Jarno Saarinen
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Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jarno Karl Keimo Saarinen (11 December 1945 – 20 May 1973) was a
Motorcycle racing career
Jarno Saarinen was born and raised in Turku, South-West Finland.[6] At the age of 15 he worked as apprentice and test-rider for Tunturi-Puch, motorcycle factory in Turku where mopeds and motorcycles were assembled under licence from the Austrian Puch manufacturer.[6] Saarinen made his racing debut in an ice race at Ylone in 1961, finishing in second place.[6] He and his close friend Teuvo Länsivuori participated in ice racing and grasstrack racing as well as road racing.[6]
In 1965 Saarinen won the 250cc Finnish ice racing national championship.[6] Saarinen was also an accomplished motorcycle speedway racer.[2] On 4 August 1968 he made his Grand Prix debut at Imatra, riding a 125cc Puch to an 11th place in the Finnish Grand Prix, in which he was lapped three times by world champions Phil Read and Bill Ivy.[4][7] In 1969 he won the 125cc and 250cc Finnish motorcycle national championships while acting as his own mechanic.[2]
Saarinen was noted for his riding style in which he kept his chest just above the motorcycle's fuel tank, and for the way he negotiated curves by shifting his body towards the inside of a turn while extending his knee out.[7] His riding style, and the way he made his rear tyre slide in the turns influenced future world champion, Kenny Roberts, when he witnessed Saarinen during a race at the Ontario Motor Speedway in 1972.[8] Saarinen rode at the Ontario Champion Sparkplugs Classic in 1972, aboard a privately entered ex-works Al Godin Yamaha 350cc.[9][10] Saarinen was also noted for the peculiar way in which he angled his handlebars in an almost vertical position.[7]
Saarinen competed in his first full year in the 1970 250cc championship while continuing to act as his own mechanic.[1][7] He convinced three bank managers to fund his racing career under the mistaken belief that they were financing his education.[11] He finished the season in fourth place despite missing the final three rounds of the championship to complete his education by graduating as an engineer from the Turku Technical Institute.[6]
In 1971, Giacomo Agostini was the reigning three-time 350cc world champion riding for MV Agusta however, Saarinen served notice by winning his first 350cc Grand Prix race in Czechoslovakia after Agostini's motorcycle had a mechanical failure.[1][6] He then finished second to Agostini in the Finnish Grand Prix before winning the Nations Grand Prix in Italy. Saarinen competed in both 250cc and 350cc classes in 1971, finishing third in 250cc World Championship and second to Agostini in the 350cc class.[1]
The title fight in the 1971 50cc World Championship between the Derbi and Kreidler factories was so heated, that the Kreidler team hired Saarinen and Barry Sheene in support of their rider, Jan de Vries, while the Derbi team hired Gilberto Parlotti to support Ángel Nieto.[11] At the season-ending Spanish Grand Prix, Saarinen placed second behind de Vries, helping the Kreidler team secure the 50cc World Championship for de Vries.[12]
Saarinen's success didn't go unnoticed as
At the end of the season, Saarinen was contacted by the Benelli factory about the possibility of riding 350cc and 500cc Benellis in the 1973 world championships.[6] After a secret test ride at Modena, he rode Benellis to victories over Agostini in the 350cc and 500cc races at the Pesaro street circuit.[7][14] But in the same time the Yamaha factory announced they would enter a factory team in the 250cc and 500cc classes in 1973, and Jarno Saarinen would be their first rider, alongside Hideo Kanaya to compete on the newly developed YZR250 and YZR500.[2][7] The factory team also meant that he was provided with mechanics for his motorcycles, freeing him to concentrate on racing.[7] With Saarinen signed to a contract, and a new 4-cylinder 2-stroke YZR500 0W20, Yamaha was finally ready to challenge MV Agusta's sixteen-year reign in the 500cc class with a competitive package.
Saarinen's 1973 season started well, as he became the first European rider to win the prestigious Daytona 200 race in the United States on a Yamaha TZ 350 production racer, against much larger 750cc capacity opposition.[15] At the time, the Daytona 200 was considered one of the most prestigious motorcycle races in the world.[16] He returned to Europe where, against an impressive field of competitors, he claimed a victory at the prestigious Imola 200 round of the inaugural Formula 750 European championship in 1973, once again defeating competitors on larger motorcycles with the TZ 350.[17][18][19]
Saarinen jumped to an early lead in the 1973 world championships by scoring a double victory at the season-opening French Grand Prix.[1] He won the 250cc race more than 27 seconds ahead of his teammate Kanaya, and then beat Read by 16 seconds to win the 500cc race, where Agostini crashed while trying to follow the Finn.[1][7] He followed this with another double victory at the Austrian Grand Prix held at the fast Salzburgring circuit, 13 seconds and 25 seconds ahead of Kanaya.[1] He continued his winning streak by winning the 250cc German Grand Prix, more than 21 seconds ahead of his teammate but then failed to finish the 500cc race when his chain broke while he was dicing with Read for the win.[1][7]
Death
Saarinen arrived at the Nations Grand Prix leading both the 250cc and 500cc championships.
On the first lap of the 250cc race, tragedy struck when the second-placed rider, Renzo Pasolini's motorcycle lurched sideways and crashed into the guardrail, killing him instantly.
Over the years, the cause of the accident was the subject to significant controversy.
Legacy
The tragedy at Monza was a shock to the motorcycle racing community.
The death of
The situation reached a breaking point in
The Ruissalo People's Park in Turku has a road named after Saarinen. The street in front of the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Benelli's factory in Pesaro is named Via Jarno Saarinen.[28] The name Jarno became very popular in Italy in the 1970s, one well-known bearer being former Formula-1 driver Jarno Trulli.[3][23] In 2009, the F.I.M. inducted Saarinen into the MotoGP Hall of Fame.[5]
There is still an active Saarinen fan club in Italy, and on 7 June 2014 the fan club promoted the opening of Jarno Saarinen Park in Petrignano, Assisi, Italy.[29] In August 2016, a bronze statue of Saarinen was unveiled in the park, and in July 2017, a duplicate of the statue was also revealed at Turku's Aurajoki Beach in Barker Park. Saarinen remains the only Finn to have won a motorcycle road racing world championship, winning 15 Grands Prix during his career. Saarinen was also a six time Finnish road racing national champion.[14]
Motorcycle Grand Prix results[1]
Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Points | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Class | Team | Machine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Points | Rank | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | 250cc | Private-Yamaha | TD-2 | GER 6 |
FRA 4 |
YUG 4 |
IOM - |
NED 3 |
BEL 4 |
DDR 4 |
CZE 3 |
FIN DNF |
ULS - |
NAT - |
ESP - |
57 | 4th | 0 | |
1971 | 50 cc
|
Van Veen | Kreidler | AUT - |
GER - |
NED - |
BEL - |
DDR - |
CZE - |
SWE - |
NAT 6 |
ESP 2 |
17 | 12th | 0 | ||||
250cc | Arwidson Team | TD-3 | AUT 8 |
GER - |
IOM - |
NED DNF |
BEL - |
DDR 5 |
CZE 3 |
SWE 3 |
FIN 6 |
ULS 2 |
NAT 5 |
ESP 1 |
64 | 3rd | 1 | ||
350cc | Arwidson Team | TR-2B | AUT 6 |
GER 5 |
IOM - |
NED - |
DDR - |
CZE 1 |
SWE 3 |
FIN 2 |
ULS DNF |
NAT 1 |
ESP - |
63 | 2nd | 2 | |||
1972 | 250cc | Arwidson Team | TD-3 / YZ635 | GER 3 |
FRA 4 |
AUT 2 |
NAT 3 |
IOM - |
YUG DNF |
NED 3 |
BEL 1 |
DDR 1 |
CZE 1 |
SWE 2 |
FIN 1 |
ESP - |
94 | 1st
|
4 |
350cc | Arwidson Team | YZ634 | GER 1 |
FRA 1 |
AUT 4 |
NAT 3 |
IOM - |
YUG DNF |
NED 2 |
DDR DNF |
CZE 1 |
SWE 3 |
FIN 2 |
ESP - |
89 | 2nd | 3 | ||
1973 | 250cc | Yamaha-Japan | YZR250 0W17 | FRA 1 |
AUT 1 |
GER 1 |
NAT DNF |
IOM - |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 45 | 4th | 3 |
500cc | Yamaha-Japan | YZR500 0W20 | FRA 1 |
AUT 1 |
GER DNF |
NAT - |
IOM - |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 30 | 7th | 2 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Rider Statistics - Jarno Saarinen". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "The darkest day". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
- ^ a b "Jarno Saarinen 1945 - 1973". mylifeatspeed.com. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
- ^ ISBN 9780953131136, retrieved 1 May 2017
- ^ a b "MotoGP Legends". motogp.com. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Jarno Saarinen at Motorsport Memorial". motorsportmemorial.org. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-818639-5-7
- ^ Carruthers, Paul (2000), "Rider of the Century - Kenny Roberts", Cycle News, Cycle News, Inc.
- ^ "Ontario: Last years race is coming again", Cycle News, 1972
- ^ "Ontario: The Champion that did not race", Cycle World, January 1973, archived from the original on 2018-06-12, retrieved 2018-05-30
- ^ ISBN 1-874557-83-7
- ^ "1971 50cc Spanish Grand Prix classification". motogp.com. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "Jarno Saarinen profile". yamaha-motor.com. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
- ^ a b c d e f "Jarno Saarinen". mcnews.com. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
- ^ "Daytona 200 winners". motorsportsetc.com. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
- ^ Schelzig, Erik. "Daytona 200 celebrates 75th running of once-prestigious race". seattletimes.com. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ "The Imola 200 Miles". agv.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ "Imola 200". cyclenews.com. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
- ^ "1974 Formula 750 final standings". Racingmemo.free.fr. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
- ^ "Albino Albertini at Motorsport Memorial". motorsportmemorial.org. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
- ^ "Black Sunday". facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
- ^ a b c d "Monza history". monzanet.it. Archived from the original on 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
- ^ a b "Peer Landa's racer idol - Jarno Saarinen". ccrma.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
- ^ a b c "www.TZ350.net". Archived from the original on August 21, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-21.
- ^ "Preluk - Opatija". racingcircuits.info. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
- ^ "Roberts Suspended For Boycott". Modesto Bee. Modesto Bee. 2 July 1979. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Media blitz for Kenny Roberts rebel ringleader". Modesto Bee. Bee News Services. 15 August 1979. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Via Jarno Saarinen". facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
- ^ "Motoclub Jarno Saarinen". motoclubjarnosaarinen.com. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
External links
- Jarno Saarinen at MotoGP.com
- Saarinen fan site (in Italian)