Grand Prix legend Kenny Roberts will be a guest star at the upcoming Silverstone MotoGP round where he will ride one of the 500cc Yamahas on which he won his three world titles in a special Barry Sheene Tribute parade.

Sheene and Roberts were arch-rivals in the late 1970s with the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, broadcast to a worldwide television audience, recognised as one of the greatest grand prix races.

“For whatever reason there are very few races that stand out like the 1979 British Grand Prix at Silverstone,” said Roberts. “Me and Barry had some great races but that day at Silverstone in ’79 is the one they all talk about.”

“Racing against Barry at the ’79 Silverstone Grand Prix is firmly etched in my memory. And so is the next day, I remember Randy Mamola and me getting a taxi cab to the airport, the taxi driver couldn’t quit talking about Silverstone the previous day. We never said anything, just couldn’t quit laughing, said Roberts.

“I raced in a lot of races but none stand out in my memory like racing against old number seven at the 1979 British Grand Prix. I was just a racer, Barry Sheene was more than that. And he could explain all of this a lot better than me.”

Roberts will be on track at Silverstone on his 500cc OW48R Yamaha during the race weekend and will also be on hand to meet fans at Thursday’s Day of Champions, in aid of the Two Wheels For Life charity.

He will be joined on track, and in the Barry Sheene Tribute display area to meet fans, by a host of World Champions and Grand Prix legends including Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Graeme Crosby and Steve Baker.

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