Graeme Crosby
Encyclopedia
Graeme Crosby is a former Grand Prix
motorcycle
road racer
from New Zealand
. A supremely versatile rider, Crosby holds the distinction of having won the Daytona 200
, the Imola 200, the Suzuka 8 Hours
, and the Isle of Man TT
.
Crosby began his racing career in 1974 in the New Zealand racing scene. In 1976, he made an impression in the Australian Superbike
championship. He then left for Europe in 1980 to compete in Britain where he won the Isle of Man Senior TT
. By 1980, he had worked his way up to the 500cc road racing world championship on a Suzuki RG 500
. Also in 1980, he teamed up with Wes Cooley
on a Yoshimura
Suzuki
to win the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race, and he was the TT Formula One
World Champion for Suzuki. After finishing fifth in the 1981
500cc championship - the year in which he was British TT F1 champion - he made a move to the Agostini
Yamaha
factory racing team. He began the 1982
season by winning the prestigious Daytona 200. Despite injuries, Crosby still managed second overall in the championship. Frustrated by the internal politics of his race team Crosby quit the Grand Prix circuit after the 1982 season.
After his retirement Crosby returned to New Zealand and has run a number of successful motorcycle businesses. He also took up four-wheelers, driving successfully in Touring car racing
, mostly in New Zealand and Australia. Crosby was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
in 1995. In 2007, he was inducted into the New Zealand Motorcycling Hall of Fame.
During 2010, Graeme Crosby was busy writing his revealing autobiography. 'CROZ - Larrikin Biker' (ISBN 9781869508579) was published in New Zealand by Harper Sports at the end of that year.
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
road racer
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. A supremely versatile rider, Crosby holds the distinction of having won the Daytona 200
Daytona 200
The Daytona 200 is a 68-lap, motorcycle race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.-History:The race evolved from a beach racing venue in 1937 to the Daytona International Speedway course in 1961....
, the Imola 200, the Suzuka 8 Hours
Suzuka 8 Hours
The is a motorcycle endurance race held at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan each year. As the name implies, the race runs for eight hours consecutively and teams are composed of two riders and one alternate.-History:...
, and the Isle of Man TT
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
.
Crosby began his racing career in 1974 in the New Zealand racing scene. In 1976, he made an impression in the Australian Superbike
Superbike racing
Superbike racing is a category of motorcycle racing that employs modified production motorcycles. Superbike World Championship is the international superbike championship, and national superbike championships are held in many countries as well, including the United Kingdom, the United States,...
championship. He then left for Europe in 1980 to compete in Britain where he won the Isle of Man Senior TT
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festival and takes place on the Friday of race week. The Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars...
. By 1980, he had worked his way up to the 500cc road racing world championship on a Suzuki RG 500
Suzuki RG 500
Suzuki RG 500 was a racing motorcycle built by Suzuki which participated in the 500cc Grand Prix world championship. The bike won the riders world championship in the 500 cc class in 1976 and 1977....
. Also in 1980, he teamed up with Wes Cooley
Wes Cooley (motorcyclist)
Wester Steven Cooley, , better known as Wes, was a motorcycle road racer in the AMA Superbike class. He won the 1979 and 1980 AMA Superbike Championships on a Yoshimura Suzuki GS1000s....
on a Yoshimura
Pops Yoshimura
Hideo "Pops" Yoshimura was a motorcycle tuner, race team owner and manufacturer of speciality motorcycle accessories. He is remembered for his ties to the beginnings of AMA Superbike racing and the Suzuki factory racing team...
Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
to win the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race, and he was the TT Formula One
Formula TT
The Formula TT was a racing class for motorcycles from 1977 to 1989 as the official World Cup under the umbrella of International Motorcycling Federation...
World Champion for Suzuki. After finishing fifth in the 1981
1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 33rd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Suzuki riders Marco Lucchinelli and Randy Mamola battled it out to the final race of the season with the Italian rider claiming the crown and Mamola finishing runner-up for the...
500cc championship - the year in which he was British TT F1 champion - he made a move to the Agostini
Giacomo Agostini
-Non-riding career:Like John Surtees and Mike Hailwood before him, Agostini raced in Formula One cars. He competed in non-championship Formula One races in 1978. He competed in the European Formula 2 series in a Chevron B42-BMW and British Aurora Formula 1 with his own team and a Williams FW06...
Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Company
, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
factory racing team. He began the 1982
1982 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1982 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 34th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Italian Franco Uncini on the Roberto Gallina backed Suzuki took a well-earned championship in the 500cc class. Yamaha introduced a new V4 bike for Kenny Roberts but suffered from...
season by winning the prestigious Daytona 200. Despite injuries, Crosby still managed second overall in the championship. Frustrated by the internal politics of his race team Crosby quit the Grand Prix circuit after the 1982 season.
After his retirement Crosby returned to New Zealand and has run a number of successful motorcycle businesses. He also took up four-wheelers, driving successfully in Touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
, mostly in New Zealand and Australia. Crosby was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is an organisation commemorating New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs. It was inaugurated as part of the New Zealand sesquicentenary celebrations in 1990. Some 160 members have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception representing a wide...
in 1995. In 2007, he was inducted into the New Zealand Motorcycling Hall of Fame.
During 2010, Graeme Crosby was busy writing his revealing autobiography. 'CROZ - Larrikin Biker' (ISBN 9781869508579) was published in New Zealand by Harper Sports at the end of that year.
Grand Prix career statistics
Points system from 1968 to 1987.| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Points | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Team | Machine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Points | Rank | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 1980 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 1980 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 32nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Yamaha's Kenny Roberts claimed his third successive 500cc world championship in a season shortened by the cancellations of the Venezuelan and Austrian rounds. Randy Mamola took... |
500cc | Heron-Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines... |
RG500 Suzuki RG 500 Suzuki RG 500 was a racing motorcycle built by Suzuki which participated in the 500cc Grand Prix world championship. The bike won the riders world championship in the 500 cc class in 1976 and 1977.... |
NAT Italian motorcycle Grand Prix The Italian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. From 1949 to 1990 the event was known as the Nations Grand Prix. It was one of the original rounds of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing calendar. The race was held exclusively at Monza... NC |
ESP Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix The Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. In addition to this event, three other motorcycling events take place in Spain as of the 2010 season: the Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix, the Aragon motorcycle Grand Prix and the... 12 |
FRA French motorcycle Grand Prix The Grand Prix Monster Energy de France is a motorcycling event that is part of the World Motorcycle Racing season.-Winners of the French motorcycle Grand Prix:... 5 |
NED Dutch TT The Dutch TT is a motorcycling event, traditionally held on the last Saturday of June at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, as part of the MotoGP World Championship. In the past all classes , nowadays only the 125 cc, Moto2 and the MotoGP... 8 |
BEL Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix The Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1949 to 1990.-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:... 4 |
FIN Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix was the Finnish round of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship from 1962 to 1982. It was held at the Tampere Circuit in 1962 and 1963 before moving to Imatra. Giacomo Agostini won the most Finnish Grands Prix with ten 500cc victories and seven 350cc... - |
GBR British motorcycle Grand Prix The British motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the World Motorcycle Racing season. Before 1977, the British Grand Prix was the Isle of Man TT, held there from 1949-1976.-Winners of the British motorcycle Grand Prix:... 13 |
GER German motorcycle Grand Prix The German motorcycle Grand Prix, first held in 1925, is since 1952 part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Championship.- History :The first two Großer Preis von Deutschland races were held at Berlin's AVUS before moving to the new the purpose-built Nürburgring which was used in its full... 2 |
29 | 8th | 0 | ||||
| 1981 1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 33rd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Suzuki riders Marco Lucchinelli and Randy Mamola battled it out to the final race of the season with the Italian rider claiming the crown and Mamola finishing runner-up for the... |
500cc | Heron-Suzuki Suzuki is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines... |
RGB500 Suzuki RG 500 gamma Suzuki RG 500 gamma was a racing motorcycle built by Suzuki which participated in the 500cc Grand Prix world championship. The bike debuted in 1981 replacing the Suzuki RG 500. The Roberto Gallina-Suzuki team won two consecutive riders world championships in the 500cc class with Marco Lucchinelli... |
AUT Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix The Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix was a motorcycling event that had been part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1971 to 1997-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:Footnotes:... 2 |
GER German motorcycle Grand Prix The German motorcycle Grand Prix, first held in 1925, is since 1952 part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Championship.- History :The first two Großer Preis von Deutschland races were held at Berlin's AVUS before moving to the new the purpose-built Nürburgring which was used in its full... 13 |
NAT Italian motorcycle Grand Prix The Italian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. From 1949 to 1990 the event was known as the Nations Grand Prix. It was one of the original rounds of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing calendar. The race was held exclusively at Monza... 2 |
FRA French motorcycle Grand Prix The Grand Prix Monster Energy de France is a motorcycling event that is part of the World Motorcycle Racing season.-Winners of the French motorcycle Grand Prix:... 3 |
YUG Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix The Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1970 to 1990,-Winners of the Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix:-References:... 4 |
NED Dutch TT The Dutch TT is a motorcycling event, traditionally held on the last Saturday of June at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, as part of the MotoGP World Championship. In the past all classes , nowadays only the 125 cc, Moto2 and the MotoGP... NC |
BEL Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix The Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1949 to 1990.-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:... 7 |
RSM 3 |
GBR British motorcycle Grand Prix The British motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the World Motorcycle Racing season. Before 1977, the British Grand Prix was the Isle of Man TT, held there from 1949-1976.-Winners of the British motorcycle Grand Prix:... NC |
FIN Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix was the Finnish round of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship from 1962 to 1982. It was held at the Tampere Circuit in 1962 and 1963 before moving to Imatra. Giacomo Agostini won the most Finnish Grands Prix with ten 500cc victories and seven 350cc... 5 |
SWE Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix The Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix was a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season in various stints from 1958 to 1990.-Winners of the Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix:-References:... 5 |
68 | 5th | 0 | |
| 1982 1982 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 1982 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 34th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.-Season summary:Italian Franco Uncini on the Roberto Gallina backed Suzuki took a well-earned championship in the 500cc class. Yamaha introduced a new V4 bike for Kenny Roberts but suffered from... |
500cc | Marlboro-Yamaha Yamaha Motor Company , is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized... |
YZR500 Yamaha YZR500 The YZR500 was the Yamaha Motor Corporation’s entry for 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing between the years of 1973 and 2002.- Successes :... |
ARG Argentine motorcycle Grand Prix Argentine motorcycle Grand Prix was the Argentine round of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship. The event was held ten times at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez between 1961 and 1999... NC |
AUT Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix The Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix was a motorcycling event that had been part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1971 to 1997-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:Footnotes:... 4 |
FRA French motorcycle Grand Prix The Grand Prix Monster Energy de France is a motorcycling event that is part of the World Motorcycle Racing season.-Winners of the French motorcycle Grand Prix:... - |
ESP Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix The Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. In addition to this event, three other motorcycling events take place in Spain as of the 2010 season: the Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix, the Aragon motorcycle Grand Prix and the... 4 |
NAT Italian motorcycle Grand Prix The Italian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. From 1949 to 1990 the event was known as the Nations Grand Prix. It was one of the original rounds of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing calendar. The race was held exclusively at Monza... 3 |
NED Dutch TT The Dutch TT is a motorcycling event, traditionally held on the last Saturday of June at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, as part of the MotoGP World Championship. In the past all classes , nowadays only the 125 cc, Moto2 and the MotoGP... 4 |
BEL Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix The Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1949 to 1990.-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:... - |
YUG Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix The Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1970 to 1990,-Winners of the Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix:-References:... 2 |
GBR British motorcycle Grand Prix The British motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the World Motorcycle Racing season. Before 1977, the British Grand Prix was the Isle of Man TT, held there from 1949-1976.-Winners of the British motorcycle Grand Prix:... 3 |
SWE Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix The Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix was a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season in various stints from 1958 to 1990.-Winners of the Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix:-References:... 3 |
RSM 3 |
GER German motorcycle Grand Prix The German motorcycle Grand Prix, first held in 1925, is since 1952 part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Championship.- History :The first two Großer Preis von Deutschland races were held at Berlin's AVUS before moving to the new the purpose-built Nürburgring which was used in its full... - |
76 | 2nd | 0 |