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Katja Poensgen

{{short description|German motorcycle racer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}

{{Infobox motorcycle rider

| name = Katja Poensgen

| image =

| caption =

| nationality = German

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1976|09|23}}

| birth_place = Mindelheim, West Germany

| Current team =

| Bike number = 65

| website =

| 250 Active years= 2001 and 2003

| 250 Manufacturers = Aprilia, Honda

| 250 Race Starts = 24

| 250 Race Wins = 0

| 250 Podiums = 0

| 250 Poles = 0

| 250 Fastest laps= 0

| 250 Total Points= 2

| 250 Last season = 2003

| 250 Last position = NC (0 pts)

| SS Active years = 1998

| SS Manufacturers = Suzuki

| SS Race Starts = 1

| SS Race Wins = 0

| SS Podiums = 0

| SS Poles = 0

| SS Fastest laps = 0

| SS Total Points = 0

| SS Last season = 1998

| SS Last position = NC (0 pts)

}}

Katja Poensgen (born 23 September 1976) is a German former professional motorcycle racer.{{cite web |url=https://www.motogp.com/en/riders/Katja+Poensgen |title=Katja Poensgen MotoGP statistics |publisher=motogp.com |accessdate=November 19, 2019 |archive-date=7 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607190126/http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/katja+poensgen |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.worldsbk.com/en/rider/Katja+Poensgen/813 |title=Katja Poensgen World Superbike statistics |publisher=worldsbk.com |accessdate=November 19, 2019}} She was the first female competitor to qualify for a 250cc Grand Prix race.{{cite web|url=https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/69186/1/katja-poensgen-makes-history |title=Katja Poensgen makes history |publisher=crash.net |accessdate=November 19, 2019}} In 2011, Poensgen was inducted into the FIM Hall of Fame for her pioneering Grand Prix racing career.{{cite web|url=http://www.fim-live.com/en/fim/the-federation/distinctions/fim-legends/ |title=FIM Legends |publisher=fim-live.com |accessdate=April 20, 2020}}

Motorcycle racing career

Poensgen was born in Mindelheim, Germany as the daughter of the German importer for Suzuki motorcycles.[https://books.google.com/books?id=NKRYLxEd6uAC&dq=katja+poensgen&pg=RA9-PA108 A Girl in the GPs], Cycle World Magazine, September 2001, Vol. 40, No. 1-7, {{ISSN|0011-4286}}{{cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/f1-grand-prix/female-gp-rider-pussyfoots-through-250-gp-495221 |title=Female GP rider pussyfoots through 250 GP |publisher=iol.co.za |accessdate=November 19, 2019}} She began riding motorcycles at the age of four.{{cite news |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2000-10-22-0010220135-story.html |title=She Races with the Big Boys |author=Catron, Derek |publisher=orlandosentinel.com |accessdate=November 19, 2019 }} She started her motorcycle racing career in 1993 competing in the ADAC Junior Cup. In 1995 Poensgen rode a Suzuki RGV250 to become the first female to win the Junior Cup in Germany. That same year, she won the European Supermono championship riding a Suzuki DR650. In 1996 she competed in the German 125cc Championship. The next year she moved to German Supersport Championship.

In 1998 Poensgen made her world championship debut when she took part in the German round of the Supersport World Championship at the Nürburgring circuit. She rode a Suzuki GSX-R600 to a 20th place finish. In 1999 Poensgen began competing in the European Superstock 1000 Championship with a Suzuki GSX 750 R. In 2000 she rode for the Alstare Corona Suzuki Team in the same championship, finishing the season ranked sixth. She also set the fastest lap time twice and scored a second place result at the Misano Adriatico race circuit.{{cite news|url=http://resources.worldsbk.com/files/results/2000/RSM/STK/001/CLA/Results.pdf?version=cfcd208495d565ef66e7dff9f98764da |title=FIM European Superstock 1000 Cup at Misano Adriatico|work=Worldsbk.com|publisher=Dorna|date=18 June 2000|accessdate=1 February 2018}}

In 2001 Poensgen moved to the 250cc class in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. She became the third female competitor in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history after Taru Rinne and Tomoko Igata. She began the season riding an Aprilia RSV 250 but, changed motorcycles mid-season to a Hardwick Racing Honda RS250R.{{cite news|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2001/08/25/katja-poensgen-officially-presented-by-shell-advance-honda/131450|title=Katja Poensgen officially presented by Shell Advance Honda|work=motogp.com|publisher=Dorna|date=3 September 2001|accessdate=1 February 2018}} On April 8, 2001, Poensgen became the first female competitor to qualify for a 250cc Grand Prix race at the 2001 Japanese Grand Prix. In 2002 she competed in German Superstock 1000. In 2003 she came back to Grand Prix motorcycle racing, without scoring points.

In 2004, she worked as a commentator on German television.{{cite web |last1=Santos |first1=Jesús Sánchez |title=Katja Poensgen and women's motorcycling |url=https://motosangp.com/motofem/katja-poensgen-and-womens-motorcycling/ |publisher=MOTOSAN |access-date=5 February 2021 |date=15 September 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Career statistics

=Supersport World Championship=

==Races by year==

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

! Year

! Bike

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}}

! Pts

1998

! Suzuki

| GBR

| ITA

| SPA

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GER
20

| ITA

| ZAF

| USA

| GBR

| AUT

| NED

!

! 0

=Grand Prix motorcycle racing=

==By season==

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

!Season

!Class

!Motorcycle

!Team

!Race

!Win

!Pod

!Pole

!FLap

!Pts

!Pos

rowspan=2| 2001

|rowspan=2| 250cc

| Aprilia

| Dark Dog Racing Factory

|rowspan=2| 14

|rowspan=2| 0

|rowspan=2| 0

|rowspan=2| 0

|rowspan=2| 0

|rowspan=2| 2

|rowspan=2| 30th

Honda

| Shell Advance Honda

2003

| 250cc

| Honda

| Dark Dog Molenaar

| 10

| 0

| 0

| 0

| 0

| 0

| NC

Total

|

|

|

| 24

| 0

| 0

| 0

| 0

| 2

|

==Races by year==

(key)

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

! Class

! Team

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}}

! Pts

rowspan=2| 2001

!rowspan=2| 250cc

!align="left"| Aprilia

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| JPN
22

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| RSA
24

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SPA
23

| FRA
DNS

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ITA
14

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

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

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GBR
23

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GER
20

|CZE

|

|

|

|

|

|

!rowspan=2| 30th

!rowspan=2| 2

Honda

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| POR
20

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| VAL
24

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

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| AUS
19

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

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

align="left"| 2003

!align="left"| 250cc

!align="left"| Honda

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| JPN
20

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

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| SPA
DNQ

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| FRA
DNQ

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| ITA
DNQ

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

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| NED
18

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GBR
19

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GER
18

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| CZE
20

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

| BRA
DNS

| PAC

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

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

| VAL

! NC

! 0

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{MotoGP.com}}
  • {{WorldSBK.com}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poensgen, Katja}}

Category:1976 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Mindelheim

Category:Sportspeople from Swabia (Bavaria)

Category:German motorcycle racers

Category:Female motorcycle racers