Mick Doohan
Michael Doohan - Best known in Australia and around the world as five times Moto GP World Champion 1994 to 1998, and holding four world records in 1997 for his outstanding racing achievements. Mick Doohan has been awarded many honours in his career from Order of Australia in 1996, to being placed in the Australian Sports Hall of Fame three times.
Mick Doohan began riding motorcycles in 1974 at the age of nine when living in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Soon after he began competing in off-road events. His first notable result was finishing runner-up in the Queensland 10-12 years championship. The Doohan family moved to the Gold Coast, 80km south of Brisbane, in 1981, and Michael made his road racing debut at Surfers Paradise International Raceway in 1984 at the age of 19 on a Yamaha RZ350.
In 1985 Doohan rode a Yamaha RZ500 to numerous outright and class wins, and in 1986-87 he was one of Australia's leading riders in the 250cc production class on a Yamaha TZR250.
Doohan's first major career breakthrough was in mid-1987 when he was offered a guest ride on a Marlboro Yamaha Dealer Team Yamaha FZR750 in an Australian Superbike Championship meeting at Winton, Victoria. He finished fifth.
Doohan established himself among the all-time greats of 500cc racing in 1997 when he won the world championship for the fourth successive year. He joined Giacomo Agostini and the late Mike Hailwood of Great Britain as the only riders to win four consecutive 500cc titles. During the year Doohan also set a new record for the most number of wins in a 500cc season since the world championship began in 1949. He won 12 grand prix races breaking Agostini's record of 11 victories in 1972. Doohan's performances included 10 successive wins.
Doohan finished the year with an overall record of 121 starts in the 500cc world championship, with 46 wins, 83 podium finishes, and 50 pole positions as fastest qualifier.
In 1998 Doohan clinched his fifth successive 500cc world championship title by winning the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, the 13th round of the series. He won eight grand prix races during the year, which boosted his career tally of 500cc victories to 54 from 135 starts since 1989.
Doohan began the 1999 world championship by finishing fourth in the opening round in Malaysia, and second in the following race in Japan. However, he suffered a broken right leg and shoulder, and left wrist, when he crashed his Repsol Honda at 200km/h at Jerez in qualifying for round three at Jerez in Spain. He travelled to the United States immediately after the accident for corrective surgery in San Francisco, which included inserting two plates and 12 screws in his right leg, and a plate in his left forearm. Toward the end of the year he announced his retirement because of the injuries from his crash at Jerez
After retiring in 1999, Mick's interests remained with the racing circuit, however he later turned his sights to aviation by gaining his helicopter pilots licence. Further, Mick's achievements in business has grown in both Australian and International markets to include ventures in aviation, entertainment, and real estate.