Jarno Saarinen

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Jarno Saarinen was born and raised in Turku, South-West Finland. At the age of 15 he worked as apprentice and test-rider for Tunturi-Puch, motorcycle factory in Turku where mopeds and motorcycles were assembled under licence from the Austrian Puch manufacturer. Saarinen made his racing debut in an ice race at Ylone in 1961, finishing in second place. He and his close friend Teuvo Länsivuori participated in ice racing and grasstrack racing as well as road racing.

In 1965 Saarinen won the 250cc Finnish ice racing national championship. Saarinen was also an accomplished motorcycle speedway racer. On 4 August 1968 he made his Grand Prix debut at Imatra, riding a 125cc Puch to an 11th place in the Finnish Grand Prix, in which he was lapped three times by world champions Phil Read and Bill Ivy. In 1969 he won the 125cc and 250cc Finnish motorcycle national championships while acting as his own mechanic.

Saarinen was noted for his riding style in which he kept his chest just above the motorcycle's fuel tank, and for the way he negotiated curves by shifting his body towards the inside of a turn while extending his knee out. His riding style influenced future world champion, Kenny Roberts, when he witnessed Saarinen during a race at the Ontario Motor Speedway in 1973. Saarinen rode at the Ontario Champion Sparkplugs Classic in 1972, aboard a privately entered ex-works Al Godin Yamaha 350cc. Saarinen was also noted for the peculiar style in which he angled his handlebars in an almost vertical position.

Saarinen competed in his first full year in the 1970 250cc championship while continuing to act as his own mechanic. He convinced three bank managers to fund his racing career under the mistaken belief that they were financing his education. He finished the season in fourth place despite missing the final three rounds of the championship to complete his education by graduating as an engineer from the Turku Technical Institute.

In 1971, Giacomo Agostini was the reigning three-time 350cc world champion riding for MV Agusta however, Saarinen served notice by winning his first 350cc Grand Prix race in Czechoslovakia after Agostini's motorcycle had a mechanical failure. He then finished second to Agostini in the Finnish Grand Prix before winning the Nations Grand Prix in Italy. Saarinen competed in both 250cc and 350cc classes in 1971, finishing third in 250cc World Championship and second to Agostini in the 350cc class. He also showed his versatility at the Spanish Grand Prix by finishing second in the 50cc race aboard a Kreidler then winning the 250cc race on a Yamaha.

Saarinen's success didn't go unnoticed as Yamaha contracted him to ride their 250cc and 350cc motorcycles for the 1972 season. The Yamaha factory gave him the second 250cc Yamaha TD-3 (YZ635) after Barry Sheene complained about its performance at the third round in Austria. Saarinen rewarded Yamaha's faith in him by winning the 250cc World Championship in a tight season-long battle with Renzo Pasolini and Rod Gould. He finished second in 350cc World Championship, giving defending champion Giacomo Agostini a strong challenge by winning three races, including a victory at the German Grand Prix held at the daunting Nürburgring race track, where Saarinen defeated Agostini for the first time in a head-to-head race. He also scored a double victory at the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix with victories in both the 250cc and 350cc classes. The threat from Saarinen's performance was so strong that the previously dominant MV Agusta factory was forced to produce a new 350cc motorcycle for Agostini. After the world championship season ended, Saarinen traveled to Great Britain where he won the Race of the Year invitational held at Mallory Park.

At the end of the season, Saarinen negotiated with the Benelli factory about the possibility of riding 350cc and 500cc Benellis in the world championships. After a secret test ride at Modena, he rode Benellis to victories over Agostini in the 350cc and 500cc races at the Pesaro street circuit. The Yamaha factory reacted to the possibility of losing their star rider by signing Saarinen to a factory-backed sponsorship to compete on the newly developed YZR500 for the 1973 season. He would also defend his 250cc world championship for the Yamaha factory. The factory sponsorship also meant that he was provided with mechanics for his motorcycles, freeing him to concentrate on racing. With Saarinen signed to a contract, Yamaha was finally ready to challenge MV Agusta's sixteen-year reign in the 500cc class with competitive equipment.

Saarinen's 1973 season started well, as he became the first European rider to win the prestigious Daytona 200 race in the United States on a Yamaha TZ 350 against much larger 750cc capacity opposition. At the time, the Daytona 200 was considered one of the most prestigious motorcycle races in the world. He returned to Europe where, against an impressive field of competitors, he claimed a victory at the prestigious Imola 200 pre-season invitational race, once again defeating competitors on larger motorcycles with the TZ350.

Saarinen jumped to an early lead in the 1973 world championships by scoring a double victory at the season-opening French Grand Prix. He won the 250cc race then beat Read by 16 seconds to win the 500cc race. He followed this with another double victory at the Austrian Grand Prix held at the fast Salzburgring circuit. He continued his winning streak by winning the 250cc German Grand Prix but, then failed to finish the 500cc race when his chain broke while challenging Read for the lead.

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