{{{image}}} | |
Mike Hailwood | |
---|---|
Born | {{{birth_date}}} {{{birth_place}}} |
Died | {{{death_date}}} {{{death_place}}} |
Formula One career | |
Nationality | |
Years | 1963 - 1965, 1971 - 1974 |
Stanley Michael Bailey "Mike" Hailwood, MBE, GM (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time.[1][2] He was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding ability. Later in his career he went on to compete in Formula One auto racing, becoming one of the few men to compete at the Grand Prix level on motorcycles and in auto racing.
Early life[]
Hailwood was born at Langsmeade House, Great Milton in Oxfordshire, His father, who also raced in the pre-World War II era, was a successful motorcycle dealer and as such, Hailwood had a comfortable upbringing.[1] He learned to ride at a young age on a minibike as a small boy in a field near his home.[1] He was educated at Pangbourne College, but left early and worked for a short time in the family business before his father sent him to work at Triumph motorcycles.[2] He married Pauline Barbara Nash on 11 June 1975 and together they had two children, a son and daughter named David and Michelle.
Motorcycle racing career[]
Hailwood first raced on 22 April 1957, at Oulton Park. Barely 17, he finished in 11th place, but was soon posting successful results.[1] In 1958, he teamed with Dan Shorey to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race. By 1961, Hailwood was racing for an up and coming Japanese factory named Honda. In June 1961, he became the first man in the history of the Isle of Man TT to win three races in one week when he won in the 125 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc categories.[3] He lost the chance at winning a fourth race when his 350 AJS broke down with a broken gudgeon pin whilst leading. Riding a four-stroke, four-cylinder 250 cc Honda, Hailwood won the 1961 250cc world championship.[4] In 1962, Hailwood signed with MV Agusta and went on to become the first rider to win four consecutive 500cc World Championships.[1][4] After his success with MV Agusta, Hailwood went back to Honda and won four more world titles in 1966 and 1967 in the 250 cc and 350 cc categories.[1][4]
Hailwood won the 1965 Hutchinson 100 Production race at the Silverstone racecourse on a BSA Lightning Clubman in heavy rain, beating the Triumph Racing Team's Bonnevilles. The 'Hutch' was the main production race of the season, so it was very important to manufactureres to establish the racing credentials of their latest range. Triumph Bonnevilles were ridden by World Champion Phil Read and ex works rider Percy Tait. BSA Lightning Clubmans were ridden by Hailwood (with a large number 1 on the fairing) and factory rider Tony Smith. Conditions were poor and Smith was out of the race at slippery Stowe Corner. With little regard for the rain, Hailwood was achieving laps of Template:Convert/mi/h to establish his winning lead.[5]
Hailwood is remembered for his accomplishments at the famed Isle of Man TT. By 1967, he had won 12 times on the island mountain course.[4] He won what many historians consider to be the most dramatic Isle of Man race of all time, the 1967 Senior TT against his great rival, Giacomo Agostini.[1][6] In that race he set a lap record of Template:Convert/mi/h on the Honda RC181, that stood for the next 8 years.[1][7]
In 1968, Honda pulled out of Grand Prix racing, but paid Hailwood Β£50,000 (equivalent to over Β£620,000 or US$1.1m at 2006 prices) not to ride for another team, in expectation of keeping him as its rider upon return to competition.[1][8] With no other factory racing teams available to compete against MV Agusta, Hailwood decided to pursue a career in auto racing.
Auto racing career[]
During his auto racing career, Hailwood never achieved the same level of success that he had on motorcycles. He posted respectable results in Formula One and World Sports Cars. He won the 1972 Formula Two European title and earned a podium finish at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans.[9][10] Hailwood participated in 50 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting in the British Grand Prix on 20 July 1963. He achieved two podium finishes, and scored a total of 29 championship points.[11] Hailwood was in contention for a victory at his first Formula One race in 6 years, the 1971 Italian Grand Prix. He and 3 other drivers finished 1-2-3-4 over two-tenths of a second, Hailwood finishing fourth. Hailwood was recognised for his bravery when in the 1973 South African Grand Prix he went to pull Clay Regazzoni from his burning car after the two collided on the second lap of the race. Hailwood's driving suit caught fire, but after being extinguished by a fire marshall he returned to help rescue Regazzoni, an act for which he was awarded the George Medal, the 2nd highest gallantry award that a British civilian can be awarded.[12] He left Formula One after being injured badly at the 1974 German Grand Prix at the NΓΌrburgring.
Comeback[]
On June 3, 1978, after an 11 year hiatus from motorcycling, Hailwood performed a now-legendary comeback at the Isle of Man TT.[1][2] Few observers believed the 38-year-old would be competitive after such a long absence. Riding a Ducati 900SS provided by Manchester (UK) dealership Sports Motorcycles, he was not only competitive, but managed a hugely popular win.[7][13][14]
He raced the following year at the Isle of Man TT before retiring for good at the age of 39. In that final Isle of Man appearance, Hailwood rode a two-stroke Suzuki RG 500 to victory in the Senior TT.[7] He then opted to use that same 500cc bike in the Unlimited Classic and diced for the lead with Alex George (1100cc Honda) for all 6 laps in yet another TT epic. A minute or two apart on the road, they were rarely a few seconds apart on time each lap, Hailwood losing by just 2 seconds.
Death[]
Following his retirement from motor sport, in late 1979 Hailwood established a Honda-based retail motorcycle dealership in Birmingham (UK) named Hailwood and Gould, in partnership with former-racer Rodney Gould.
On Saturday 21 March 1981, Hailwood set off in his Rover SD1 with his children Michelle and David to collect some fish and chips. As they returned along the A435 Alcester Road through Portway, Warwickshire near their home in Tanworth-in-Arden, a truck made an illegal turn through the barriers onto the central reservation, and their car collided with it. Michelle, aged nine, was killed instantly. Mike and David were taken to hospital, where Mike died two days later from severe internal injuries. He was 40 years old. David survived with minor injuries. The truck driver was fined just Β£100.
Hailwood claimed to have been told by a fortune teller in South Africa that he wouldn't live to 40 and would be killed by a truck. The story was repeated by Elizabeth McCarthy in a 1981 memoir, while recounting her relationship with Hailwood, whom she had met at the Canadian Grand Prix in 1967. When he asked her hand in marriage, she replied that she was hesitant to marry someone who could die at any weekend race. He then told her his story and said; "...so you see, it won't happen on a track."[15]
Legacy[]
An annual "Mike Hailwood Memorial Run" takes place in March. The starting point is the former Norton factory in Aston, Birmingham. The run goes out to Portway, where the accident occurred and then onto the church in Tanworth-in-Arden where Mike and Michelle are buried. The 25th anniversary of this tragic accident was in 2006.
Hailwood retired with 76 Grand Prix victories, 112 Grand Prix podiums, 14 Isle of Man TT wins and 9 World Championships, including 37 Grand Prix wins, 48 Grand Prix podiums, 6 Isle of Man TT wins and 4 World Championships in 500cc.[4] He was awarded the Segrave Trophy in 1979.[16] The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2000.[17] He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001.[1][18]
After Hailwood's victory at the 1978 Isle of Man Formula One motorcycle race, Ducati offered a 900SS-based Mike Hailwood Replica for sale. Approximately 7,000 were sold.[19]
In 1981, part of the TT course was named Hailwood's Height in his honour.
Motorcycle Grand Prix results[4][7][]
Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Points | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
Year | Class | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Points | Rank | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1958 | 125 cc | Paton | IOM 7 |
BEL - |
GER - |
SWE - |
ULS - |
NAT - |
0 | - | 0 | |||||||
Ducati | NED 10 |
|||||||||||||||||
250 cc | NSU | IOM 3 |
NED 4 |
GER Ret |
SWE 2 |
ULS Ret |
NAT - |
13 | 4th | 0 | ||||||||
350 cc | Norton | IOM 12 |
NED 5 |
BEL - |
GER 4 |
SWE 3 |
ULS 8 |
NAT - |
9 | 6th | 0 | |||||||
500 cc | Norton | IOM 13 |
NED - |
BEL - |
GER - |
SWE - |
ULS - |
NAT - |
0 | - | 0 | |||||||
1959 | 125 cc | Ducati | IOM 3 |
GER 3 |
NED 3 |
BEL Ret |
SWE 4 |
ULS 1 |
NAT 8 |
20 | 3rd | 1 | ||||||
250 cc | FB-Mondial | IOM Ret |
GER 5 |
NED 4 |
SWE 5 |
ULS 2 |
13 | 5th | 0 | |||||||||
MZ | NAT 9 |
|||||||||||||||||
350 cc | Norton | FRA - |
IOM Ret |
GER - |
2 | 13th | 0 | |||||||||||
AJS | SWE 5 |
ULS Ret |
NAT - |
|||||||||||||||
500 cc | Norton | FRA - |
IOM Ret |
GER - |
NED - |
BEL 13 |
ULS - |
NAT Ret |
0 | - | 0 | |||||||
1960 | 125 cc | Ducati | IOM Ret |
NED 8 |
BEL 6 |
ULS - |
NAT - |
1 | 10th | 0 | ||||||||
250 cc | Ducati | IOM Ret |
BEL 4 |
GER - |
ULS 4 |
NAT Ret |
8 | 5th | 0 | |||||||||
FB-Mondial | NED 5 |
|||||||||||||||||
350 cc | AJS | FRA - |
IOM Ret |
NED - |
ULS - |
0 | - | 0 | ||||||||||
Ducati | NAT Ret |
|||||||||||||||||
500 cc | Norton | FRA - |
IOM 3 |
NED 5 |
BEL 4 |
GER - |
ULS Ret |
NAT 3 |
13 | 6th | 0 | |||||||
1961 | 125 cc | EMC | ESP 4 |
GER Ret |
FRA 4 |
16 | 6th | 1 | ||||||||||
Honda | IOM 1 |
NED Ret |
BEL Ret |
DDR Ret |
ULS 5 |
NAT - |
SWE - |
ARG - |
||||||||||
250 cc | FB-Mondial | ESP Ret |
44 | 1st | 4 | |||||||||||||
Honda | GER 8 |
FRA 2 |
IOM 1 |
NED 1 |
BEL 3 |
DDR 1 |
ULS 2 |
NAT 2 |
SWE 1 |
ARG - |
||||||||
350 cc | AJS | GER Ret |
IOM Ret |
NED - |
DDR - |
ULS - |
6 | 8th | 0 | |||||||||
MV Agusta | NAT 2 |
SWE 7 |
||||||||||||||||
500 cc | Norton | GER 4 |
FRA 2 |
IOM 1 |
NED 2 |
BEL 2 |
DDR 2 |
ULS 2 |
40 | 2nd | 2 | |||||||
MV Agusta | NAT 1 |
SWE 2 |
ARG - |
|||||||||||||||
1962 | 125 cc | EMC | ESP 4 |
FRA Ret |
IOM Ret |
NED 5 |
BEL 4 |
GER 3 |
ULS - |
DDR - |
NAT Ret |
FIN - |
ARG - |
12 | 5th | 0 | ||
MZ | FIN Ret |
|||||||||||||||||
250 cc | Benelli | ESP - |
FRA - |
IOM Ret |
NED - |
BEL - |
GER - |
ULS - |
NAT Ret |
ARG - |
0 | - | 0 | |||||
MZ | DDR 2 |
|||||||||||||||||
350 cc | MV Agusta | IOM 1 |
NED 2 |
ULS Ret |
DDR 2 |
NAT - |
FIN - |
20 | 3rd | 1 | ||||||||
500 cc | MV Agusta | IOM 12 |
NED 1 |
BEL 1 |
ULS 1 |
DDR 1 |
NAT 1 |
FIN - |
ARG - |
40 | 1st | 5 | ||||||
1963 | 250 cc | MZ | ESP - |
GER - |
IOM - |
NED - |
BEL - |
ULS - |
DDR 1 |
NAT - |
ARG - |
JPN - |
8 | 8th | 1 | |||
350 cc | MV Agusta | GER - |
IOM Ret |
NED 2 |
ULS 2 |
DDR 1 |
FIN 1 |
NAT Ret |
28 | 2nd | 2 | |||||||
500 cc | MV Agusta | IOM 1 |
NED Ret |
BEL 1 |
ULS 1 |
DDR 1 |
FIN 1 |
NAT 1 |
ARG 1 |
56 | 1st | 7 | ||||||
1964 | 250 cc | MZ | USA - |
ESP - |
FRA - |
IOM - |
NED - |
BEL - |
GER - |
DDR Ret |
ULS - |
NAT - |
JPN 5 |
2 | 20th | 0 | ||
350 cc | MV Agusta | IOM - |
NED 2 |
GER - |
DDR - |
ULS - |
FIN - |
NAT - |
JPN 2 |
12 | 4th | 0 | ||||||
500 cc | MV Agusta | USA 1 |
IOM 1 |
NED 1 |
BEL 1 |
GER 1 |
DDR 1 |
ULS - |
FIN - |
NAT 1 |
40 | 1st | 7 | |||||
1965 | 250 cc | Honda | USA - |
GER - |
ESP - |
FRA - |
IOM - |
NED - |
DDR - |
CZE - |
ULS - |
FIN - |
NAT - |
JPN 1 |
8 | 10th | 1 | |
350 cc | MV Agusta | GER 2 |
IOM Ret |
NED 2 |
DDR Ret |
CZE Ret |
ULS - |
FIN - |
NAT Ret |
JPN 1 |
20 | 3rd | 1 | |||||
500 cc | MV Agusta | USA 1 |
GER 1 |
IOM 1 |
NED 1 |
BEL 1 |
DDR 1 |
CZE 1 |
ULS - |
FIN - |
NAT 1 |
48 | 1st | 8 | ||||
1966 | 125 cc | Honda | ESP - |
GER - |
NED - |
DDR - |
CZE - |
FIN - |
ULS - |
IOM 6 |
NAT - |
JPN - |
1 | 15th | 0 | |||
250 cc | Honda | ESP 1 |
GER 1 |
FRA 1 |
NED 1 |
BEL 1 |
DDR 1 |
CZE 1 |
FIN 1 |
ULS - |
IOM 1 |
NAT 1 |
JPN - |
56 | 1st | 10 | ||
350 cc | Honda | GER 1 |
FRA 1 |
NED 1 |
DDR Ret |
CZE 1 |
FIN 1 |
ULS 1 |
IOM Ret |
NAT - |
JPN - |
48 | 1st | 6 | ||||
500 cc | Honda | GER - |
NED Ret |
BEL Ret |
DDR Ret |
CZE 1 |
FIN 2 |
ULS 1 |
IOM 1 |
NAT Ret |
30 | 2nd | 3 | |||||
1967 | 250 cc | Honda | ESP Ret |
GER - |
FRA 3 |
IOM 1 |
NED 1 |
BEL 2 |
DDR Ret |
CZE 3 |
FIN 1 |
ULS 1 |
NAT Ret |
CAN 1 |
JPN Ret |
50 | 1st | 5 |
350 cc | Honda | GER 1 |
IOM 1 |
NED 1 |
DDR 1 |
CZE 1 |
ULS - |
NAT - |
JPN 1 |
40 | 1st | 6 | ||||||
500 cc | Honda | GER Ret |
IOM 1 |
NED 1 |
BEL 2 |
DDR Ret |
CZE 1 |
FIN Ret |
ULS 1 |
NAT 2 |
CAN 1 |
46 | 2nd | 5 |
Complete Formula One results[11][]
(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | WDC | Pts. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1963 | Reg Parnell Racing | Lotus 24 | Climax | MON | BEL | NED | FRA | GBR 8 |
GER | NC | 0 | |||||||||
Lola Mk4 | Climax | ITA 10 |
USA | MEX | RSA | |||||||||||||||
1964 | Reg Parnell Racing | Lotus 25 | BRM | MON 6 |
NED 12 |
BEL | FRA 8 |
GBR Ret |
GER Ret |
AUT 8 |
ITA Ret |
USA 8 |
MEX 16 |
21st | 1 | |||||
1965 | Reg Parnell Racing | Lotus 25 | BRM | RSA | MON Ret |
BEL | FRA | GBR | NED | GER | ITA | USA | MEX | NC | 0 | |||||
1971 | Team Surtees | Surtees TS9 | Ford | RSA | ESP | MON | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA 4 |
CAN | USA 15 |
18th | 3 | ||||
1972 | Brooke Bond Oxo Team Surtees | Surtees TS9B | Ford | ARG | RSA Ret |
ESP Ret |
MON Ret |
BEL 4 |
FRA 6 |
GBR Ret |
GER Ret |
AUT 4 |
ITA 2 |
CAN | USA 17 |
8th | 13 | |||
1973 | Brooke Bond Oxo Team Surtees | Surtees TS14A | Ford | ARG Ret |
BRA Ret |
RSA Ret |
ESP Ret |
BEL Ret |
MON 8 |
SWE Ret |
FRA Ret |
GBR Ret |
NED Ret |
GER 14 |
AUT 10 |
ITA 7 |
CAN 9 |
USA Ret |
NC | 0 |
1974 | Yardley Team McLaren | McLaren M23 | Ford | ARG 4 |
BRA 5 |
RSA 3 |
ESP 9 |
BEL 7 |
MON Ret |
SWE Ret |
NED 4 |
FRA 7 |
GBR Ret |
GER 15 |
AUT | ITA | CAN | USA | 11th | 12 |
Footnotes[]
- β 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Mike Hailwood at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
- β 2.0 2.1 2.2 Who Was The Man Many Call The Greatest Roadracer Ever?, by Dean Adams, Superbike Planet, 1998
- β "T.T Ace Killed On Last Lap". Evening Times. 16 June 1961. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lexAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EqcMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2098,5993772&dq=mike+hailwood&hl=en. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
- β 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Mike Hailwood career statistics at MotoGP.com
- β Reynolds, Jim (1990). Best of British Bikes. Patrick Stephens Ltd.
- β 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix (1st edition). Hazelton Publishing Ltd, 1999. ISBN 1-874557-83-7
- β 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Mike Hailwood Isle of Man TT results at iomtt.com
- β Goodwin, C. 1999. Untouchable... Unforgettable... Mike Hailwood. Motor Sport. LXXV/6, 86-93
- β 1972 Formula 2 season results at www.formula2.net
- β 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours Competitors & Results at www.experiencelemans.com
- β 11.0 11.1 Mike Hailwood Formula 1 results at www.4mula1.ro
- β www.grandprix.com
- β Alan Cathcart (September/October 2009). "Road Test: Mike Hailwood's Ducati 900TT1 racer". Motorcycle Classics. http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/motorcycle-reviews/mike-hailwood-ducati-900tt1-racer.aspx. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
- β 1978 Isle of Man TT at iomtt.com
- β My Memories of Mike Hailwood, by Elizabeth McCarthy
- β www.royalautomobileclub.co.uk
- β MotoGP Legends at MotoGP.com
- β Mike Hailwood at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
- β Melling, Frank (23, 2010-08-23). "Memorable MC: Mike Hailwood Ducati Replica". Motorcycle USA. Archived from the original on 2010-08-25. http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/289/7782/Motorcycle-Article/Memorable-MC--Mike-Hailwood-Ducati-Replica.aspx. Retrieved 2012-02-04. "The Hailwood replicas just wouldnβt stop selling and, although the final figure is unclear, something in the region of 7,000 official MH replicas left Ducati. In fact, they transformed the poor selling 900SS into a financial success and played a significant role in keeping the factory alive."
Sources[]
- 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix (1st edition). Hazelton Publishing Ltd, 1999. ISBN 1-874557-83-7
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
External links[]
- " The Official Mike Hailwood " website
- Mike Hailwood at the Isle of Man TT.com
- Motorcycle Hall of Fame
- Heroes' Heroes: Murray Walker, former motor racing commentator, on Mike Hailwood
- Memories of Mike Hailwood
- The Mike Hailwood Memorial Run" website
Preceded by: Gary Hocking |
500cc Motorcycle World Champion 1962–1965 |
Succeeded by: Giacomo Agostini |
Preceded by: Ronnie Peterson |
European Formula Two Champion 1972 |
Succeeded by: Jean-Pierre Jarier |
Preceded by: Phil Read |
TT Formula One World Champion 1978 |
Succeeded by: Ron Haslam |
This page uses some content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Mike Hailwood. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Autopedia, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |