Keith Campbell (racing driver)

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A Moto Guzzi V8 as driven by Campbell in 1956

Keith Ronald Campbell (born October 2, 1931 in Melbourne , Australia , † July 13, 1958 in Laréole , France ) was an Australian motorcycle racer . In the 1957 season he won the World Championship title in the 350 cm³ class on Moto Guzzi and thus became the first Australian world champion in the history of the motorcycle world championship .

Career

Keith Campbell moved from his Australian homeland to Europe in 1953 , where he first started for Norton and was able to achieve some victories in smaller races. In 1954 he made his debut with fifth place at the 500 cc Grand Prix of Belgium in the motorcycle world championship.

In 1956 Campbell was signed by Moto Guzzi . When the regular factory drivers Bill Lomas , Dickie Dale and Giuseppe Colnago were injured in a fall during the 1957 season, it was the big moment. In the first year of the World Cup for the Italian manufacturer, the Australian was able to secure the world title in the 350 cm³ class. He started the season with second place in the Tourist Trophy , won the races in the Netherlands and Belgium as well as the Ulster Grand Prix . At the end of the season Campbell was eight points ahead of World Cup runner-up Bob McIntyre , who started for Gilera .

Keith Campbell also competed in the 500 cc class with the Moto Guzzi V8 that year . At the last race of the season, the Grand Prix of Nations in Monza , he crashed in training and could not start.

At the end of the 1957 season, the Italian manufacturers Moto Guzzi, Mondial and Gilera withdrew from the motorcycle world championship, as all road races were banned in Italy after a serious accident in Guidizzolo during the Mille Miglia . Campbell then returned to Norton, for whom he again started in the classes up to 350 and up to 500 cc in 1958 and was able to take a second and two third places.

On July 13, 1958, Keith Campbell had a fatal accident at the age of 26 in an accident on the Cadours circuit near Toulouse in France . He had already won the race in the 350 cc class of the Grand Prix de Cadours that day. On the first lap of the following 500cc race, the Australian came off the track in a fast corner and crashed badly. The injuries suffered in the process resulted in immediate death.

In his short career Keith Campbell contested ten Grand Prix races, celebrating three wins and a total of eight podium finishes.

Statistics in the motorcycle world championship

season class Result machine Victories
1954 500 cc 19th Norton 0
1955 350 cc 11. Norton 0
1957 350 cc World Champion Moto Guzzi 3
500 cc 15th Moto Guzzi 0
1958 350 cc 7th Norton 0
500 cc 9. Norton 0

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Campbell, Keith
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Campbell, Keith Ronald (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Australian motorcycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH October 2, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Melbourne
DATE OF DEATH July 13, 1958
Place of death Laréole