Doug Polen

Doug Polen

Polen at Suzuka in 1990.
Nationality United States United States
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Superbike World Championship
Active years1988 - 1992, 1994 - 1995
ManufacturersDucati, Honda
Championships1991, 1992
1995 championship position-
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
80 27 40 17 17 1002

Doug Polen (born September 2, 1960) is an American former world champion motorcycle road racer. He raced successfully in AMA Superbike, Japanese Superbikes, Superbike World Championship and Endurance racing.

Polen was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was a privateer in AMA competition in the early 1980s, before quitting racing to concentrate on business commitments. In 1986 he returned to AMA, ultimately getting a works Yoshimura Suzuki ride in 1988 before going to international racing.[1] Polen joined Eraldo Ferracci's "Fast By Ferracci" Ducati team in 1990. After breaking his contract to go to the Superbike World Championship, he won the title in both 1991 and 1992.[2][3] In 1992 he also finished third overall in the AMA national championship. For 1993 he left the world championship to compete exclusively in the United States and won the AMA national crown. In 1994 he joined the UK-based Castrol Honda team to race the then-new RC45 in the Superbike World Championship, insisting that the team use Dunlop tyres due to his close ties with the company. He left the team abruptly in early 1995 but not before teaming up with Aaron Slight to win the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race for Honda.[4] After returning to the AMA series, he set his sights on the Endurance World Championship and eventually won that championship in 1997.

His total of 18 AMA pole positions was a record until Mat Mladin matched it in 2006. His 13 fastest laps in World Superbike competition in 1991 is a single-season championship record.[5]

Polen was inducted to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2011.[6]

Career statistics

Superbike World Championship

Races by year

Year Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos. Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1988 Suzuki GBR
EX
GBR
EX
HUN HUN GER GER AUT AUT JPN JPN FRA FRA POR POR AUS AUS NZL NZL NC 0
1989 Suzuki GBR GBR HUN HUN CAN CAN USA USA AUT AUT FRA FRA JPN
1
JPN
4
GER GER ITA ITA AUS AUS NZL NZL 21st 33
1990 Suzuki SPA SPA GBR GBR HUN HUN GER GER CAN CAN USA USA AUT AUT JPN
8
JPN
DNS
FRA FRA ITA ITA MAL MAL AUS AUS NZL NZL 48th 8
1991 Ducati GBR
1
GBR
Ret
SPA
1
SPA
1
CAN CAN USA
1
USA
1
AUT
2
AUT
1
SMR
1
SMR
1
SWE
1
SWE
1
JPN
1
JPN
1
MAL
4
MAL
5
GER
1
GER
2
FRA
1
FRA
1
ITA
1
ITA
2
AUS
2
AUS
1
1st 432
1992 Ducati SPA
2
SPA
6
GBR
6
GBR
4
GER
1
GER
1
BEL
5
BEL
1
SPA
Ret
SPA
1
AUT
3
AUT
5
ITA
2
ITA
3
MAL
8
MAL
1
JPN
1
JPN
1
NED
1
NED
Ret
ITA
10
ITA
5
AUS
2
AUS
4
NZL
1
NZL
2
1st 371
1994 Honda GBR
9
GBR
7
GER
5
GER
3
ITA
12
ITA
15
SPA
6
SPA
7
AUT
3
AUT
3
INA
4
INA
6
JPN
10
JPN
16
NED
11
NED
Ret
SMR
11
SMR
7
EUR
12
EUR
Ret
AUS
11
AUS
11
4th 158
1995 Honda GER GER SMR
17
SMR
Ret
GBR GBR ITA ITA SPA SPA AUT
Ret
AUT
Ret
USA USA EUR EUR JPN JPN NED NED INA INA AUS AUS NC 0

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Pts
1989 500cc Suzuki JPN
Ret
AUS USA SPA NAT GER AUT YUG NED BEL FRA GBR SWE CZE BRA NC 0

References

  1. "Aztrackday Superbike School To Offer Instruction By Polen". Road Racing World. 2006-12-11. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  2. Dean Adams. "Eraldo's Boy Speaks Out: Interview with Larry Ferracci from 1995". Superbike Planet. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  3. Doug Polen career World Superbike statistics at worldsbk.com
  4. "Doug Polen". motorcycle.com.
  5. "2006 Superbike World Championship - Round 12 - Magny Cours". mcnews.com.au (Motorcycle News Australia). 2006-10-08. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  6. "Ducati celebrates the AMA Hall of Fame Induction of two legends: Phil Schilling and Doug Polen". Ducati press release. Motorcycle Daily. November 22, 2011
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Doug Polen.
Preceded by
Raymond Roche
World Superbike Champion
1991-1992
Succeeded by
Scott Russell
Preceded by
Scott Russell
AMA Superbike Champion
1993
Succeeded by
Troy Corser
Preceded by
Brian Morrison
Endurance FIM World Champion
1997
With: Peter Goddard
Succeeded by
Doug Polen
Christian Lavieille
Preceded by
Doug Polen
Peter Goddard
Endurance FIM World Champion
1998
With: Christian Lavieille
Succeeded by
Jéhan d'Orgeix
Terry Rymer
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