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Fred Merkel

{{short description|American motorcycle racer}}

{{About|the motorcycle road racer|the Major League Baseball player with a similar name|Fred Merkle}}

{{Infobox motorcycle rider

| image = Fred Merkel 1993.jpg

| caption =

| name = Fred Merkel

| SBK Active years = {{SBK|1988}} - {{SBK|1993}}

| SBK Manufacturers = Honda

| SBK Championships = 2 ({{SBK|1988}}, {{SBK|1989}})

| SBK Race Starts = 117

| SBK Race Wins = 8

| SBK Podiums = 24

| SBK Poles = 4

| SBK Fastest laps = 7

| SBK Total Points = 848,5

| SBK Last season = 1993

| SBK Last position = 11th (91,5 pts)

}}

Fred Merkel (born September 28, 1962, in Stockton, California) is an American former professional motorcycle road racer and two-time Superbike World Champion.

Motorcycle racing career

In 1984 he teamed with Mike Baldwin to win the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race.{{Cite web |url=http://www.motoracing-japan.com/result/spl/848h.html |title=1984 Suzuka 8 Hours results at Moto Racing Japan |access-date=2009-10-12 |archive-date=2016-03-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315092546/http://www.motoracing-japan.com/result/spl/848h.html |url-status=dead }} He is a three-time AMA Superbike Champion, winning in 1984/5 on the VF750 and 1986 on the VFR750F.[http://www.motorsportsetc.com/champs/ama_sbk.htm AMA Superbike Champions] He jointly holds the record for the most wins in a season with Mat Mladin.

In {{SBK|1988}} the Superbike World Championship began, with Merkel entered on the RC30. He won the championship from Fabrizio Pirovano and Davide Tardozzi with two wins and three other podiums.[http://www.worldsbk.com/teams-e-riders/rider?pilota=13 Fred Merkel career World Superbike statistics at worldsbk.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410010256/http://www.worldsbk.com/teams-e-riders/rider?pilota=13 |date=2009-04-10 }} He successfully defended the crown in {{SBK|1989}}, with 3 wins, 7 other podiums, and 4 poles. He took three more wins en route to sixth overall in {{SBK|1990}}, but was less competitive after this.

Merkel retired from racing at the end of the 1995 season after being injured in an accident at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler, Arizona. Merkel and his family moved to a ranch they owned in New Zealand. He lives there with his wife Carla and son Travis, and as of the summer of 2009 welcomed newborn son Jhett.

He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2001.[http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=228&lpos=-1230px&letter=M&txtFname=&rblFname=S&txtLname=&rblLname=S&discipline=0 Motorcycle Hall of Fame]

He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2018.[http://www.mshf.com/hall-of-fame/inductees/fred-merkel.html Fred Merkel] at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

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

! Honda

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| FRA
C

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

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

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

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

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

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

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

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

!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 99

1989

! Honda

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

|

|

|

|

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

!style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 272

1990

! Honda

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

| JPN

| JPN

| FRA

| FRA

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

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

| MAL

| MAL

| AUS

| AUS

| NZL

| NZL

! 6th

! 197

1991

! Honda

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

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

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

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

| CAN

| CAN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

| AUS

| AUS

! 8th

! 124

1992

! Yamaha

| SPA

| SPA

| GBR

| GBR

| GER

| GER

| BEL

| BEL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| JPN
26

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| JPN
13

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NED
13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

! 13th

! 65

rowspan=2| 1993

! Yamaha

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

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

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

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

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

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

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

!rowspan=2| 11th

!rowspan=2| 91,5

Ducati

|

|

|

|

|

|

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

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SMR
27

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

| ITA

| ITA

| GBR

| GBR

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

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

=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

! 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

! Honda

| JPN

| AUS

| USA

| SPA

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

| GER

| AUT

| YUG

| NED

| BEL

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

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

| SWE

| CZE

| BRA

! 36th

! 5

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20071012084414/http://motorcyclemuseum.org/classics/bike.asp?id=22 Bubba Shobert's (ex-Merkel) Factory Superbike]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20081120171153/http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2002-Jun/theywonbrainerd.htm Race winners at Brainerd]

{{s-start}}

{{succession box |

| before = Wayne Rainey

| after = Wayne Rainey

| title = AMA Superbike Champion

| years = 1984–1986

|}}

{{s-non| reason = None}}

{{s-ttl| title = World Superbike Champion

| years = 1988–1989}}

{{s-aft| rows = 1 | after = Raymond Roche }}

{{s-end}}

{{Superbike World Champions}}

{{AMA Superbike Champions}}

{{clear}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merkel, Fred}}

Category:1962 births

Category:Living people

Category:Superbike World Championship riders

Category:American people of German descent

Category:American motorcycle racers

Category:AMA Superbike Championship riders

Category:Sportspeople from Stockton, California