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Ken Kavanagh

1923 – 2019

Australian motorcycle racer

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About Ken Kavanagh

Lived 1923 – 2019 (aged 95). Ken Kavanagh was an Australian motorcycle racer, engineer, racing automobile driver and formula One driver.

Thomas Kenrick Kavanagh (12 December 1923 – 26 November 2019) was an Australian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racing driver.

In 1952, Kavanagh became the first Australian to win a motorcycle Grand Prix race when he won the 350cc Ulster Grand Prix. In 1956, he won the Junior TT at the Isle of Man TT races. Kavanagh entered two Formula One Grands Prix in 1958 with his own Maserati 250F, firstly in Monaco where he failed to qualify, and lastly in the Belgian Grand Prix where he missed out on the race having blown his engine in practice, after having qualified 20th of 28 entrants.

Personal life Kavanagh died in Bergamo, Italy on 26 November 2019.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results Points system from 1950 to 1968 Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points 8 6 4 3 2 1 5 best results were counted up until 1955.

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Points Rank Wins1951 350cc Norton ESP SUI IOM BEL NED FRA ULS NAT 16 4th 0 500cc Norton ESP SUI IOM BEL NED FRA ULS NAT 6 9th 0 1952 350cc Norton SUI IOM NED BEL GER ULS NAT 16 5th 1 500cc Norton SUI IOM NED BEL GER ULS NAT ESP 14 6th 01953 250cc Moto Guzzi IOM NED GER ULS SUI NAT ESP 6 6th 0 350cc Norton IOM NED BEL FRA ULS SUI NAT ESP 18 4th 0 500cc Norton IOM NED BEL GER FRA ULS SUI NAT ESP 18 4th 11954 250cc Moto Guzzi FRA IOM ULS NED GER SUI NAT 3 13th 0 350cc Moto Guzzi FRA IOM ULS BEL NED GER SUI NAT ESP 18 4th 1 500cc Moto Guzzi FRA IOM ULS BEL NED GER SUI NAT ESP 16 3rd 01955 350cc Moto Guzzi FRA IOM GER BEL NED ULS NAT 14 4th 1 500cc Moto Guzzi ESP FRA IOM GER BEL NED ULS NAT 4 12th 0 1956 350cc Moto Guzzi IOM NED BEL GER ULS NAT 10 6th 1 1959 125cc Ducati IOM GER NED BEL SWE ULS NAT 8 8th 0 500cc Norton FRA IOM GER NED BEL ULS NAT 3 11th 0 1960 125cc Ducati IOM NED BEL ULS NAT 0 - 0

Complete Formula One World Championship results Source:

(key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Points 1958 Ken Kavanagh Maserati 250F Maserati Straight-6 ARG MON NED 500 BEL FRA GBR GER POR ITA MOR NC 0

Complete Formula One Non-Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

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Important facts

People in Ken Kavanagh's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ken Kavanagh's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Ken Kavanagh?

Australian motorcycle racer (1923-2019)

When was Ken Kavanagh born?

Ken Kavanagh was born on 12 December 1923 in Melbourne.

When did Ken Kavanagh die?

Ken Kavanagh died on 26 November 2019 in Bergamo.

What was Ken Kavanagh's occupation?

Ken Kavanagh was a motorcycle racer, engineer, racing automobile driver and formula One driver.

What nationality was Ken Kavanagh?

Ken Kavanagh was Australian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ken Kavanagh

· Wikidata: Q773871

· DBpedia: Ken Kavanagh

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ken Kavanagh. https://biography.guide/ken-kavanagh/

MLA: "Ken Kavanagh." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ken-kavanagh/.

Chicago: "Ken Kavanagh." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ken-kavanagh/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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