Freddie Spencer Riding School
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Spencer at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix.
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| Nationality |
 American |
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| Born |
December 20, 1961 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
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Frederick Burdette Spencer (born December 20, 1961), known by the nickname Fast Freddie, is an American former world champion motorcycle racer. Spencer is regarded as one of the greatest motorcycle racers of the early 1980s.
Spencer was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was a racing prodigy who began racing at the age of four, competing in dirt track events near his hometown of Shreveport.
After winning the 1978 250cc U.S. National Road Racing Championship, American Honda signed Spencer to ride the legendary four cylinder, dual overhead cam, 16-valve CB750F prepared by engine builder Dennis Zickrick for their Superbike team from 1979 to 1982 (Zickrick was lead technician for the Buell 1125CR that won the AMA Daytona superbike championship in 2009). Spencer gained international prominence at the 1980 U.S. versus Britain Transatlantic Trophy match races when he won two legs at Brands Hatch, defeating World Champions Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene in the process. In 1981, he split his time between the AMA Superbike series, and the European Grand Prix circuit, helping Honda develop the exotic, oval-cylindered NR500 four-stroke Grand Prix bike.
By 1982, he had been promoted full-time to Honda's Grand Prix team, who by then had given up on the NR500 and developed the NS500 three cylinder, two-stroke. In 1983, Spencer won his first 500cc World Championship at the age of 21, becoming the youngest person to win the title, a distinction previously held by Mike Hailwood. The 1983 season would be remembered as one of the most dramatic title chases in the history of Grand Prix racing; Honda's Spencer and Yamaha's Kenny Roberts fought back and forth for the points lead with each of them earning six victories. The season culminated at the penultimate round in Sweden when the two riders collided on the last lap. Roberts ran off the track leaving Spencer to sprint to the finish line and victory. Roberts won the last race but Spencer finished second, securing his first world title by two points.
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