Factory Honda Superbike rider Fred Merkel (No. 1) and Yamaha’s John Kocinski (No. 30) battle at the AMA Superbike race at Road Atlanta in 1986. No one knew at the time both of these riders would go on to be world champions.

Merkel was unceremoniously dumped by Honda after winning the ’86 AMA Superbike title, but in an amazing example of making the best of a bad situation, Merkel turned around and earned two consecutive World Superbike Championships. The very presence of a rider of Merkel’s status and star power in the new series helped give instant credibility to World Superbike when it launched in 1988.

Kocinski, similarly to Merkel, rose like a Phoenix in World Superbike. After a rapid ascension on GP racing including winning the 250GP title in 1990, Kocinski found himself without a ride after Cagiva withdrew from GP racing after the 1994 season. He eventually landed a ride with Castrol Honda and earned the World Superbike title in 1997.

This photo is from the Rick Leventhal Collection.

Factory Honda Superbike rider Fred Merkel and Yamaha’s John Kocinski battle at the AMA Superbike race at Road Atlanta in 1986. No one knew at the time both of these riders would go on to be world champions. (Rick Leventhal Collection)