1983 Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix

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One of the most dramatic races in one of the most dramatic Grand Prix seasons ended in controversy as the championship's two main combatants collided on the last lap while battling for the lead.

Coming into the Swedish Grand Prix, Honda's Freddie Spencer led Yamaha's Kenny Roberts 117 to 115 with each man having won 5 of the season's 10 races. Roberts had the momentum, having won four of the previous five rounds.

Roberts led going into the last lap. Heading down the back straight, Spencer placed himself right behind Roberts' tail pipes as they reached the second to the last corner, a ninety degree right-hander. As both riders applied their brakes, Spencer came out of Roberts' slipstream and managed to get inside of the Yamaha. As they exited the corner, both riders ran wide off the track and into the dirt. Spencer was able to get back on the track and back on the power first, crossing the finish line just ahead of Roberts.

It was a controversial pass by the young Honda rider and one that the two participants still dispute to this day. Roberts contends that it was a dangerous move while Spencer maintains it was a calculated risk he had to take to secure the championship. There is no film or video of the incident so only the two Americans know what really happened.

[edit] 1983 500cc Swedish Grand Prix final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points
1	Freddie Spencer	3	United States	Honda	15
2	Kenny Roberts	4	United States	Yamaha	12
3	Takazumi Katayama	7	Japan	Honda	10
4	Marc Fontan	10	France	Yamaha	8
5	Eddie Lawson	21	United States	Yamaha	6
6	Marco Lucchinelli	8	Italy	Honda	5
7	Randy Mamola	6	United States	Suzuki	4
8	Raymond Roche	28	France	Honda	3
9	Ron Haslam	9	Britain	Honda	2
10	Anton Mang		West Germany	Suzuki	1

[edit] 1983 250cc Swedish Grand Prix final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points
1	Christian Sarron	10	France	Yamaha	15
2	Hervé Guilleux		France	Kawasaki	12
3	Carlos Lavado	5	Venezuela	Yamaha	10
4	Tony Head	28	Britain	Rotax-Armstrong	8
5	Alan Carter		Britain	Yamaha	6
6	Jean Michel Mattioli	22	France	Yamaha	5
7	Jean-Louis Guignabodet	8	France	Yamaha	4
8	Didier de Radiguès	6	Belgium	Chevallier	3
9	Jacques Bolle	19	France	Pernod	2
10	Martin Wimmer	4	West Germany	Yamaha	1

[edit] 1983 125cc Swedish Grand Prix final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points
1	Bruno Kneubühler	15	Switzerland	MBA	15
2	Fausto Gresini		Italy	Garelli	12
3	August Auinger	6	Austria	MBA	10
4	Johnny Wickström	10	Finland	MBA	8
5	Ricardo Tormo	5	Spain	MBA	6
6	Hans Müller	8	Switzerland	MBA	5
7	Pier Paolo Bianchi	4	Italy	Sanvenero	4
8	Pierluigi Aldrovandi		Italy	MBA	3
9	Willy Perez		Argentina	MBA	2
10	Maurizio Vitali	13	Italy	MBA	1

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