John Kocinski had a knack for winning professional road races on many brands, on diverse tracks and in competitions around the world.
Born in 1968, Kocinski began racing as a teenager. He won the AMA 250 Grand Prix Championship in 1987, 1988 and 1989 and took the 1989 600 Supersport win at Daytona International Speedway.
In 1990, his first full season with Team Roberts, he won the 250cc World Championship in Europe, claiming eight pole positions and notching seven wins on tracks he had never seen before.
In 1991 and 1992, Kocinski raced a Yamaha YZR500 in the 500cc class with Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey. Kocinski finished fourth in ‘91, winning the Malaysian Grand Prix, and third in ’92, winning in South Africa.
Following stints with Cagiva and Honda, he moved to World Superbike, winning the title in 1997 on a Honda RC45 with 10 wins.
Kocinski retired from full-time professional racing in 2002.