Steve Hislop
Encyclopedia
Steven 'Hizzy' Hislop was a Scottish
motorcycle
racer. Hislop won the Isle of Man TT
eleven times and also the British 250cc Championship (1990) and British Superbike
championship (1995 and 2002).
Hislop was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
in March 2010.
family, and grew up in the village of Chesters, near the town of Hawick
, with his father Sandy, mother Margaret and best friend/younger brother Garry. Their father inspired the boys to take up motorcycle racing, but when Garry was killed in a motorbike accident at Silloth
in 1982 aged 19, and his father had died three years earlier from a heart attack, Hislop slumped into an alcohol
inspired depression
.
battling cancer
having led the championship midseason, much to Steve's annoyance. He did not take a BSB victory in either 1996 or 1997, but was hired by Rob McElnea
's dominant Cadbury's Boost Yamaha
team for 1998 - to the surprise of commentator Barry Nutley. A near-collision on the last lap at Snetterton
cost the team a 1-2 finish, but Hizzy generally matched his countryman, before a huge crash took him out of title contention.
The 1992 Senior TT
was an absolute classic, and is often described as one of the best ever races in TT history.
After their record busting TT in 1991 on board the all conquering Hondas, Hislop and Carl Fogarty
had not planned to be back in 1992. However, they both lined up on the Glencrutchery Road that year on 'inferior' machinery - Hislop on Ron Haslam
's John Player Special sponsored Norton and Carl on the Loctite Yamaha. The Norton 588 had been developed on a shoe string budget when compared to Honda Racing's RC30's. JPS had no intention of backing Steve's TT campaign, but after scratching around for some sponsorship and minimal testing time, the team headed for the Isle of Man.
Hislop's Norton took to the circuit in unconventional white livery, backed by Steve's long term sponsor Abus. Hislop and the team defied the bike's detractors taking a fine 2nd place in the opening Formula 1 race. The bike had proved it could complete 6 laps of the grueling Snaefell Mountain Course
in hot weather, and the team could look forward to Friday's Senior TT.
A number of adjustments had been made to the Norton prior to the Senior - a larger screen was fitted to protect Hislop from the high winds, the front mud guard was removed to let in more air, and protective covers were fitted to the front forks.
Hislop's main rival of course, was Carl who would start at number 4. Steve would start at 19. Not only would this give him more traffic, but it would give the crowd an anxious wait as the officials calculated the time difference between them - a difference that never exceeded 7.4 seconds. As the race progressed, the two gladiators smashed the records they set the previous year with Hislop taking a narrow advantage into the last lap. In a last ditch attempt to catch Hislop, Fogarty recorded a blistering lap time of more than 123 mph on his unfancied Yamaha. It was all in vain however, with Hislop guiding the fly splattered Norton home to an historical win - one of Hislop's greatest achievements and one of the most popular TT wins ever. Carl Fogarty's lap record stood for 7 years.
Hislop and Fogarty would go on to become two of Britain's greatest motorcycle racers of the modern age, taking many race wins and championships at home and abroad. It was the 1992 Senior TT that saw them battle together for the last time.
Described by some as a flawed genius, success on the world stage never materialised - possibly because of a self-destructive reputation. He had many well-publicised clashes with other riders and teams over the years.
Hislop had two children by former partner, Kelly Bailey, but the couple split just before his second son Connor was born. He had joint custody of the children, and had found love again with girlfriend Ally Greenwood.
Hislop died in a helicopter accident near Teviothead
, Roxburghshire
and was interred in the village of Chesters near his birthplace of Hawick
, Scotland
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
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...
racer. Hislop won 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...
eleven times and also the British 250cc Championship (1990) and British Superbike
British Superbike
The British Superbike Championship is the leading road racing superbike championship in the United Kingdom.The championship is managed and organised by MotorSport Vision. The Series and Race Director is Stuart Higgs. Event marshals are provided by the Racesafe Marshals Association.Two annual...
championship (1995 and 2002).
Hislop was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
The Scottish Sports Hall of Fame is the national sports hall of fame in Scotland, initiated on St Andrew's Day 2001. It is a joint project organised by sportscotland, the national governmental body for Scottish sport, and the National Museums of Scotland. It is also funded by BBC Scotland and...
in March 2010.
Biography
Hislop was born into a close Scottish BordersScottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
family, and grew up in the village of Chesters, near the town of Hawick
Hawick
Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...
, with his father Sandy, mother Margaret and best friend/younger brother Garry. Their father inspired the boys to take up motorcycle racing, but when Garry was killed in a motorbike accident at Silloth
Silloth
Silloth is a port town and civil parish in Cumbria, England. It sits on the shoreline of the Solway Firth, west of Carlisle. It has a population of 2,932....
in 1982 aged 19, and his father had died three years earlier from a heart attack, Hislop slumped into an alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
inspired depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
.
Racing career
Hislop entered and finished second in a newcomers’ race at the Manx Grand Prix in 1983 - the year after Garry had won it. He won the 250cc British Championship in 1990, and the British Superbike Championship in 1995 - some attributed his success to James WhithamJames Whitham
Michael James 'Jamie' Whitham , is a former professional motorcycle road racer. He raced in most major British and international championships, winning the British championship twice...
battling cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
having led the championship midseason, much to Steve's annoyance. He did not take a BSB victory in either 1996 or 1997, but was hired by Rob McElnea
Rob McElnea
Rob McElnea is a retired motorcycle road racer, who won three Isle of Man TT races, and with a best of fifth overall in Grands Prix....
's dominant Cadbury's Boost Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
team for 1998 - to the surprise of commentator Barry Nutley. A near-collision on the last lap at Snetterton
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...
cost the team a 1-2 finish, but Hizzy generally matched his countryman, before a huge crash took him out of title contention.
1992 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...
was an absolute classic, and is often described as one of the best ever races in TT history.
After their record busting TT in 1991 on board the all conquering Hondas, Hislop and Carl Fogarty
Carl Fogarty
Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty is the most successful World Superbike racer of all time in terms of the number of championships and number of race wins...
had not planned to be back in 1992. However, they both lined up on the Glencrutchery Road that year on 'inferior' machinery - Hislop on Ron Haslam
Ron Haslam
Ronald Haslam is a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who has been racing for over thirty years, winning three World titles, four British championships and having ridden in almost 110 GPs....
's John Player Special sponsored Norton and Carl on the Loctite Yamaha. The Norton 588 had been developed on a shoe string budget when compared to Honda Racing's RC30's. JPS had no intention of backing Steve's TT campaign, but after scratching around for some sponsorship and minimal testing time, the team headed for the Isle of Man.
Hislop's Norton took to the circuit in unconventional white livery, backed by Steve's long term sponsor Abus. Hislop and the team defied the bike's detractors taking a fine 2nd place in the opening Formula 1 race. The bike had proved it could complete 6 laps of the grueling Snaefell Mountain Course
Snaefell mountain course
Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course is a road-racing circuit used for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix Races held in the Isle of Man from 1911 and 1923 respectively. The racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald...
in hot weather, and the team could look forward to Friday's Senior TT.
A number of adjustments had been made to the Norton prior to the Senior - a larger screen was fitted to protect Hislop from the high winds, the front mud guard was removed to let in more air, and protective covers were fitted to the front forks.
Hislop's main rival of course, was Carl who would start at number 4. Steve would start at 19. Not only would this give him more traffic, but it would give the crowd an anxious wait as the officials calculated the time difference between them - a difference that never exceeded 7.4 seconds. As the race progressed, the two gladiators smashed the records they set the previous year with Hislop taking a narrow advantage into the last lap. In a last ditch attempt to catch Hislop, Fogarty recorded a blistering lap time of more than 123 mph on his unfancied Yamaha. It was all in vain however, with Hislop guiding the fly splattered Norton home to an historical win - one of Hislop's greatest achievements and one of the most popular TT wins ever. Carl Fogarty's lap record stood for 7 years.
Hislop and Fogarty would go on to become two of Britain's greatest motorcycle racers of the modern age, taking many race wins and championships at home and abroad. It was the 1992 Senior TT that saw them battle together for the last time.
Described by some as a flawed genius, success on the world stage never materialised - possibly because of a self-destructive reputation. He had many well-publicised clashes with other riders and teams over the years.
Personal life
Having lost his brother and many friends in motorcycle accidents, Hislop made a point of never going to the funerals of fellow racers, saying: "Some people might find that a bit callous. I only ever attend family ones and people find it a bit strange that I won’t go to a friend’s funeral, but it’s just my little way of shutting off."Hislop had two children by former partner, Kelly Bailey, but the couple split just before his second son Connor was born. He had joint custody of the children, and had found love again with girlfriend Ally Greenwood.
Hislop died in a helicopter accident near Teviothead
Teviothead
Teviothead is a small village and civil parish in Teviotdale in the Scottish Borders, known locally as Teviotheed. It is located south of the River Teviot....
, Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
and was interred in the village of Chesters near his birthplace of Hawick
Hawick
Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Legacy
- There is a bronze statue in memory of Steve Hislop on Onchan Head, Isle of Man
- There is a bronze statue in memory of Hizzy in Wilton park, Hawick, near his hometown of Denholm. It is unusual as it is a life-sized image of Hizzy in his leathers and is mounted at ground level.
- Steve has a museum room all about him at Wilton park, it holds a trophy room some of Steve's bikes and leathers. It also has some x rays taken from after Hizzy broke his neck.