Graeme Crosby

Graeme Crosby (born 4 July 1955) is a former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from New Zealand. A versatile rider, Crosby was equally capable on either four stroke Superbike racers or two stroke Grand Prix racers. He is the only person to have won the Daytona 200, the Imola 200, the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race, and the Isle of Man TT.

After his international motorcycle racing career, Crosby returned to New Zealand to become a commercial airline pilot and also competed in touring car racing.

Crosby was inducted in to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Motorcycling New Zealand Hall of Fame in 2006.

Motorcycle racing career New Zealand and Australian racing Crosby moved from his home in Renwick, New Zealand to Auckland in the late 1960s and began a motorcycle apprenticeship at a local Kawasaki dealership. By 1979, he was racing in the Australian Superbike championship for the Australian importer for Pops Yoshimura's motorcycle racing parts company. The following year, Crosby qualified a Moriwaki Kawasaki on pole position at the 1979 Suzuka 8 Hours, ahead of all the major factory racing teams. Moriwaki provided Crosby with Kawasaki motorcycles to compete in the Formula TT world championship and the Isle of Man TT.

Suzuki factory sponsorship Crosby's impressive results earned him factory backed sponsorship in 1980 with the Suzuki Grand Prix racing team, operated by their British importer, Suzuki GB. Crosby was forced to start on the back row of the starting grid due to a minor rules infringement during qualifying but, charged through the entire field of competitors enroute to an upset victory over Freddie Spencer, whose Honda was underpowered compared to Crosby's Yoshimura Suzuki. He then won the Ulster Grand Prix to secure the Formula One Class of the 1980 Formula TT world championship.

Crosby's string of victories with four stroke machinery earned him a reputation as a four stroke specialist. Although Crosby was contracted to ride for Suzuki, he decided to sponsor Gardner to compete in the 1981 British Superbike championship riding Kawasakis run by the British Moriwaki concession owned by Crosby. In the Daytona 200 race, Crosby was forced to retire due to a transmission problem.

Crosby made a strong impression by winning the pole position at the season opening Austrian Grand Prix held at the fast Salzburgring. Crosby ended the 1981 season with a victory at the prestigious Mallory Park Race of the Year.

1981 TT Formula One championship Crosby's defense of his TT Formula One title was successful as his Suzuki GS1000 outclassed the Honda RC1000 of his leading rival, Ron Haslam.

1982 Agostini Yamaha Crosby believed that he would be contracted with Suzuki to race their latest RG500 motorcycle in the 1982 500cc world championship however, it became apparent that Suzuki would only provide him with year old motorcycles. He had tentatively agreed with Honda to compete in the AMA Superbike Championship when, Giacomo Agostini offered him a contract to race for the Yamaha factory racing team with Graziano Rossi as his teammate. He followed this with a victory at the Imola 200 race in April.

While Yamaha had introduced a new 500cc V4 engine for Kenny Roberts, coded YZR500 0W61, the Agostini-Yamaha team was left to race on the older Yamaha square-four cylinder YZR500 0W60 motorcycle. He also began auto racing, driving successfully in Touring car racing, mostly in New Zealand and Australia. He won the 1992 New Zealand Touring Car Championship. Crosby was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. Season Series Position Car Team 1986 Nissan-Mobil 500 series 5th BMW 635 CSi 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship 7th Holden VK Commodore SS Group A Graeme Crosby 1986 Australian Endurance Championship 16th Holden VK Commodore SS Group A Bob Jane T-Marts 1986 South Pacific Touring Car Championship 3rd Holden VK Commodore SS Group A Bob Jane T-Marts 1987 Nissan-Mobil 500 series 6th Holden VK Commodore SS Group A Graeme Crosby 1987 World Touring Car Championship NC Holden VK Commodore SS Group ANissan Skyline DR30 RS D.F.C. NZ LtdTeam Nissan Racing NZ 1990 Nissan-Mobil 500 series 4th Ford Sierra RS500 Miedecke Motorsport 1991 Nissan-Mobil 500 series 4th Ford Sierra RS500 Playscape Racing 1992 Nissan-Mobil 500 series 2nd Holden VP Commodore Mobil 1 Racing 1992 New Zealand Touring Car Championship 1st Ford Sierra RS500 Graeme Crosby

Complete Australian Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Points 1986 Graeme Crosby Holden VK Commodore SS Group A AMARet SYM4 SAN12 AIR2 WAN6 SURRet CAL4 LAK9 WIN7 ORA12 7th 102 1987 Roadways Racing Holden VK Commodore SS Group A CALRet SYMRet LAK WAN AIR SUR SAN AMA ORA NC 0

Complete South Pacific Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 DC Points 1986 Bob Jane T-Marts Holden VK Commodore SS Group A CAL9 ADE3 MAN1 BAYRet PUKRet 3rd 73

Complete World Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Points1987 D.F.C. NZ Holden VK Commodore SS Group A MNZ JAR DIJ NUR SPA BNO SIL BATRet CLD NC 0 Team Nissan Racing NZ Nissan Skyline DR30 RS WELovr:8cls:5 FJI Not registered for series & points

Complete NASCAR results Year Car No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 NSCC Points 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass 03DAYROCRICATLDARWILBRIMARTALCMSDNQDOVPOCRIVMCHDAYPOCTALWATMICBRIDARRICDOVMARWILCMSROCRIVATL NC 0

Complete Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 DC Points 1988 Miedecke Motorsport Ford Sierra RS500 BAT WEL PUK FJIRet NC 0

Complete Bathurst 1000 results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 1986 Bob Jane T-Marts Wayne Wilkinson Holden VK Commodore SS Group A C 156 13th 9th 1987 D.F.C. NZ Ltd John Billington Holden VK Commodore SS Group A 1 9 DNF DNF 1989 Miedecke Motorsport Andrew Bagnall Ford Sierra RS500 A 97 DNF DNF 1990 Caltex CXT Racing Team Colin Bond Ford Sierra RS500 1 44 DNF DNF 1991 Caltex CXT Racing Team Colin Bond Ford Sierra RS500 1 152 DNF DNF