Simon Crafar

Simon Crafar (born 15 January 1969) is a New Zealand retired motorcycle racer who competed at the Grand Prix motorcycle racing and World Superbike levels.

After riding, Crafer worked as a television commentator and analyst and participated in rider safety. From the 2025 season, he would join the world championship race organisers as Chairman of the FIM MotoGP Stewards' Panel, overseeing two other Stewards and replacing outgoing Freddie Spencer.

Crafer's racing career started in 1981 aboard a Suzuki TM75 in a local Junior Motocross Championship before eventually moving onto road racing in 1985. He won Malaysia's Superbike championship in 1991. In 1993 he raced a Harris machine in the 500 cc World Championship before joining the Suzuki factory racing team in the 250 class for the latter part of the season. He did not enjoy this, feeling he was too large for the bikes.

World Superbike

For 1994, Crafer joined countryman Aaron Slight on a semi-works Rumi Honda RC45 in the Superbike World Championship. After coming fifth overall in 1994, he started the 1995 season with Rumi Honda before replacing Doug Polen as the second factory rider alongside Aaron Slight, although they raced under different liveries. The bike gradually became more competitive, and Simon was strong in later part of 1995, coming 2nd in race 1 at Assen. He then spent two years with the Kawasaki racing team, scoring only one podium during the 1996 season finishing in seventh position. In 1997, he took two second places and five third places in addition to one pole position and fastest lap to again finish fifth overall. In total, he scored ten podiums - four seconds and six thirds but, no wins in the series.

Crafer returned to World Superbike for 2000 as a substitute rider for Aaron Slight for two rounds. In 2002, he raced in British Superbike for the Virgin Mobile Yamaha team, coming eighth overall with two third place finishes. He retired from motorcycle racing at the end of the 2002 season to spend more time with his wife and children and continues to live in Andorra to this date.

500 GP

In 1998, Crafar rode a WCM Yamaha YZR500 in the 500cc world championship, winning the British Grand Prix at Donington Park (the last win for Dunlop in a dry race and the only non Honda win during the 1998 season and at Donington Park in six years), and finishing seventh in the standings, scoring two further podiums - one second and one third during the season with two fastest race laps - Donington Park and Phillip Island. He remained with the team for the early part of 1999, scoring points on five occasions. The WCM team changed to Michelin between seasons and Crafar found he could not replicate the same level of success as he had the previous year on Dunlop tyres and they parted company midway through the 1999 season. Crafar also took tenth on a one off ride on an MuZ at Donington Park during the same year. In total, he has contested 25 500cc races and seven 250cc races, taking three podium finishes.

On Circuit Instruction

Since 2006, Crafar has been involved in on-circuit rider instruction for both track day riders and professional racers and has personally taught over 600 people on a one-to-one basis in a little over six years. Utilising his experience from competing and racing in World Championships throughout a 13 year career, Crafar uses simple, logical techniques that are very effective in allowing riders to improve their lap times in a safe and controlled manner. It was this approach to instruction that lead the organisers of the European Junior Cup a race series held at the WSBK championship rounds across Europe for 14- to 19-year-old riders) to approach Crafar to become the mentor and series instructor to the young racers aged 14–19 for the 2011 Championship, a position he held for the 2012 Championship. Crafar is involved in one-to-one rider instruction throughout Europe.

Motovudu Dark Art of Performance

During the latter part of 2011, Crafar launched Motovudu - Dark Art of Performance, a book and DVD series that is an instructional guide to riding faster on-circuit. Filmed at the MotoGP circuit Motorland Aragon in Northern Spain by Banter Media and directed by Liam Andrew Wright, both the book and the film draw from Crafar's previous experiences, both racing and instructional and is designed to teach any rider how they can ride fast and stay away from unnecessary risks.

MotoGP Commentator

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

By class

Races by year (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)