Phil Read

Phil Read

Nation:	United Kingdom
Motorcycle world championship
statistics
Starts Victories Poles SR 138 52 5 36
World title:	7th
World Cup points:	1039
Podiums:	121
According to class (es): 125 cc class First start: Dutch TT 1961 Last start: Grand Prix of Nations 1968 Constructors 1961  EMC  • 1964–1968  Yamaha World Cup balance World Champion ( 1968 ) Starts Victories Poles SR 26th 10 - 4th World Cup points: 126 Podiums: 21st 250 cc class First start: 1963 Japanese Grand Prix Last start: Czechoslovakian Grand Prix 1972 Constructors 1963-1972  Yamaha World Cup balance World Champion ( 1964 , 1965 , 1968 , 1971 ) Starts Victories Poles SR 53 27 - 26th World Cup points: 404 Podiums: 50 350 cm³ class First start: Isle of Man TT 1961 Last start: 1973 Finnish Grand Prix Constructors 1961–1962  Norton  • 1963  Gilera  • 1964  AJS  • 1965–1966, 1969–1971  Yamaha  • 1972–1973  MV Agusta World Cup balance World Cup third ( 1973 ) Starts Victories Poles SR 21st 4th 1 3 World Cup points: 182 Podiums: 16 500 cc class First start: Dutch TT 1961 Last start: Grand Prix of Nations 1976 Constructors 1961–1962, 1964  Norton  • 1963  Gilera  • 1971  Ducati  • 1973–1975  MV Agusta  • 1976  Suzuki World Cup balance World Champion ( 1973 , 1974 ) Starts Victories Poles SR 38 11 4th 3 World Cup points: 327 Podiums: 34

Phil Read (2006)

Phillip William "Phil" Read , MBE , (born January 1, 1939 in Luton , England ) is a British motorcycle racer .

Career

He took part in the motorcycle world championship and was the first driver to win the world championship in motorcycle road racing in the 125 cm³, 250 cm³ and 500 cm³ classes. In total, he won seven world titles, five on Yamaha and two on MV Agusta . Often, however, Read's successes were outshone by the performance of his opponent Mike Hailwood .

In his 138 starts in the motorcycle world championship, Phil Read achieved 52 wins, 121 podiums, five pole positions and 36 fastest laps .

He is also called The Prince of Speed .

Sudden end of the Grand Prix career

In qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix in the 1976 season, Phil Read was able to secure second place on the grid. That same evening he drove home with his wife for no reason. Read only explained his behavior at the time almost 40 years later. The main sponsor of his team, the former Italian helmet manufacturer Life was in the middle of the season insolvent . As a result, Read could no longer pay his five mechanics. Since he did not want to owe anyone any money, Read dissolved his team and left the motorcycle world championship forever.

statistics

title

• 1964 - 250 cc world champion on a Yamaha
• 1965 - 250 cc world champion on a Yamaha
• 1968 - 125 cc world champion on a Yamaha
• 1968 - 250 cc world champion on a Yamaha
• 1971 - 250 cc world champion on a Yamaha
• 1973 - 500 cc world champion on MV Agusta
• 1974 - 500 cc world champion on MV Agusta
• 1977 - TT-F1 world champion on a Honda
• 52 Grand Prix victories
• Induction into the MotoGP Hall of Fame
• 3 Ulster Grand Prix wins
• 1 win at the Manx Grand Prix

Isle of Man TT victories

year	class	machine	Average speed
1961	Junior (350 cm³)	Norton	95.11  mph (153.06  km / h )
1965	Lightweight 125 (125 cm³)	Yamaha	94.28 mph (151.73 km / h)
1967	Lightweight 125 (125 cm³)	Yamaha	97.48 mph (156.88 km / h)
1968	Lightweight 125 (125 cm³)	Yamaha	99.12 mph (159.52 km / h)
1971	Lightweight 250 (250 cm³)	Yamaha	98.02 mph (157.75 km / h)
1972	Lightweight 250 (250 cm³)	Yamaha	99.68 mph (160.42 km / h)
1977	Senior (500 cm³)	Suzuki	106.97 mph (172.15 km / h)
	Formula One	Honda	97.02 mph (156.14 km / h)

References

literature

• Prince of Speed ​​- Phil Read. Arthur Barker Ltd. London 1970, ISBN 0213001721 .
• Phil Read - faster than the others. (Translation: Hildegard Seyler-Rauch) Motorbuch-Verlag Stuttgart 1972. ISBN 3-87943-236-8 (German edition of Prince of Speed )

Web links

Commons : Phil Read  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Phil Read on the official website of the Motorcycle World Championship.
• Phil Read on the Isle of Man TT official website.
• Phil Read at eggersdorfer.info

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Phil Read reveals the secret of the Belgium GP 1976. In: speedweek.com. Retrieved January 14, 2016 .