Rossi and Rea Ride YZR500 Grand Prix Bikes at Jerez YRHC Event

There were smiles for miles from Valentino Rossi and Jonathan Rea after the pair, who count 15 world championship titles between them, got the chance to ride Eddie Lawson’s championship and race-winning YZR500 Grand Prix machines during the Yamaha Racing Experience at Jerez. To add to the fun, the two champions were joined on track by Luca Cadalora, a three-time Grand Prix world champion, riding the Yamaha YZR250 he campaigned during the 1990 season.

Rea and his Pata Prometeon Yamaha WorldSBK teammate, Andrea Locatelli, together with reigning Endurance World Champion, Niccolo Canepa, also got to test a replica of the Yamaha 0WL9. The 0WL9 was the final YZR500 and was raced in 2002, the last year 500cc two-strokes were eligible for MotoGP, by the likes of Max Biaggi, Garry McCoy and Olivier Jacque.

Thanks to the Yamaha Racing Heritage Club members who made it possible for Jerez to reverberate to the sound of two-stroke expansion chambers once again!