| Juan López Mella | |
| Birth Date: | 12 April 1965 |
| Birth Place: | Lugo, Spain |
| Death Place: | Albacete, Spain |
| Gp Active Years: | 1989, 1992 – 1994 |
| Gp Race Starts: | 40 |
| Gp Total Points: | 76 |
| Sbk Active Years: | 1990 – 1992 |
| Sbk Race Starts: | 33 |
| Sbk Total Points: | 94 |
| Sbk Podiums: | 1 |
Juan Manuel López Mella (12 April 1965 – 10 May 1995) was a Spanish professional motorcycle racer at Grand Prix and Superbike levels. After coming second in the national championships in 1985, he entered international competitions for the first time in 1987. He was the first person from Galicia to enter the competition. He came third in the 1991 Spanish Superbike race at Jarama, the first person from Spain to gain a podium position in the competition, and was named Spanish Superbike champion in both 1991 and 1992, becoming the highest placed private rider overall in 1993. In 1995, he started riding in the Thunderbike tournament but was killed in a road accident early in the season. Lugo, his city of birth, has named a park that teaches road safety in his honour and hosts a museum in his memory.
Born on 12 April 1965 in Lugo, Galicia, Spain, Juan Manuel López Mella started his racing career with motocross but by the age of 18 had moved to racing on asphalt. After debuting nationally in the Criterium Solo Moto in 1985, and coming second overall in the junior category of the 250 cc class that year, he then progressed to racing in the World Motorcycle Championships in 1987.[1] He became the first Galacian to compete in a world championship. After a season riding a Yamaha TZ250, during which he scored no points, he moved to a Honda RS250R in 1988; once again he finished outside the championship rankings. At that stage, he decided to move to larger bikes.[1]
In 1989, López Mella raced for the first time in the 500 cc category of the World Motorcycle Championship, with a Honda NS500.[1] He was the first Galacian to compete in the championship, placing at number 40 at the end of the season.[2] Between 1990 and 1992, he competed in the Superbike World Championship, finishing with 33 starts and 99 points over the three seasons.[3] During the 1991 season, he achieved his sole podium placing when he came third in the Spanish round at Jarama with a time of 40:05.859.[4] López Mella was the first Spaniard to achieve a podium place in the championship.[5] He was also the first to cross the finish line on a four-stroke bike at the Superprestigio Super Moto at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya later the that year.[6] He subsequently competed twice in the 1992 Superbike World Championship, coming thirteenth both times.[7] He was named Spanish Superbike champion in both 1991 and 1992.[8]
In 1992, he re-entered in the Grand Prix 500 cc class with a Yamaha YZR500.[3] However, in that year his funding ran out; it was only fund-raising by his now substantial fan base that enabled him to continue to compete. Riding for his own Lopez Mella Racing Team, he entered both the 1993 and 1994 seasons. In 1993, he came twelfth overall, the highest placed amongst the privately sponsored riders.[9] In 1994, he replaced Kevin Schwantz in the Suzuki team for the European motorcycle Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.[10] He came thirteenth riding a Suzuki RGV500.[11]
In 1995, López Mella started the season racing in the Thunderbike Trophy, completing the first race at Jerez de la Frontera in fourth place. He expected to complete the year with a good overall score, possibly with a podium position. However, on the evening of 10 May, while riding near Albacete on his way to train at the Circuit de Calafat, his motorbike hit a puddle of water, left the road and crashed.[12] An ambulance was called to take him to the hospital but he died before arriving. His riding companion and girlfriend, Cristina Blanco Trinidad, was also injured but survived.[13] In his honour, Lugo named a park in his name, which opened on 26 May 1995. The park teaches road safety to children.[14] The city also hosts a museum that was created in his memory.[15]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Pos | Pts | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 500cc | Honda NS500 | JPN | AUS | USA | ESP 14 | NAT Ret | GER 19 | AUT Ret | YUG | NED Ret | BEL | FRA 18 | GBR Ret | SWE 15 | CZE 16 | BRA 15 | 40th | 4 | [16] |
| 1992 | 500cc | Yamaha YZR500 | JPN | AUS | MAL | SPA 19 | ITA 18 | EUR 15 | GER 12 | NED DNS | HUN | FRA | GBR | BRA 13 | RSA DNS | – | 0 | [17] | ||
| 1993 | 500cc | Yamaha YZR500 | AUS Ret | MAL 13 | JPN Ret | SPA 8 | AUT 13 | GER 14 | NED Ret | EUR 7 | RSM Ret | GBR 7 | CZE 14 | ITA 12 | USA 10 | FIM Ret | 12th | 46 | [18] | |
| 1994 | 500cc | Yamaha YZR500 (exc 14 Suzuki RGV500) | AUS 13 | MAL Ret | JPN 15 | SPA 13 | AUT Ret | GER 12 | NED Ret | ITA 10 | FRA 10 | GBR | CZE Ret | USA DNS | ARG DNS | EUR 13 | 16th | 26 | [19] | |
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | |||||
| 1990 | Honda VFR750R | SPA 12 | SPA Ret | GBR 19 | GBR Ret | HUN 12 | HUN Ret | GER 11 | GER Ret | CAN Ret | CAN 16 | USA | USA | AUT | AUT | JPN | JPN | FRA | FRA | ITA Ret | ITA 23 | MAL | MAL | AUS | AUS | NZL | NZL | 39th | 13 | [20] |
| 1991 | GBR 11 | GBR 11 | SPA 3 | SPA 4 | CAN | CAN | USA 14 | USA | AUT Ret | AUT Ret | SMR Ret | SMR 11 | SWE Ret | SWE Ret | JPN 17 | JPN 18 | MAL 14 | MAL 10 | GER | GER | FRA 16 | FRA 18 | ITA 13 | ITA 15 | AUS | AUS | 16th | 57 | [21] | |
| 1992 | Honda VFR750R | SPA 14 | SPA 10 | GBR 16 | GBR | GER | GER | BEL | BEL | SPA | SPA | AUT | AUT | ITA | ITA | MAL | MAL | JPN | JPN | NED | NED | ITA | ITA | AUS | AUS | NZL | NZL | 44th | 24 | [22] |
