Juan López Mella
Juan López Mella, riding his Repsol ROC-Yamaha at the 1994 Italian Grand Prix
Born(1965-04-12)12 April 1965
Lugo, Spain
Died10 May 1995(1995-05-10) (aged 30)
Albacete, Spain
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1989, 1992 – 1994
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
40 0 0 0 0 76
Superbike World Championship
Active years1990 – 1992
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
33 0 1 0 0 94

Juan Manuel López Mella (12 April 1965 – 10 May 1995) was a Spanish professional motorcycle racer at Grand Prix and Superbike levels. After coming second in the national championships in 1985, he entered international competitions for the first time in 1987. He was the first person from Galicia to enter the competition. He came third in the 1991 Spanish Superbike race at Jarama, the first person from Spain to gain a podium position in the competition, and was named Spanish Superbike champion in both 1991 and 1992, becoming the highest placed private rider overall in 1993. In 1995, he started riding in the Thunderbike tournament but was killed in a road accident early in the season. Lugo, his city of birth, has named a park that teaches road safety in his honour and hosts a museum in his memory.

Motorcycling career

Born on 12 April 1965 in Lugo, Galicia, Spain, Juan Manuel López Mella started his racing career with motocross but by the age of 18 had moved to racing on asphalt. After debuting nationally in the Criterium Solo Moto in 1985, and coming second overall in the junior category of the 250 cc class that year, he then progressed to racing in the World Motorcycle Championships in 1987.[1][2] He became the first Galacian to compete in a world championship. After a season riding a Yamaha TZ250, during which he scored no points, he moved to a Honda RS250R in 1988; once again he finished outside the championship rankings. At that stage, he decided to move to larger bikes.[2]

In 1989, López Mella raced for the first time in the 500 cc category of the World Motorcycle Championship, with a Honda NS500.[2] He was the first Galacian to compete in the championship, placing at number 40 at the end of the season.[3] Between 1990 and 1992, he competed in the Superbike World Championship, finishing with 33 starts and 99 points over the three seasons.[4] During the 1991 season, he achieved his sole podium placing when he came third in the Spanish round at Jarama with a time of 40:05.859.[5] López Mella was the first Spaniard to achieve a podium place in the championship.[6] He was also the first to cross the finish line on a four-stroke bike at the Superprestigio Super Moto at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya later the that year.[7] He subsequently competed twice in the 1992 Superbike World Championship, coming thirteenth both times.[8] He was named Spanish Superbike champion in both 1991 and 1992.[9]

In 1992, he re-entered in the Grand Prix 500 cc class with a Yamaha YZR500.[4] However, in that year his funding ran out; it was only fund-raising by his now substantial fan base that enabled him to continue to compete.[1] Riding for his own Lopez Mella Racing Team, he entered both the 1993 and 1994 seasons. In 1993, he came twelfth overall, the highest placed amongst the privately sponsored riders.[10] In 1994, he replaced Kevin Schwantz in the Suzuki team for the European motorcycle Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.[11] He came thirteenth riding a Suzuki RGV500.[12]

Death and legacy

In 1995, López Mella started the season racing in the Thunderbike Trophy, completing the first race at Jerez de la Frontera in fourth place. He expected to complete the year with a good overall score, possibly with a podium position. However, on the evening of 10 May, while riding near Albacete on his way to train at the Circuit de Calafat, his motorbike hit a puddle of water, left the road and crashed.[13] An ambulance was called to take him to the hospital but he died before arriving. His riding companion and girlfriend, Cristina Blanco Trinidad, was also injured but survived.[14][15] In his honour, Lugo named a park in his name, which opened on 26 May 1995. The park teaches road safety to children.[1][16] The city also hosts a museum that was created in his memory.[17]

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Pts Ref
1989 500cc Honda NS500 JPN
 AUS
 USA
 ESP
14		 NAT
Ret		 GER
19		 AUT
Ret		 YUG
 NED
Ret		 BEL
 FRA
18		 GBR
Ret		 SWE
15		 CZE
16		 BRA
15		 40th 4 [18]
1992 500cc Yamaha YZR500 JPN
AUS
MAL
SPA
19		 ITA
18		 EUR
15		 GER
12		 NED
DNS		 HUN
FRA
GBR
BRA
13		 RSA
DNS		 – 0 [19]
1993 500cc Yamaha YZR500 AUS
Ret		 MAL
13		 JPN
Ret		 SPA
8		 AUT
13		 GER
14		 NED
Ret		 EUR
7		 RSM
Ret		 GBR
7		 CZE
14		 ITA
12		 USA
10		 FIM
Ret		 12th 46 [20]
1994 500cc Yamaha YZR500
(exc 14 Suzuki RGV500)		 AUS
13		 MAL
Ret		 JPN
15		 SPA
13		 AUT
Ret		 GER
12		 NED
Ret		 ITA
10		 FRA
10		 GBR
 CZE
Ret		 USA
DNS		 ARG
DNS		 EUR
13		 16th 26 [21]

Superbike World Championship

Races by year

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

Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos. Pts Ref
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
1990 Honda VFR750R SPA
12		 SPA
Ret		 GBR
19		 GBR
Ret		 HUN
12		 HUN
Ret		 GER
11		 GER
Ret		 CAN
Ret		 CAN
16		 USA USA AUT AUT JPN JPN FRA FRA ITA
Ret		 ITA
23		 MAL MAL AUS AUS NZL NZL 39th 13 [22]
1991 Honda VFR750R GBR
11		 GBR
11		 SPA
3		 SPA
4		 CAN CAN USA
14		 USA AUT
Ret		 AUT
Ret		 SMR
Ret		 SMR
11		 SWE
Ret		 SWE
Ret		 JPN
17		 JPN
18		 MAL
14		 MAL
10		 GER GER FRA
16		 FRA
18		 ITA
13		 ITA
15		 AUS AUS 16th 57 [23]
1992 Honda VFR750R SPA
14		 SPA
10		 GBR
16		 GBR GER GER BEL BEL SPA SPA AUT AUT ITA ITA MAL MAL JPN JPN NED NED ITA ITA AUS AUS NZL NZL 44th 24 [24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Palacios, Xosé María (12 May 2020), "Hace 25 años, Lugo lloraba la muerte del querido piloto López Mella" [25 years ago, Lugo mourned the death of the beloved rider López Mella], La Voz de Galacia (in Galician), archived from the original on 20 May 2020
  2. 1 2 3 Alcoba, Luis Carlos (May 1991). "Carallo: En Linea ... con Juan Manuel López Mella" [Carallo: Online ... with Juan Manuel López Mella]. Motociclismo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 December 2012.
  3. ↑ "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Magazine Database. 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "1991 Superbike World Championship Jarama". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  6. ↑ Losada, Carlos (26 March 2022). "Juan López Mella, el piloto más querido de Lugo" [Juan López Mella, Lugo's most Beloved Rider]. Motoclisimo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 29 March 2022.
  7. ↑ Noyes, Dennis (30 October 1991). "Doohan Squeaks Past Kocinski in Spain". Cycle News: 12.
  8. ↑ Antoine, Glon (1993). "Championnat d'Europe de Vitesse Motorcycle 1992 – Superbikes 750cc" [1992 European Speed Motorcycle Championship – Superbikes 750cc]. Racing Memory (in French). Archived from the original on 9 November 2019.
  9. ↑ Moakes, Dan (11 April 2007). "World and Domestic Superbike Champions". F1 Network. Archived from the original on 27 October 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  10. ↑ El Mundo Deportivo (25 March 1994). "López Mella, el mejor privado" [López Mella, the best private]. El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish): 42. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  11. ↑ El Mundo Deportivo (29 September 1994). "López Mella, con la Suzuki de Schwantz" [López Mella, with the Suzuki of Schwantz]. El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish): 38. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  12. ↑ "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  13. ↑ "Luto en las dos Ruedas:López Mella Perdió la Vida en la Carreterra" [Mourning on Two Wheels: López Mella Lost His Life on the Road]. El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish): 42. 12 May 1995. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  14. ↑ "Juan Manuel se dirigia a Calafat para Entranarse" [Juan Manuel went to Calafat to train]. Viernes (in Galician). 12 May 1995. p. 56.
  15. ↑ "Muere en accidente de tráfico Juan López Mella" [Juan López Mella dies in a traffic accident], El Mundo (in Spanish), 5 November 1995, archived from the original on 31 December 2012
  16. ↑ "Lugo da a tres canchas de deporte el nombre de las jugadoras que murieron en el accidente del microbús" [Lugo gives three sports fields the name of the players who died in the minibus accident]. La Vox de Galacia (in Galician). 23 May 2009.
  17. ↑ "Homenaje a Lopez Mella" [Homage to Lopez Mella]. Motorgallego.com (in Galician). Archived from the original on 27 November 2022.
  18. ↑ "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  19. ↑ "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  20. ↑ "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  22. ↑ "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  23. ↑ "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  24. ↑ "Juan Manuel López Mella". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
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