Schwants will ride the restored bike on the 2,621-mile road course on August 30 with 45 minutes before the start of the Grand Prix race. The event is of great importance for Schwantz, as it will be the first time he has ridden the bike since he retired after the 1995 season.
The 45-year-old MotoGP legend recorded 25 victories and 51 podium finishes during his career, gaining popularity with his extremely aggressive riding style. He culminated his career in 1993 by winning his first and only 500cc World Championship.
Schwantz entered the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999, while in 2000 the FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) named him a Grand Prix "Legend".
“We fired it up one weekend, I think, late in the year in 1995,” Schwantz was quoted as saying by MotoGP.com. “I’m looking forward to it. I’ve sat on it a couple of times. We've got some new Michelin tires for it. I'm not going to try and throw down a qualifying lap, that's for sure, but I'm really looking forward to riding it. Hearing that V4 two-stroke running around out here is going to be special.”
According to MotoGP.com, a new 600cc Moto2 class bike will also be introduced at the same event, which will allegedly replace the 250cc category in 2010.
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