[3] Lawson accepted an offer from Yamaha to contest the 500cc World Championship as Kenny Roberts' teammate for the 1983 season.

[6] Lawson began the 1986 season by winning the Daytona 200 in a dominating manner to give Yamaha their first AMA Superbike victory.

Furthermore, he was the fourth satellite rider to win the premier class world title before Valentino Rossi did so in 2001, 12 years later.

[3] Lawson also won the ABC Superbikers event at Carlsbad Calif. in 1983 and 1985 which pitted the best riders from several disciplines against each other on a combined dirt and paved course.

His passion for speed remains undiminished and the former World Champion now enjoys driving 250cc Superkarts often accompanied by his great friend and rival Wayne Rainey, who races in a specially modified Superkart to cope with his spinal injuries, and historic Formula One cars, with a Walter Wolf Racing WR4 at vintage events.

[4] [2] Points system from 1969 to 1987: Points system from 1988 to 1992: (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) (key) 1949  L. Graham 1950  U. Masetti 1951  G. Duke 1952  U. Masetti 1953  G. Duke 1954  G. Duke 1955  G. Duke 1956  J. Surtees 1957  L. Liberati 1958  J. Surtees 1959  J. Surtees 1960  J. Surtees 1961  G. Hocking 1962  M. Hailwood 1963  M. Hailwood 1964  M. Hailwood 1965  M. Hailwood 1966  G. Agostini 1967  G. Agostini 1968  G. Agostini 1969  G. Agostini 1970  G. Agostini 1971  G. Agostini 1972  G. Agostini 1973  P. Read 1974  P. Read 1975  G. Agostini 1976  B. Sheene 1977  B. Sheene 1978  K. Roberts 1979  K. Roberts 1980  K. Roberts 1981  M. Lucchinelli 1982  F. Uncini 1983  F. Spencer 1984  E. Lawson 1985  F. Spencer 1986  E. Lawson 1987  W. Gardner 1988  E. Lawson 1989  E. Lawson 1990  W. Rainey 1991  W. Rainey 1992  W. Rainey 1993  K. Schwantz 1994  M. Doohan 1995  M. Doohan 1996  M. Doohan 1997  M. Doohan 1998  M. Doohan 1999  À. Crivillé 2000  K. Roberts Jr. 2001  V. Rossi 2002  V. Rossi 2003  V. Rossi 2004  V. Rossi 2005  V. Rossi 2006  N. Hayden 2007  C. Stoner 2008  V. Rossi 2009  V. Rossi 2010  J. Lorenzo 2011  C. Stoner 2012  J. Lorenzo 2013  M. Márquez 2014  M. Márquez 2015  J. Lorenzo 2016  M. Márquez 2017  M. Márquez 2018  M. Márquez 2019  M. Márquez 2020  J. Mir 2021  F. Quartararo 2022  F. Bagnaia 2023  F. Bagnaia 2024  J. Martín Giacomo Agostini, Hideo Kanaya, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, John Kocinski, Luca Cadalora, Norifumi Abe, Max Biaggi, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Ben Spies, Maverick Viñales, Fabio Quartararo Freddie Spencer, Takazumi Katayama, Randy Mamola, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Daryl Beattie, Àlex Crivillé, Tadayuki Okada Valentino Rossi, Tohru Ukawa, Nicky Hayden, Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso, Casey Stoner, Marc Márquez