Jack Findlay

Cyril John Findlay (5 February 1935 – 19 May 2007) was an Australian professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is noted for having one of the longest racing careers in Grand Prix history spanning 20 years, as well as one of six riders (along with Ángel Nieto, Alex Barros, Loris Capirossi, Valentino Rossi and Aleix Espargaró) to race in Grand Prix motorcycle racing for 20 years or more. He competed at the highest level despite racing as a privateer - that is, not as a contracted member of a factory team - throughout most of his racing career.

Motorcycle racing career Findlay was born in Mooroopna, Victoria, north of Melbourne. He began racing aged 15, two years under age, taking the name "Jack" so he could use the identification documents of his father, John 'Jock' Findlay, a Scottish immigrant to Australia. After leaving school, he worked as a trainee accountant at Commonwealth Bank until 1957. In 1971 he won his first race for Suzuki at the Ulster Grand Prix. As well as marking Suzuki's first 500cc class victory, the victory was notable for being the first 500cc class win for a motorcycle powered by a two stroke engine. His greatest victory came in 1973 when he won the Isle of Man Senior TT after 15 years of trying.

Findlay competed in the inaugural Formula 750 European championship in 1973, winning the Swedish round at the Anderstorp Raceway along with a third place in Finland and a second place in Great Britain to finish the season ranked third in the championship behind Barry Sheene and John Dodds. He rode Suzuki TR500s in 1973 and 1974.

In 1974, Findlay was a member of the Suzuki factory racing team and helped develop the Suzuki RG 500, with Barry Sheene and Paul Smart. He once again finished in third place in the 1974 Formula 750 season, this time behind Dodds and Patrick Pons. In 1975, he defeated Sheene for the 1975 Formula 750 championship. An accident that fractured his skull curtailed his racing career, and he retired in 1978. A further high-speed accident in 1987 stopped him riding motorcycles.

Findlay married Dominique Monneret, the widow of Georges Monneret, and made his domestic base in France and has a son, Gregory Findlay. He was appointed Grand Prix technical director by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme in 1992, retaining the post until he retired in 2001. He was assisted by his fluency in French and Italian. The French film director Jérôme Laperrousaz made a documentary movie about road racing called Continental Circus in 1972. It starred Findlay and Giacomo Agostini and featured a soundtrack by the psychedelic rock band Gong, including a song called "Blues for Findlay". The film poster's headline was "Jimi Hendrix avait sa guitare. Jack Findlay avait sa moto." ("Jimi Hendrix had his guitar. Jack Findlay had his bike.") A bronze statue of Findlay on a TT-winning Suzuki by Philip Mune was unveiled in July 2006, in a park in Mooroopna that was renamed the Jack Findlay Reserve.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

Sources:

Points system from 1950 to 1968: Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points 8 6 4 3 2 1 Points system from 1969 onwards: Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Rank Wins 1958 500cc Norton IOM- NED- BEL- GER12 SWE- ULS- NAT- 0 - 01959 350cc Norton FRA- IOMNC GER- SWE- ULS- NAT- 0 - 0 500cc Norton FRA- IOMNC GER- NED- BEL- ULS- NAT- 0 - 0 1960 500cc Norton FRA- IOM- NED11 BEL- GER12 ULS13 NAT8 0 - 0 1961 500cc Norton GER- FRA- IOMDNS NEDDNS BEL8 DDR5 ULS8 NAT6 SWENC ARG- 3 20th 01962 350cc Norton IOMNC NED- ULS- DDR- NAT- FIN- 0 - 0 500cc Norton IOMNC NED12 BEL5 ULSNC DDRNC NAT- FIN- ARG- 2 21st 01963 250cc Mondial ESP- GER- IOMNC NED- BEL- ULS5 DDR- NAT- ARG- JPN- 2 18th 0 500cc Norton IOMNC NED- BEL9 ULSNC DDR5 FIN- NAT2 ARG- 8 8th 0 1964 350cc AJS IOMNC NED- GER- DDR- ULS- FIN- NAT- JPN- 0 - 0 500cc Matchless USANC IOM13 NED- BEL5 GER8 DDR- ULS- FIN9 NAT5 4 14th 0 1965 125cc Yamaha USA- GER- ESP8 FRA- IOM- NED- DDR- CZE- ULS- FIN- NAT- JPN- 0 - 0 250cc DMW USA- GER- ESP- FRA- IOM10 NED- BEL- DDR- CZE- ULS- FIN- NAT- JPN- 0 - 0 350cc AJS GER- IOMNC NED- DDR- CZE- ULS- FIN- NAT- JPN- 0 - 0 500cc Matchless USA- GER4 IOM10 NED11 BEL12 DDR11 CZE9 ULS4 FIN5 NAT8 8 7th 0 1966 50cc Bridgestone ESP- GER- NED- IOMNC NAT- JPN6 1 13th 0 125cc Bultaco ESP- GER- NED- DDR- CZE- FIN- ULS- IOMNC NAT- JPN- 0 - 0 250cc Bultaco ESP4 GER- FRA- NED- BEL- DDR- CZE- FIN4 ULS- IOM5 NAT4 JPN4 14 7th 0 500cc Matchless GER- NED6 BELNC DDR2 CZE4 FIN3 ULS4 IOM8 NAT3 20 3rd 01967 250cc Bultaco ESP- GER4 FRA- IOM- NED- BEL- DDR- CZE- FIN- ULS- NAT- CAN- JPN- 3 14th 0 500cc Matchless GER3 IOMDNS NED- BEL4 DDR3 CZEDNS FIN- ULS3 NAT9 CAN- 15 5th 01968 250cc Bultaco GER5 ESP- IOMNC NED- BEL- DDR6 CZE- FIN- ULS- NAT5 5 9th 0 350cc Aermacchi GER- IOM6 NED- DDR- CZE- ULS- NAT- 1 18th 0 500cc Matchless GERNC ESP2 IOMNC NED2 BEL2 DDR3 CZE2 FIN2 ULS5 NATNC 34 2nd 01969 250cc Yamaha ESP- GER- FRA- IOMNC NED- BEL7 DDR- CZE- FIN- ULS- NAT- YUG- 4 33rd 0 350cc Yamaha ESP5 GER4 IOM3 NED5 DDR- CZE- FIN7 ULS- NAT- YUG- 34 6th 0500cc Linto ESPNC GER3 FRANC IOMNC 1613th0 Aermacchi NED5 BELNC DDRNC CZEDNS FINNC ULSNC NATDNF YUG-1970 250cc Yamaha GER- FRA- YUG- IOM14 NED- BEL- DDR- CZE- FIN- ULS- NAT- ESP- 0 - 0 350cc Yamaha GER- YUG- IOMNC NED- DDR6 CZE7 FIN- ULS- NAT- ESP- 9 20th 0 500cc Seeley GER- FRANC YUG4 IOM4 NEDNC BELNC DDR12 FIN- ULS4 NAT- ESP- 24 8th 01971 250cc Yamaha AUT- GER- IOM13 NED- BEL- DDR- CZE- SWE- FIN- ULS- NAT- ESP- 0 - 0 350cc Yamaha AUT- GER- IOMNC NED- DDR- TCH- SWE- FIN- ULS- NAT- ESP6 5 32nd 0 500cc Suzuki AUT4 GERNC IOM- NEDNC BEL3 DDR- SWE10 FIN5 ULS1 NAT5 ESP6 50 5th 11972 350cc Yamaha GER- FRA- AUT- NAT- IOM4 YUG- NED7 DDR- CZE- SWE6 FIN- ESP- 41 9th 0 500cc Jada GER7 FRA- AUT- NATNC IOMNC YUG- NED6 BELNC DDR5 CZE2 SWENC FIN- ESP3 31 8th 0 1973 500cc Suzuki FRA10 AUT- GER- IOM1 YUG- NED5 BEL3 CZE5 SWE- FINNC ESP- 38 5th 1 1974 500cc Suzuki FRA12 GERNC AUT4 NAT4 IOMNC NEDNC BEL5 SWENC FIN4 CZE7 34 5th 0 1975 500cc Yamaha FRA- AUTNC GER10 NATNC IOM- NEDNC BEL3 SWE9 FIN3 CZE- 23 10th 01976 350cc Yamaha FRA- AUT- NAT- YUG- IOM8 NED- FIN- CZE- GER- ESP- 3 32nd 0 500cc Suzuki FRA- AUT8 NATNC IOMNC NED5 BELNC SWE2 FIN7 CZE- GER- 25 8th 0 1977 500cc Suzuki VEN- AUT1 GER13 NATNC FRANC NED- BEL9 SWE14 FINNC CZENC GBRNC 17 16th 1 1978 500cc Suzuki VEN- ESP- AUT- FRA- NAT- NEDNC BEL15 SWE- FIN- GBRNC GER18 0 - 0