
First	John Kocinski
Second	Didier de Radiguès
Third	Carlos Cardús
125 cc
Pole position
Rider	Jorge Martínez
Time	2:41.811
Fastest lap
Rider	Hans Spaan
Time	2:58.280
Podium
First	Hans Spaan
Second	Loris Capirossi
Third	Bruno Casanova

The 1990 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix was the ninth round of the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 5–7 July 1990 at Spa-Francorchamps.

500 cc race report

Last year, Spa organizers ran three races because of rain, but it’s dry for qualifying, with Kevin Schwantz taking pole; Pierfrancesco Chili falls off at high-speed 6th-gear left-hander, breaking his arm.

Race day is wet, and as is often the case, Schwantz gets the pole but Wayne Rainey gets the start, ahead of Eddie Lawson, Mick Doohan, and Wayne Gardner.

Race order becomes Rainey, Lawson, Christian Sarron, Schwantz, Doohan, Randy Mamola, Gardner and Jean-Philippe Ruggia.

Rainey opens up a gap to Lawson, then a small gap to a group of Schwantz, Sarron and Mamola. Mamola gets a wriggle on and passes Sarron and Schwantz.

Schwantz is stuck in place, while Mamola and Ruggia leave him behind and catch up to Lawson. When Mamola shows Lawson a front wheel, Lawson fights back and keeps him behind. Mamola makes a mistake and falls out of third place, leaving Ruggia to battle with Lawson for second place. Ruggia soon leaves Lawson behind and starts to close the gap to Rainey, but it’s too much. Schwantz finishes in 7th.

500 cc classification

Pos	Rider	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Wayne Rainey	Yamaha	50:29.205	20
2	Jean Philippe Ruggia	Yamaha	+4.522	17
3	Eddie Lawson	Yamaha	+20.566	15
4	Christian Sarron	Yamaha	+45.258	13
5	Alex Barros	Cagiva	+51.060	11
6	Mick Doohan	Honda	+1:18.021	10
7	Kevin Schwantz	Suzuki	+1:20.961	9
8	Ron Haslam	Cagiva	+1:23.596	8
9	Juan Garriga	Yamaha	+1:24.073	7
10	Wayne Gardner	Honda	+1:50.520	6
11	Norihiko Fujiwara	Yamaha	+2:01.935	5
12	Niall Mackenzie	Suzuki	+2:20.060	4
13	Eddie Laycock	Honda	+1 Lap	3
14	Karl Truchsess	Paton	+1 Lap	2
15	Cees Doorakkers	Honda	+1 Lap	1
Ret	Marco Papa	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Nicholas Schmassman	Honda	Retirement
Ret	Vittorio Scatola	Paton	Retirement
Ret	Randy Mamola	Cagiva	Retirement
Ret	Pierfrancesco Chili	Honda	Retirement