Four-time World Champion Kork Ballington, who took the 250 and 350 World Championships in both 1978 and 1979, was inducted into the MotoGP™ Hall of Fame during the 2018 Australian GP, at Phillip Island, joining a long list of greats that have been made MotoGP™ Legends that includes Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Geoff Duke, Wayne Gardner, Mike Hailwood, Daijiro Kato, Eddie Lawson, Anton Mang, Angel Nieto, Wayne Rainey, Phil Read, Jim Redman, Kenny Roberts, Jarno Saarinen, Kevin Schwantz, Barry Sheene, Marco Simoncelli, Freddie Spencer, Casey Stoner, John Surtees, Carlo Ubbiali, Alex Crivillé, Franco Uncini, Marco Lucchinelli, Randy Mamola and the late Nicky Hayden. The South African yook his first podium in 1976 when he came second in the 250cc race at the West German Grand Prix and he followed it up – this time in the 350 World Championship – with his first win, taken at the Spanish Grand Prix. 1977 saw more podiums and wins – with his first 250 victory coming at Silverstone – before the South African made his charge for the crowns. He began 1978 off the podium in both Championships before he made his first visit to the rostrum that season in the 350cc race at the Salzburgring. Repeating the feat next time out, the eventual Champion in both classes then took both the 250 and 350 wins at the Nations GP at Mugello, something he also did in Finland and at Brno. Ballington took four 250 wins and six 350 wins on the way to winning both titles that year and 1979 was a similar story as the South African on the Kawasaki dominated. Seven 250 wins – achieved three-in-a-row and then four-in-a-row – saw him defend the crown, and five wins in the 350 World Championship wrapped that up title for the second year running too. Ballington decided to target the 250 and 500 Championships in 1980 and was runner up in the lower category after another five wins, alongside taking some solid top ten results on the 500. That laid solid foundations and his first podiums in the premier class came the following season in the Netherlands and Finland. A final year of competition in 1982 prefaced the four-time World Champion’s retirement.
Palmarès
Vidéos
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Comment courir quand on a des problèmes de vue ?
Kork Ballington et Noboru Ueda témoignent sur le fait de courir avec des lunettes et sur les éventuels problèmes rencontrés.
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Kork Ballington intronisé MotoGP™ Legend
Kork Ballington rejoint, en marge de ce GP Michelin® d'Australie, le clan des MotoGP™ Legends.
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Ballington, le pilote qui ne voyait pas les virages
Kork Ballington, qui sera érigé au rang de MotoGP Legend, est un des rares pilotes à avoir porté des lunettes de vue en compétition.
Biographie
Toutes les catégories
500cc, 250cc, 350cc
Date de naissance
10/04/1951
Lieu de naissance
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Biographie
News
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Kork Ballington devient MotoGP™ Legend à Phillip Island
Son intronisation avait lieu, ce vendredi, en marge du Grand Prix Michelin d’Australie.
Par motogp.com -
Kork Ballington sera érigé au rang de MotoGP™ Legend
Le Sud-Africain Kork Ballington rejoindra le hall de MotoGP™ Legends, à l’occasion du Grand Prix d’Australie.
Par motogp.com
Vidéos
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Comment courir quand on a des problèmes de vue ?
Kork Ballington et Noboru Ueda témoignent sur le fait de courir avec des lunettes et sur les éventuels problèmes rencontrés.
-
Kork Ballington intronisé MotoGP™ Legend
Kork Ballington rejoint, en marge de ce GP Michelin® d'Australie, le clan des MotoGP™ Legends.
-
Ballington, le pilote qui ne voyait pas les virages
Kork Ballington, qui sera érigé au rang de MotoGP Legend, est un des rares pilotes à avoir porté des lunettes de vue en compétition.