Dorflinger gets legendary status
Four-time motorcycle World Champion Stefan Dorflinger was named a MotoGP Legend in a ceremony during the recent Grand Prix Deutschland, taking his place amongst two-wheeler racing greats.
Dorflinger won the 50cc World Championship in 1982 and 1983, and then became the first ever 80cc world champion in 1984, a title he successfully defended the following year.
Dorflinger had a long and successful career that saw him first compete in the Grand Prix paddock in 1973. He took his first podium that season in the Yugoslavian Grand Prix before taking more top-fives the following year as he became a more regular face on the grid.
In 1975, he was back on the podium after the Spanish Grand Prix and the Nations Grand Prix.
In 1976 he took on a new challenge as he competed in both the 50cc and 125cc World Championships, something he would continue to do for much of his career.
A regular top finisher in both, Dorflinger took more podiums – including his first 125cc podium in 1979 – before 1980 finally saw him take to the top step in the 50cc class.
Coming first or second in every race bar his first that year, the Swiss rider was gaining traction and 1981 began with a win.
But it was 1982 when Dorflinger finally took his first title, winning the first three races of the season on the way to the crown.
He successfully defended the 50cc title the next season, taking another three wins.
1984 saw the dawn of the 80cc World Championship and Dorflinger was immediately a success.
On the podium first time out, he scored three race wins win in the new category, and he became the first ever 80cc world champion.
Dorflinger then retained the crown in 1985 and became a backto-back champion once again.
He took his final win in the 80cc class in 1988 and his final podiums in Grand Prix racing came the following year in the same class when he was also runner-up in the Championship.
His final season of competition was 1990, making it an incredible career spanning 18 seasons in which he took a total of 18 Grand Prix wins.
Dorflinger joins a long list of greats that have been made MotoGP Legends.
They include Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Geoff Duke, Wayne Gardner, Mike Hailwood, Daijiro Kato, Eddie Lawson, Anton Mang, Angel Nieto, Wayne Rainey, Phil Read, Jim Redman, Kenny Roberts, Jarno Saarinen, Kevin Schwantz, Barry Sheene, Marco Simoncelli, Freddie Spencer, Casey Stoner, John Surtees, Carlo Ubbiali, Alex Crivillé, Franco Uncini, Marco Lucchinelli, Randy Mamola, Kork Ballington, Dani Pedrosa and the late Nicky Hayden. – Own Correspondent