Doug Polen

{{Infobox motorcycle rider

| image = Doug Polen 1990 Suzuka 8H.jpg

|caption = Polen at Suzuka in 1990.

|name = Doug Polen

|nationality = {{flagicon|United States}} United States

| SBK Active years = {{SBK|1988}} - {{SBK|1992}}, {{SBK|1994}} - {{SBK|1995}}

| SBK Manufacturers = Ducati, Honda

| SBK Championships = 2 ({{SBK|1991}}, {{SBK|1992}})

| SBK Race Starts = 80

| SBK Race Wins = 27

| SBK Podiums = 40

| SBK Poles = 17

| SBK Fastest laps = 17

| SBK Total Points = 1002

| SBK Last season = 1995

| SBK Last position = -

}}

Doug Polen (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional motorcycle road racer.{{cite web |url=http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=446 |title=Doug Polen at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame |publisher=motorcyclemuseum.org |access-date=January 13, 2018 }} Polen was a dominant national and world champion road racer in the late 1980s and early 1990s, culminating with his Superbike world championships in {{SBK|1991}} and {{SBK|1992}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.wsb-archives.co.uk/profiles/rider-profile.php?riderID=304 |title=Rider Profile - Doug Polen |publisher=wsb-archives.co.uk |access-date=January 14, 2018 }}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q25p0M_Zm7QC&q=1989+doug+polen+japanese+grand+prix&pg=PA235 |title=Grand Prix Motorcycle Racers: The American Heroes |author=DeWitt, Norman L. |year=2010 |isbn=9781610600453 |access-date=January 14, 2018 }} He raced successfully in AMA Superbike, Japanese Superbike Championship, Superbike World Championship and endurance racing. Polen was inducted to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2011/11/ducati-celebrates-the-ama-hall-of-fame-induction-of-two-legends-phil-schilling-and-doug-polen/ |title=Ducati celebrates the AMA Hall of Fame Induction of two legends: Phil Schilling and Doug Polen. |publisher=motorcycledaily.com |access-date=January 15, 2018 }}

Motorcycle racing career

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Polen's family moved to Denton, Texas, where he began his motorcycle road racing career in 1977 as a privateer racer. Injuries sustained in a crash in mid-1982 made Polen decide to quit racing but, friends convinced him to begin racing again in late 1985. In 1986, he competed in the newly created Suzuki GSXR National Cup Series. He was so successful at winning races that in only two years, he earned $260,000 in contingency fees while competing in the Suzuki sponsored series.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-11-sp-13591-story.html |title=Doug Polen: King of Club Racers |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 14, 2018 }} He earned more money than any privateer rider in the history of American motorcycle racing. His success earned him a contract to race for the Yoshimura Suzuki racing team in 1988. With the Yoshimura team, he became the first competitor to win both the AMA 750cc Superbike and the 600cc Supersport titles.

In 1989 Polen had the opportunity to race for the Yoshimura team in Japan, winning the Formula 1 and Formula 3 in the All Japan Road Race Championship, the first time anyone had captured both titles the same season. While in Japan, Polen received a one-time offer to race in the Japanese round of the {{SBK|1989}} Superbike World Championship and, made an impressive debut by winning the first race and finishing the second race in fourth place. Polen joined Eraldo Ferracci's "Fast By Ferracci" Ducati racing team to compete in the 1991 Superbike World Championship. He won the championship in a dominating fashion, winning 17 of 24 races in the series and finishing 150 points ahead of his nearest rival, the defending world champion Raymond Roche. He also set a World Superbike Championship record by winning 6 consecutive pole positions, a record which stood for 18 years until it was broken by Ben Spies in {{SBK|2009}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/updated-spies-breaks-record-earns-seventh-consecutive-world-superbike-pole-position-at-miller/ |title=Spies Breaks Record, Earns Seventh Consecutive World Superbike Pole Position, At Miller |date=May 30, 2009 |publisher=roadracingworld.com |access-date=January 15, 2018 }} Polen successfully defended his title by winning the 1992 Superbike World Championship. He also finished third overall in the 1992 AMA Superbike national championship.

In 1993, Polen left the world championship to compete exclusively in the United States and won the AMA Superbike national championship. In {{SBK|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 {{SBK|1995}} but not before teaming up with Aaron Slight to win the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race for Honda.{{cite web |url=https://www.motoracing-japan.com/result/spl/948h.html |title=1994 Suzuka 8 Hours results |publisher=motoracing-japan.com |access-date=January 14, 2018 |archive-date=September 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904155206/http://www.motoracing-japan.com/result/spl/948h.html |url-status=dead }} He teamed up with Peter Goddard to win the 1997 FIM Endurance World Championship before switching to a Honda to win the 1998 Endurance World Championship with Christian Lavieille.

Polen's 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 {{SBK|1991}} is a single-season championship record. After retiring from racing, Polen formed a road racing school to help motorcyclists improve their skills. In 2011 Polen was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Career statistics

=Superbike World Championship=

==Races by year==

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
valign="middle" rowspan=2\| Year !valign="middle" rowspan=2\| Make !colspan=2\| 1 !colspan=2\| 2 !colspan=2\| 3 !colspan=2\| 4 !colspan=2\| 5 !colspan=2\| 6 !colspan=2\| 7 !colspan=2\| 8 !colspan=2\| 9 !colspan=2\| 10 !colspan=2\| 11 !colspan=2\| 12 !colspan=2\| 13 !rowspan=2\| {{Tooltip\|Pos.\|Championship position}} !rowspan=2\| 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 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| JPN 1 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| 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 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| JPN 8 \|style="background:#FFFFFF;"\| JPN DNS \| FRA \| FRA \| ITA \| ITA \| MAL \| MAL \| AUS \| AUS \| NZL \| NZL ! 48th ! 8
1991 ! Ducati \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| GBR 1 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| *GBR* Ret \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *SPA* 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *SPA* 1 \| CAN \| CAN \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| USA 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| USA 1 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| *AUT* 2 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *AUT* 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| SMR 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| SMR 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| SWE 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| SWE 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *JPN* 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *JPN* 1 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| *MAL* 4 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MAL 5 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| GER 1 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| *GER* 2 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| FRA 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| FRA 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *ITA* 1 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| ITA 2 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| AUS 2 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| AUS 1 !style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 1st !style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 432
1992 ! Ducati \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| SPA 2 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| SPA 6 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| GBR 6 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| GBR 4 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| GER 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| GER 1 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| BEL 5 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| BEL 1 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| SPA Ret \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *SPA* 1 \|style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| AUT 3 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| AUT 5 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| ITA 2 \|style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| ITA 3 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MAL 8 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| MAL 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| JPN 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| JPN 1 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| NED 1 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| NED Ret \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| ITA 10 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| ITA 5 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| AUS 2 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| AUS 4 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| NZL 1 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| NZL 2 !style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 1st !style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 371
1994 ! Honda \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| GBR 9 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| GBR 7 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| GER 5 \|style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| GER 3 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| ITA 12 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| ITA 15 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| SPA 6 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| SPA 7 \|style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| AUT 3 \|style="background:#FFDF9F;"\| AUT 3 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| INA 4 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| INA 6 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| JPN 10 \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| JPN 16 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| NED 11 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| NED Ret \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| SMR 11 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| SMR 7 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| EUR 12 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| EUR Ret \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| AUS 11 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| AUS 11 \| \| \| \| ! 4th ! 158
1995 ! Honda \| GER \| GER \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| SMR 17 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| SMR Ret \| GBR \| GBR \| ITA \| ITA \| SPA \| SPA \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| AUT Ret \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| AUT Ret \| USA \| USA \| EUR \| EUR \| JPN \| JPN \| NED \| NED \| INA \| INA \| AUS \| AUS \| \| ! NC ! 0

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

valign="middle" rowspan=2| Year

!valign="middle" rowspan=2| Make

!colspan=2| 1

!colspan=2| 2

!colspan=2| 3

!colspan=2| 4

!colspan=2| 5

!colspan=2| 6

!colspan=2| 7

!colspan=2| 8

!colspan=2| 9

!colspan=2| 10

!colspan=2| 11

!colspan=2| 12

!colspan=2| 13

!rowspan=2| {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}}

!rowspan=2| Pts

! 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

| HUN

| GER

| AUT

| JPN

| FRA

| POR

| AUS

| NZL

! NC

! 0

1989

! Suzuki

| GBR

| HUN

| CAN

| USA

| AUT

| FRA

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| JPN
1

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| JPN
4

| GER

| ITA

| AUS

| NZL

! 21st

! 33

1990

! Suzuki

| SPA

| GBR

| HUN

| GER

| CAN

| USA

| AUT

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| JPN
8

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| JPN
DNS

| FRA

| ITA

| MAL

| AUS

| NZL

! 48th

! 8

1991

! Ducati

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| GBR
1

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GBR
Ret

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SPA
1

| CAN

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| USA
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| USA
1

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| AUT
2

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| AUT
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SMR
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SWE
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| JPN
1

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAL
4

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAL
5

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| GER
1

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| GER
2

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| FRA
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ITA
1

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ITA
2

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| AUS
2

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| AUS
1

!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st

!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 432

1992

! Ducati

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SPA
2

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SPA
6

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GBR
6

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GBR
4

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| GER
1

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BEL
5

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| BEL
1

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SPA
Ret

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SPA
1

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| AUT
3

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| AUT
5

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ITA
2

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| ITA
3

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAL
8

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| MAL
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| JPN
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| NED
1

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NED
Ret

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ITA
10

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ITA
5

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| AUS
2

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| AUS
4

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| NZL
1

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| NZL
2

!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st

!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 371

1994

! Honda

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GBR
9

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GBR
7

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GER
5

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| GER
3

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ITA
12

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ITA
15

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SPA
6

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SPA
7

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| AUT
3

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| INA
4

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| INA
6

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| JPN
10

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| JPN
16

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NED
11

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NED
Ret

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SMR
11

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SMR
7

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| EUR
12

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| EUR
Ret

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| AUS
11

! 4th

! 158

1995

! Honda

| GER

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SMR
17

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SMR
Ret

| GBR

| ITA

| SPA

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| AUT
Ret

| USA

| EUR

| JPN

| NED

| INA

| AUS

! NC

! 0

=Grand Prix motorcycle racing=

==Races by year==

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

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! Year{{cite web \|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1989-japanese-motogp \|title=1989 Japanese Grand Prix results \|publisher=motorsportmagazine.com \|access-date=January 14, 2018 }} ! Class ! Bike ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! {{Tooltip\|Pos\|Championship position}} ! {{Tooltip\|Pts\|Championship points}}
1989 ! 500cc ! Suzuki \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| JPN Ret \| AUS \| USA \| SPA \| NAT \| GER \| AUT \| YUG \| NED \| BEL \| FRA \| GBR \| SWE \| CZE \| BRA ! NC ! 0

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! Year{{cite web |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1989-japanese-motogp |title=1989 Japanese Grand Prix results |publisher=motorsportmagazine.com |access-date=January 14, 2018 }}

! Class

! Bike

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! {{Tooltip|Pos|Championship position}}

! {{Tooltip|Pts|Championship points}}

1989

! 500cc

! Suzuki

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| JPN
Ret

| AUS

| USA

| SPA

| NAT

| GER

| AUT

| YUG

| NED

| BEL

| FRA

| GBR

| SWE

| CZE

| BRA

! NC

! 0

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite news|url=http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=27767|title=Aztrackday Superbike School To Offer Instruction By Polen|date=December 11, 2006|publisher=Road Racing World|access-date=August 25, 2007}}

{{cite news|url=http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2002-Nov/featurelarryf.htm|title=Eraldo's Boy Speaks Out: Interview with Larry Ferracci from 1995|author=Dean Adams|publisher=Superbike Planet|access-date=August 25, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017213037/http://superbikeplanet.com/2002-Nov/featurelarryf.htm|archive-date=October 17, 2007}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mctext/polen.html|title=Doug Polen|publisher=motorcycle.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508131534/http://motorcycle.com/mo/mctext/polen.html|archive-date=May 8, 2006}}

{{cite news|publisher=mcnews.com.au (Motorcycle News Australia)|url=http://www.mcnews.com.au/motorcycleracing2006/superbike/rnd12/preview_stats.htm|title=2006 Superbike World Championship - Round 12 - Magny Cours|date=October 8, 2006|access-date=August 25, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007064420/http://www.mcnews.com.au/motorcycleracing2006/superbike/rnd12/preview_stats.htm|archive-date=October 7, 2006}}

}}

External links

[http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=446 Doug Polen at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame]
[http://www.gopolen.com Doug Polen's Official Racing School] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211130625/http://www.gopolen.com/ |date=December 11, 2008 }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20011225175057/http://news.motorcycle.com/article.motml?sid=910 Doug Polen's AMA Career profile]

{{succession box |

| before = Raymond Roche

| after = Scott Russell

| title = World Superbike Champion

| years = 1991-1992

|}}

{{succession box |

| before = Scott Russell

| after = Troy Corser

| title = AMA Superbike Champion

| years = 1993

|}}