Katja Poensgen was the first female competitor to qualify for a 250cc Grand Prix race.
12 Facts About Katja Poensgen
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In 2011, Poensgen was inducted into the FIM Hall of Fame for her pioneering Grand Prix racing career.
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Katja Poensgen was born in Mindelheim, Germany as the daughter of the German importer for Suzuki motorcycles.
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Katja Poensgen began riding motorcycles at the age of four.
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Katja Poensgen started her motorcycle racing career in 1993 competing in the ADAC Junior Cup.
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In 1995 Katja Poensgen rode a Suzuki RGV250 to become the first female to win the Junior Cup in Germany.
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In 1998 Katja Poensgen made her world championship debut when she took part in the German round of the Supersport World Championship at the Nurburgring circuit.
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Katja Poensgen rode a Suzuki GSX-R600 to a 20th place finish.
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In 1999 Poensgen began competing in the European Superstock 1000 Championship with a Suzuki GSX 750 R In 2000 she rode for the Alstare Corona Suzuki Team in the same championship, finishing the season ranked sixth.
10.
Katja Poensgen set the fastest lap time twice and scored a second place result at the Misano Adriatico race circuit.
11.
In 2001 Katja Poensgen moved to the 250cc class in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
12.
Katja Poensgen became the third female competitor in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history after Taru Rinne and Tomoko Igata.