Kenny Roberts Jr is to made an official MotoGP Legend on Friday at the Circuit of the Americas round in Austin, Texas.

The son of King Kenny Roberts, 'KR JR' began his grand prix career at his father's team in the 250cc class, before being promoted to the premier 500cc category in 1995.

After two seasons on the Modenas KR3, the Californian enjoyed instant success when he switched to the factory Suzuki team in 1999, winning the opening rounds (also his first podiums) on the way to second in the world championship behind Honda's Alex Criville.

Roberts repeated his four wins the following season which, alongside five further podiums, allowed him to beat Honda rookie Valentino Rossi and claim what remains Suzuki's most recent premier-class title.

Although he remained with the factory for the next five seasons, Roberts would claim only three more podiums; Suzuki struggling during the initial years of the new MotoGP four-stroke class.

Nonetheless, a return to his father's independent team for 2006 saw a rejuvenated Roberts take two podiums - and get within a fraction of victory at Estoril - on his way to sixth in the world championship on the Honda-powered KR211V.

But 2007 and the change to 800cc engines saw a downturn in performance and, after four points in seven starts, Roberts Jr called time on his racing career.

Triple 500cc world champion Kenny Sr has already been inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame.

After Roberts Jr, 1981 world champion Marco Lucchinelli is due to be made a Legend at Mugello. There will then be only four 500cc champions (Leslie Graham 1949, Umberto Masetti 1950 and '52, Libero Liberati 1957 and Gary Hocking 1961) from 1949-2000 who are not yet in the Hall of Fame.