Santiago Herrero

Santiago Herrero Ruiz (9 May 1943 – 10 June 1970) was a Spanish professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1968 to 1970 as a member of the Ossa factory racing team. As Spain began to emerge from the Franco Era, Herrero became the country's most promising international motorcycle racer until he died from injuries sustained while competing in the 1970 Isle of Man TT race.

Biography Born in Madrid, Spain, Herrero bought his first motorcycle at the age of 12. Recognizing Herrero's riding talent as well as his mechanical skills, Giró offered him a job to develop the Ossa 250cc race bike. The Yamahas swept the championship, but Herrero's results left no doubt that the little Ossa was quick and dependable. He finished seventh in the championship and claimed a third place in the final race of the season at Monza. 125cc and 250cc machines would be limited to two cylinders and 6-speed transmissions.

The 1969 Grand Prix season would be even more successful for Herrero. He began the year winning his first grand prix at the opening race of the season in front of his countrymen at Jarama. Stan Woods, who had originally been reported to have collided with Herrero, actually crashed while trying to avoid him. As a result of the accident, Woods suffered a broken ankle and two broken collar-bones. Herrero died of irreversible shock and from his injuries two days later. He was 27 years old. The cause of the accident, described by Stanley Woods, "may have been melting tar on the bend." His loss affected the Ossa factory so much that they abandoned road racing altogether.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Points Rank Wins 1968 250cc Ossa GER6 ESPDNF IOMDNF NED6 BEL5 DDRDNF CZE- FIN- ULS- NAT3 8 7th 01969 50 cc Derbi ESP- GER- FRA- NED7 BEL2 DDR2 CZE- ULS- NAT- YUG- 28 7th 0 250cc Ossa ESP1 GERDNF FRA1 IOM3 NED3 BEL1 DDR2 CZEDNF FIN6 ULSDNF NAT5 YUGDNF 83 3rd 3 1970 250cc Ossa GERDNF FRA2 YUG1 IOMDNF – – – – – – – – 27 8th 1