Mick Doohan - Top Year in Marlboro Country (1988)

In the first week of October Doohan travelled to Japan and won the TBC Road Race Formula One event at Sugo. During that trip he discussed his future options with American 500cc grand prix star Eddie Lawson, who was also in Japan.

One of those options was a firm offer to join Giacomo Agostini's 500cc Marlboro Yamaha team. Then there were further discissions with Yamaha.

While in Japan Doohan also had the chance to ride a 500cc grand prix machine for the first time. He tested a Yamaha YZR500 at Iwata. His first impressions of a 500cc machinery were: "There was a lot more power than the superbike I'd been riding, but I felt comfortable," he said.

Toward the end of October Doohan won the Fuji SuperSprint in Japan, finishing 0.108-seconds ahead of Dowson. Both were riding Yamaha YZF750s. The Australians were followed by Americans Doug Polen, on a Suzuki, and Honda-mounted Bubba Shobert.

The same day Honda Racing Corporation met with Doohan in Japan and made the Gold Coast rider an offer. At this point there was considerable media and public speculation over Doohan's future, in both Australia and overseas. Doohan remained silent.

The plot thickened in the final week of October when Rothmans Honda team manager Jerry Burgess was photographed speaking with Doohan at the final round of the Deluxe Coachines Superbike Series at Winton. Burgess was the man who had taken Wayne Gardner to the 500cc world championship in 1987.

What was Burgess doing at Winton? A report on the race meeting in "Revs Motorcycle News" claimed Burgess was overheard to say: "I will be looking after the new young bloke in the Rothmans Honda team next year." The report was headlined "Doohan to Honda."

Around this time came the shock news that Eddie Lawson had ended his six-year association with the Marlboro Yamaha 500cc team and would join Wayne Gardner at Rothmans Honda in 1989.

Melbourne journalist Ron Hammerton wrote in "The Sun News-Pictorial" on November 4: "Australia's Michael Doohan, the hottest young motorcycle property in the world, has been snapped up by Honda." Hammerton continued: "Doohan is expected to have the services of Wayne Gardner's chief mechanic of the past two years, Jerry Burgess."

The following day Brisbane motorcycle journalist Brendan Quirk claimed in "The Courier-Mail" that a bid by Yamaha to retain Doohan's services had failed. Quirk's story was headlined "YAMAHA'S DOOHAN BID LOOKS DOOMED."

Through all the speculation Doohan remained silent. He was also busy preparing for the Swann Insurance International Series, which comprised three rounds over successive weekends at Oran Park, Lakeside, and Phillip Island.

Rob Phillis won both heats of the opening round at Oran Park, with Doohan and Dowson each claiming a second and a third. At Lakeside Doohan won the first heat in the wet, and was runner-up to Dowson in the second race.

Doohan went into the final round at Phillip Island with a six-point lead over Dowson. However, the series was decided at the start of the opening heat when the clutch failed on Doohan's machine. Dowson recorded first and third placings in the two races to win the series by 12 points.

After the Phillip Island meeting Doohan confirmed he would be racing in the 500cc world championship in 1989. But he declined to reveal who he would be riding for, saying: "I'm under contract to Yamaha for the year, and I'll be saying something in January."

In the wash-up to Doohan's spectacular climb to 1988, there was an element of sympathy for Mike Dowson. Back in 1986 when the Marlboro Yamaha Dealer Team was formed, Dowson was the No 1 rider and Kevin Magee the rookie. Dowson's ultimate goal was 500cc grand prix racing. Magee had beaten him to it, and now, so to had Doohan.

But Dowson bore no ill-feeling: "I've had some good results so there's a certain amount of frustration. That's only natural. But I've got nothing against either Kevin or Mick. They had some opportunities and they did the business. Both of them deserved what they got so good luck to them. I'm sure Mick will do very well in grand prix racing."

The question was: Who for?

Doohan OK - The Mick Doohan Story is published by The Michael Doohan Story.
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