Jarno Saarinen
| Jarno Saarinen. | |
| Jarno Saarinen | |
|---|---|
| Motorcycle Grand Prix Career | |
| Nationality |  Finnish
|
| Active years | 1970 - 1973 |
| Team(s) | Yamaha |
| Grands Prix | 46 |
| Championships | 250cc - 1972 |
| Wins | 15 |
| Podium finishes | 32 |
| Pole positions | N/A |
| Fastest laps | N/A |
| First Grand Prix | 1970 250cc West German Grand Prix |
| First win | 1971 350cc Czechoslovakian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1973 250cc West German Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1973 250cc Nations Grand Prix |
Jarno Karl Keimo Saarinen (December 11, 1945 in Turku, Finland - May 20, 1973 in Monza, Italy) was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was the first Finn to win the road racing World Championship.
Career
Early in his career he won the ice track racing championship in Finland. He was also an accomplished motorcycle speedway racer. He had studied mechanical engineering and thus could fix his bike in addition to riding it. These skills allowed him to develop a new riding style. Saarinen was the first to ride corners with his body hanging off the bike with his knee near the ground. Kenny Roberts would later perfect the style after watching Saarinen race. The style is predominately still in use today.
Saarinen made his first appearance in the Grand Prix road racing World Championship at Imatra, Finland in 1968, finishing 9th in the 125cc class. During the 1970 season, at the age of 25, Saarinen competed in the 250cc (now GP2) class, finishing the season a respectable fourth place. Not only a racer but an unfinanced one-man team, he often caused amusement in the paddock by looking for "new" tyres and spare parts in the dumpsters of the professional teams. In 1971 Saarinen competed in both 250cc and 350cc classes. Saarinen won his first Grand Prix that year, claiming the 350cc class in Czechoslovakia. He finished third in 250cc World Championship and second in 350cc. His success didn't go unnoticed as Yamaha signed him to ride its 250cc and 350cc bikes for the 1972 season. Saarinen delivered as expected, winning the 250cc World Championship. He finished second in 350cc World Championship, giving defending champion Giacomo Agostini a strong challenge.
Yamaha developed a new, four cylinder, two-stroke 500cc bike for the 1973 season and chose Saarinen to ride it. Finally, Saarinen was ready to challenge Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read in the 500cc class with competitive equipment. Saarinen's 1973 season started amazingly well, given the fact he competed in the 250cc and 500cc classes. He jumped to an early lead in the championship race, winning the first three 250cc rounds and two out of three 500cc rounds. It seemed he was on the brink of running away with the titles.
Unfortunately, the season would end in tragedy. On May 20, 1973, the fourth Grand Prix of the season was held at Monza near Milan, Italy. A crash during the 350cc race left an oil slick at La Curva Grande, the first curve after the pit straight. Race officials had failed to clean the track surface properly between races (some forms of motorsport require a clay-based substance similar to cat litter to be applied on the track after oil leaks). On the opening lap of the 250cc race, track marshals didn't wave the yellow and red stripe oil flag warning riders of the oil slicked surface. The race leader, Renzo Pasolini fell in front of Saarinen, who was in second place. He couldn't avoid the fallen rider and the resulting crash caused a multiple rider pile up. Both riders died in the accident but the loss of Saarinen would have a major impact on the sport. Yamaha pulled out of racing for the rest of the season to honour Saarinen's memory.
Saarinen won 15 Grand Prix during his career.
Motorcycle Grand Prix results
| Year | Class | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Points | Rank | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 250cc | Yamaha | W.GER 5 |
FRA DNF |
YUG 8 |
IOM DNS |
NED 10 |
BEL 8 |
E.GER 8 |
CZE 10 |
FIN DNF |
ULS DNF |
ULS DNF |
NAT DNF |
ESP DNF |
57 | 4th | 0 |
| 1971 | 50cc | Kreidler | AUT DNS |
W.GER DNS |
NED DNS |
BEL DNS |
E.GER DNS |
CZE DNS |
SWE DNS |
FIN DNS |
ULS DNS |
NAT 5 |
ESP 12 |
17 | 12th | 0 | ||
| 1971 | 250cc | Yamaha | AUT 3 |
W.GER DNS |
IOM DNS |
NED DNS |
BEL DNS |
E.GER 6 |
CZE 10 |
SWE 10 |
FIN 5 |
ULS 12 |
NAT 6 |
ESP 15 |
64 | 3rd | 1 | |
| 1971 | 350cc | Yamaha | AUT 5 |
W.GER 6 |
IOM DNS |
NED DNF |
E.GER DNF |
CZE 15 |
SWE 10 |
FIN 12 |
ULS DNF |
NAT 15 |
ESP DNF |
63 | 2nd | 2 | ||
| 1972 | 250cc | Yamaha | W.GER 10 |
FRA 8 |
AUT 12 |
NAT 10 |
IOM DNS |
YUG DNF |
NED 10 |
BEL 15 |
E.GER 15 |
CZE 15 |
SWE 12 |
FIN 15 |
ESP DNS |
94 | 1st | 4 |
| 1972 | 350cc | Yamaha | W.GER 15 |
FRA 15 |
AUT 8 |
NAT 10 |
IOM DNS |
YUG DNF |
NED 12 |
E.GER DNF |
CZE 15 |
SWE 10 |
FIN 12 |
ESP DNF |
89 | 2nd | 3 | |
| 1973 | 250cc | Yamaha | FRA 15 |
AUT 15 |
W.GER 15 |
IOM DNS |
NAT DNF |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 45 | 4th | 3 |
| 1973 | 500cc | Yamaha | FRA 15 |
AUT 15 |
W.GER DNF |
IOM DNS |
NAT DNS |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 30 | 7th | 2 |
Trivia
- Saarinen is the only Finnish road racer to win a World Championship.
- He still has an active fan club in Italy.
- Italian Formula 1 driver Jarno Trulli was named after Saarinen.
- He was the first European to win North America's prestigious Daytona 200, in 1973.
References
- 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix (1st edition). Hazelton Publishing Ltd, 1999. ISBN 1-874557-83-7
External links
- Helsingin Sanomat featured an article on Saarinen on 20.11.1999
- A gallery of pictures from the road racing event held at Imatra, Finland in 1972. Includes a picture of the infamous Saarinen postage stamp printed in Equatorial Guinea.