Steve Plater

Steve Plater (born 22 August 1968, in Luton) is an English former motorcycle road racer. He was the 2009 British Supersport champion, and also finished as runner-up in the series twice in the late 1990s. In the British Superbike Championship he has 4 wins and 17 further podiums.

He won the prestigious Isle of Man Senior TT, North West 200 and also enjoyed success at Endurance racing. For 2015/2016, Plater is manager of a race-team, and rides in demonstration events. He lives in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and is involved in property development with his father.

Race career Having briefly raced speedway in his teens, Plater started his working life as a bricklayer, beginning racing in 1994 and winning his first ever race at Cadwell Park. In 1998, he won the British Powerbike championship, but however lost the more prestigious Supersport title on countback. He set an impressive pace at the 1999 Bol d'Or en route to finishing third on a Kawasaki, which led him to race this bike in the 2000 British Superbike Championship full-time, finishing sixth overall without a podium but with a string of fourth to seventh places. He missed much of 2001 due to injury, but still took three podiums. 2002 was his strongest season to date, seeing him finish fifth overall on a Yamaha, with two late-season wins. In 2003, he rode a Honda to sixth overall, winning at Cadwell Park in 2003 )

Plater missed the start of 2006 due to injury, but returned to win both Superbike races at the North West 200.

Most of Plater's 2008 races were on Yamaha machinery. He won the Supersport TT race after on-the-road winner Bruce Anstey's bike was excluded. As for circuit racing, he started the year in the British Superbike Championship, but a lack of success saw him switch to Supersport, winning first time out before a one-off in the Brands Hatch round of the World Supersport Championship on a Triumph.

Plater spent 2009 with the HM Plant Honda team in Supersport, winning the title ahead of Australian Billy McConnell at the final round. He also stood in on a Superbike at Brands Hatch after Josh Brookes' visa was delayed, falling from the lead in race one but finishing third in race two. In the 2009 Isle of Man Senior TT race, Plater set a new race record, beating team-mate John McGuinness after his chain broke on the fourth lap. He also won the North West 200. He also contested the Le Mans 24 Hour motorcycle race for Honda France.

During Thursday practice for the 2010 North West 200, Plater, who had set the fastest time in Superbike practice on the Tuesday, was injured in an accident. He suffered from a broken arm when he came off his bike at Quarry Hill on the Coast Road section of the course. Subsequent hospital examinations revealed that Plater had fractured his neck.

2011 Plater confirmed his retirement from the roads to concentrate on World Endurance Championship.

After riding

Plater became a motorcycle racing co-commentator/presenter, and in 2015 was appointed as manager of the Prime Factors Racing team for road racing and Endurance. He continues to ride in demonstration events. He is currently a co-host on the podcast "The TT Podcast," on which he interviews persons and riders associated with Isle of Man TT.

Circuit racing career stats British Superbike Championship Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 2001 BSB Kawasaki DON14 DONRet SIL SIL SNE SNE OUL OUL BRH3 BRH5 THR2 THRRet OUL OUL KNO KNO CAD8 CAD8 BRH BRH MAL6 MAL6 ROC ROC DON3 DON5 11th 123 2004 BSB Yamaha SILRet SIL9 BHI11 BHI12 SNERet SNE8 OULDNS OULDNS MON MON THR THR BHGP BHGP KNO KNO MAL11 MAL10 CRORet CRO10 CADRet CADRet OUL5 OUL7 DONRet DON10 17th 67

Yr Class Team BHI DON THR OUL MON MAL SNE KNO OUL CRO CAD SIL BHGP Pos Pts Ref 2006 BSS Yamaha 7 7 Can 8 21st 26

Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 2006 BSB Kawasaki/Suzuki BHI BHI DON DON THR13 THR14 OULRet OULRet MONC MONC MALRet MALDNS SNE SNE KNO KNO OUL11 OUL11 CRO9 CRO11 CADRet CAD6 SIL SIL BHGP BHGP 19th 37

British Supersport Championship

Races by year (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Pts Honda BHI 2 OUL11 DON1 THR2 SNE1 KNO11 MAL7 BHGP3 CAD2 CRO1 SIL2 OUL1 1st 215 Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 2011 Honda BRH5 BRH3 OUL7 OULRet CRO3 CRO2 THR8 THRRet KNO KNO SNE SNE OUL OULC BRH BRH CAD CAD DON DON SIL SIL BRH BRH BRH 15th 80

FIM Endurance World Championship

Year Team Bike Rider 2008 Yamaha Austrian Endurance Team Yamaha YZF-R1 Igor Jerman Steve Martin Steve Plater Gwen Giabbani 2nd