The third round of the 1990 500cc World Road Racing Championship took place under a searing Spanish sun at Jerez, and the racing, which was just as hot, was enjoyed by 170,000 enthusiastic fans.

With World Champion Eddie Lawson still out of the series due to injuries suffered during practice at Laguna Seca, the field was wide open to top challengers with pretentions to his crown. The two Waynes, American Rainey (Yamaha YZR) and Aussie Gardner (Honda RS500), hoisted the series to a thrilling new level of excitement with performances that stunned the crowds. Despite the 90 degrees heat, the man from down under kept his cool and appeared determined to end his 13 months of isolation in the Grand Prix outback.
Rainey grabbed the holeshot from the grid and roared off, closely pursued by a very determined Christian Sarron (Yamaha) and from then on the race developed into a battlefield of duels with long, lurid slides on the tyre torturing tarmac of Jerez.

Worthy of a special mention is brave Kevin Schwantz who rode a hero’s race with a strapped-up broken wrist.

In the 250cc race (round 3) Luca Cadalora (Yamaha) locked horns with Kenny Robert’s pint-sized protégé John Kocinski and discovered that the young American has no fear of unfamiliar European circuits. The event was a superb 2-man duel that lasted for 23 laps.

One thing's for sure, if this series maintains its present pace it could well eclipse last year's outstanding racing.