Mick Doohan was one of several athletes that was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame last Thursday evening in a lavish 25th anniversary gala dinner in Melbourne.
Doohan, who last year he opened a nightclub the CatHouse Restaurant and Lounge at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, will become just the third motorcycle racer to be inducted into the hall of fame, behind Kel Carruthers and once rival and teammate Wayne Gardner.
Carruthers was world 250 GP champion in 1969, Gardner was 500cc champion in 1987, and Doohan who was 5 times GP World Champion from 1994 to 1998.
When recently asked by Australia’s Herald Sun why Aussies have made such an impact in motorcycle racing at an international level, Doohan replied: “The motorsport capital is Europe and that’s a long way to go for Australians, so there’s no point in doing it half-heartedly.
If you’re going to go you’ve got to give it your best shot – I think that’s the attitude most Australians have when they go overseas for anything.
It’s a big effort to get there and a long, lonely journey back if you haven’t succeeded.
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