Three-time World Champion Wayne Rainey to make first appearance at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard

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Festival of Speed | Press Article 23/02/22

Legendary motorcyclist Wayne Rainey to make Festival of Speed debut
Three-time World Champion set to ride racing bike for the first time in 29 years
Rainey, who is paralysed from the chest down, will take to the Hill on his 1992-championship-winning Yamaha YZR500
The Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard will take place 23 - 26 June
2022 event set to celebrate “The Innovators - Masterminds of Motorsport”

Goodwood is proud to announce that three-time 500cc World Motorcycle Champion Wayne Rainey will make his first appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard (23 - 26 June).

Renowned for its unrestricted access to the mighty machines of motorsport and the riders and drivers who made them famous, this year’s Festival of Speed will be no exception. Across the weekend, fans will be able to watch Rainey take to the iconic Goodwood hillclimb on the Yamaha YZR500, with which he won the 1992 World Championship 30 years ago.

Goodwood is delighted that the Festival of Speed will reunite Rainey with a racing bike for the first time in 29 years, following the accident at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix that left him paralysed from the chest down. Rainey’s exploits at the Festival of Speed follow his first return to riding in 2019 at the Sound of Engine Festival in Suzuka, Japan.

As we prepare to celebrate ‘The Innovators - Masterminds of Motorsport’, Rainey’s ride will be made possible by the innovation of the Yamaha Motor Company as they reconfigure the 30-year-old Yamaha YZR500 so it can be ridden using handlebar controls alone. Rainey himself has masterminded his way through a career in motorsport spanning four decades, first as a three-time World Champion, then as a team manager, and currently as President of MotoAmerica.

Wayne Rainey said: “I’m incredibly excited to not only be attending my first Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer, but to be riding my 1992 Yamaha YZR500 up the famous hillclimb. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that I just couldn’t pass up. I want to thank the Yamaha Motor Company for preparing my 1992 YZR500 and adapting it for me to ride, MotoAmerica for helping make the entire project fly, and The Duke of Richmond for really making this a reality. I can’t wait to meet the fans who come from all over the world for the Goodwood Festival of Speed.”

Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Srl said: “The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an amazing event that is a showcase for two and four-wheel motorsports legends – both human and mechanical. Wayne Rainey is a true motorcycle racing legend who achieved three 500cc World Titles with Yamaha before his career-ending accident and injury. The thought of Wayne riding the legendary 1992 Factory YZR500 bike that he rode to his final championship victory is something truly amazing that I for one never imagined could be possible. I know it will mean so much to Wayne, and it will be something truly special for all the fans at Goodwood and all around the world. We are proud to be able to support Wayne make his dream come true.”

The Duke of Richmond said: “I am absolutely delighted that Wayne and his family are able to join us at this year’s Festival of Speed and that we will see him take to the Hill on the bike with which he won his last World Championship 30 years ago. Every year the Festival showcases spectacular stories from the world of motorsport, and we are privileged that Wayne is sharing his with us this summer.”

Wayne Rainey
With 82 500cc Grand Prix starts, Wayne Rainey won 24 races and took 64 podiums while his battles with arch-rival Kevin Schwantz have become the stuff of motorcycling legend. At the time of his accident in 1993 he was leading the World Motorcycle Championship and was just three races away from winning his fourth title.

Following his accident, Rainey became the team manager of the Marlboro Yamaha Team before retiring in 1998. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007, named a FIM Grand Prix ‘Legend’ in 2000 and has a corner of the Laguna Seca Circuit named in his honour.

Savings to be made on tickets bought before 1 April 2022
Those planning to attend the Festival of Speed this summer have the opportunity to save on tickets when bought by 31 March 2022. The 2022 Festival of Speed qualifies for the UK Government’s ‘creative industry tax relief’, with a reduced VAT rate of 12.5% until 31 March 2022. We are pleased to be able to pass this saving on to our customers, which will apply to a number of entry products. Ticket prices will remain at the reduced VAT rate until the end of March, when it will return to the full rate of 20% from 1 April 2022.

Image credits: Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, Thursday 23 - Sunday 26 June 2022.

Tickets
Tickets can be purchased via goodwood.com or by calling the Ticket Office on 01243 755055.

For an extra special day out, hospitality is also available across the event and can be organised by emailing hospitality@goodwood.com or calling 01243 755054.

Our Ticket Guarantee means that if Goodwood is required to cancel an event based on latest UK Government advice, you will have the flexibility to transfer your booking or apply for a credit.

Covid-19
Goodwood’s number one priority is the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved, whether working behind-the-scenes, at the wheel, or attending the spectacle. Goodwood continues to work closely with Public Health England and UK Government advisory groups and all events will be run strictly in accordance with the Government’s Covid-19 guidelines.

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Contact
For more information about Goodwood’s motorsport events, please contact Katharine Morgan, Motorsport & Automotive Press Officer: Katharine.Morgan@goodwood.com

For all other press enquiries please contact: media@goodwood.com

Imagery and news from Goodwood are available from our Press & Media site.

Stay up to date with all future announcements and on-event action across our social channels:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

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About the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard
First staged in 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard is the world’s largest automotive garden party; set against the spectacular backdrop of Goodwood House in West Sussex, UK. Over 600 cars and motorcycles spanning the phenomenal history of motoring and motorsport take part along with legendary figures from the automotive world. Highlights include Future Lab, Electric Avenue, Forest Rally Stage, Michelin Supercar Paddock, Michelin Supercar Run, F1 paddock, Drivers’ Club, GAS Arena, Cartier Style et Luxe Concours d’Elegance, Aviation Exhibition and Bonhams Auction.

About Mastercard www.mastercard.com Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

For more information about Mastercard, please contact Nila Moloney, Director of External Relations: Nila.Moloney@mastercard.com