Ducati) and definitively silenced the critics who believed he would not be as successful away from the factory Marlboro Yamaha team. Lawson also won the ABC Superbikers event at Carlsbad Calif. in 1983 and 1985 which pitted the best riders from several disciplines against each other on a combined dirt and paved course. He was riding a specially equipped factory YZ 490 Yamaha. In 1990, Lawson won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race on a Yamaha FZR750R paired with teammate Tadahiko Taira. Lawson also won the Daytona 200 in 1986 and came out of retirement to win it again in 1993. When he retired from Grand Prix racing in the early 1990s, he ranked third on the all-time MotoGP class (then known as 500GP) Grand Prix wins list with 31. After finishing his motorcycle career, Lawson pursued a career in open-wheel single seater racing in the United States competing in the Indy Lights series and eventually to CART. In the 1996 IndyCar season, he competed in 11 races with his best results being two sixth-place finishes at U.S. 500 and the Detroit Indy Grand Prix. His passion for speed remains undiminished and the former World Champion now enjoys driving 250cc Superkarts often accompanied by his great friend and rival Wayne Rainey, who races in a specially modified Superkart to cope with his spinal injuries, and historic Formula One cars, with a Walter Wolf Racing WR4 at vintage events. Honors Lawson was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2002. Lawson was inducted into the FIM MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2005. Racing career statistics Points system from 1969 to 1987: Points system from 1988 to 1992: (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) American open-wheel racing results (key) Indy Lights CART References External links Eddie Lawson at MotoGP Legends American motorcycle racers AMA Grand National Championship riders American racing drivers 500cc World Championship riders AMA Superbike Championship riders Champ Car drivers Indy Lights drivers People from Upland, California 1958 births Living people Racing drivers from California Tasman Motorsports drivers 500cc World Riders' Champions