Tommy Hill

Thomas Hill (born 9 February 1985) is a British former motorcycle road racer. His greatest success was becoming the British Superbike Champion for 2011. He also competed in the World Superbike and World Supersport championships.

Hill quit motorcycle racing at the end of 2012, instead started working as a self-employed graphic designer, but announced in late 2014 that he would be running a British Superbike team during 2015.

After several months of his first season as a team manager with Be Wiser Kawasaki, Hill left in August 2015, and the team folded in September. Hill announced in October 2015 that he would be running his own team named THM – Tommy Hill Motorsport – for 2016 with Yamaha R1 machines, backed by ePayMe, with riders John Hopkins and Stuart Easton.

Personal life Hill was born in Beckenham, Kent. His early racing life included a near-fatal motocross accident in which he lost a kidney and his spleen. As a result, medical problems including a bout of food poisoning in 2006 have dogged his career, and require him to take Penicillin every day. His brother Jimmy also raced.

Starting out Hill switched to road racing in 2001, and first earned his BSB ride by winning the Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup in 2003, finishing every race in the process.

British Superbikes 2004–07 In his first BSB season, Hill became the youngest rider ever to start a race on the front row of the grid, and he was the only one of the team's four 2004 riders to be retained for 2005 – team boss Rob McElnea commenting that "He really did prove himself beyond everyone’s expectations this year".

In 2005, Hill took two further front row starts, as well as his first BSB win at Cadwell Park, finishing 12th overall in the series.

For the 2006 British Superbike season, Hill was the only Yamaha rider to retain his ride, leading a young team with Billy McConnell and Kieran Clarke. Hill was also entered for the Superbike World Championship race at Silverstone as a wild card. In changeable qualifying conditions he stunned the experienced regulars by taking pole position, and then finished both races in the lower reaches of the points. He finished the BSB season eighth overall

In 2007, Hill was joined in the Virgin Yamaha squad by James Haydon, who returned to the team for whom he raced in 2001 and 2004. From 12th on the grid in damp conditions he briefly led the second race of round 4 at Oulton Park, but ultimately faded to seventh, the Yamaha failing to match other bikes on performance.

Hill also made a handful of World Supersport rides on an SSP Yamaha alongside his 2007 BSB commitments

World Supersport 2008 For 2008, Hill switched to the series full-time, with the Hannspree Althea Honda team. On his very first test he crashed, breaking his femur, ankle and hand, causing him to miss the first five rounds of the season. Hill returned at the Nürburgring, qualifying in ninth place. But in the race he was involved in an incident at turn one where wildcard rider Arne Tode caused a massive pile-up, and as a result Hill rebroke his femur, putting him out for the rest of the season.

World Superbikes and return to British Superbikes 2009 – The Althea team kept faith in Hill for 2009, signing him to be their sole World Superbike rider, owing to his BSB experience. However he was uncompetitive, and lost the ride midseason to young Frenchman Matthieu Lagrive.

Hill joined Worx Crescent Suzuki as a replacement for the injured Sylvain Guintoli from the Mallory Park round, qualifying 2nd. He was competitive in race 1 despite the electronic engine management system failing before the start, until chaos and controversy struck. He was running second when Josh Brookes lost control of his bike and catapulted race leader Simon Andrews, dropping oil from Brookes' Honda. Hill was one of five other riders who either crashed or downed their bikes to avoid crashing. The red flag was shown, but these seven riders were omitted from the results, as they were not running at the time of the red flag. Brookes received a two-meeting ban for his mistake. Hill kept the ride for the next meeting at Brands Hatch on a three race weekend. Hill rode well at Brands Hatch but after the meeting it was confirmed that Sylvain Guintoli would return to the Worx Suzuki team for the remainder of the season. After missing the Cadwell Park round Hill returned to BSB for the Hydrex Honda team, taking the seat from Karl Harris after he was sacked. Hill adapted quickly to the Hydrex Honda, gaining seventh and sixth-place finishes in his first outing at Croft, two fifths at Silverstone, and podium places at Oulton Park.

For 2010, Hill joined Worx Crescent Suzuki full-time, alongside former World Superbike race winner Yukio Kagayama. He took victory in the season opener at Brands Hatch, before finishing second to James Ellison in race two. He led the championship by 36 points at one stage. Poorer meetings at Cadwell Park and Knockhill eroded his championship lead, but regained it with three podiums at Snetterton. Hill was one of the central subjects of the film I, Superbiker, which recorded his 2010 British Superbike Championship season.

On 10 November 2010, Hill signed to Swan Yamaha full-time, alongside Supersport champion Michael Laverty. He came second in the opening race at Brands Hatch Indy and took victory in the second race. This gave him lead in the championship. At Oulton Park, the weekend after, he got pole position in qualifying and topped the time sheet. However, during the warm-up session, Loris Baz crashed moments before, leaving fluid on the track, this caused Hill to fall and sustain an injury to the left shoulder. Later an update said that Hill's injuries would rule him out of the races ahead., However Hill was back at Croft Circuit in May. He made history at Knockhill Racing Circuit by taking his first double win in the championship and putting him back on top form to fight for the championship title.

Career statistics Stats correct as of 23 September 2012

All Time Series Years active Races Poles Podiums Wins 2nd place 3rd place Fast Laps Titles British Superbike Championship 2004–05, 2009− 181 20 52 19 23 10 11 1 Superbike World Championship 2006, 2009 16 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 World Supersport Championship 2007–08 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 202 21 52 19 23 10 11 1

By championship

British Superbike Championship Year Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Pts Ref R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 2004 Yamaha SIL14 SIL10 BHI9 BHI10 SNE8 SNE10 OUL9 OUL14 MONRet MONRet THR9 THR6 BHGP7 BHGP8 KNORet KNORet MALRet MAL6 CRO9 CRORet CAD5 CADRet OUL9 OUL10 DON10 DON14 9th 137 2005 Yamaha BHI10 BHI12 THR10 THRRet MAL MAL OUL OUL MONRet MON14 CRO16 CRORet KNO15 KNO12 SNE10 SNE7 SIL8 SIL10 CAD1 CAD4 OUL7 OUL6 DON8 DONRet BHGPRet BHGP9 12th 123 2006 Yamaha BHIRet BHI6 DONRet DON6 THR8 THR9 OUL7 OUL8 MONC MONC MAL12 MAL11 SNE6 SNE3 KNO8 KNO4 OULRet OUL6 CRO7 CRORet CAD5 CAD4 SIL6 SILRet BHGP4 BHGPRet 8th 187 2007 Yamaha BHGP9 BHGPRet THR8 THR10 SIL8 SIL8 OUL10 OUL7 SNE7 SNE7 MON10 MON9 KNO13 KNORet OUL8 OULRet MAL7 MAL9 CRO10 CRORet CAD6 CAD7 DONRet DONRet BHIRet BHI13 10th 138 2009 Suzuki BHI BHI OUL OUL DON DON THR THR SNE SNE KNO KNO MALRet MAL8 BHGP4 BHGP5 BHGP7 CAD CAD 11th 127 Honda CRO7 CRO6 SIL5 SIL5 OUL3 OUL4 OUL2 2010 Suzuki BHI1 BHI2 THR1 THR2 OUL2 OUL3 CADRet CAD2 MALRet MAL8 KNO8 KNOC SNE3 SNE2 SNE2 BHGP15 BHGP6 BHGP4 CAD1 CAD2 CRO1 CRO2 SIL8 SIL5 OUL2 OULRet OUL5 3rd 620 2011 Yamaha BHI2 BHI1 OULDNS OULDNS CRO14 CRO6 THR26 THR4 KNO1 KNO1 SNE2 SNERet OUL1 OULC BHGP19 BHGP2 BHGP1 CAD2 CAD1 CAD1 DON3 DON2 SIL3 SIL2 BHGP4 BHGP4 BHGP2 1st 647 2012 Yamaha BHIRet BHIC THR2 THR2 OUL1 OUL4 OUL2 SNE1 SNERet KNO2 KNO3 OUL1 OUL1 OUL1 BHGP3 BHGP3 CAD1 CAD1 DON2 DON3 ASSRet ASS4 SIL7 SIL7 BHGP2 BHGP6 BHGP3 3rd 612