Hizzy

Steve Hislop is one of the most famous motorcycle racers in the world. He has always been outspoken and controversial, having had many famous clashes and splits with teams and riders over the years, not always to his advantage. Here he gets his chance to tell his story. Hislop made his debut in 1979 on a bike paid for by his father, but when the latter died of a heart-attack, he embarked on a self-destructive quest that resulted in more crashed bikes and cars than he can remember. Three years later his brother Garry was killed racing at Silloth. It looked as if he would never race again but while on holiday at the Isle of Man TT races in 1983, he was mesmerised by the sight of Joey Dunlop and he knew he had to try it. He took to the roads immediately, amassing an amazing career record of 11 wins and was the first rider in history to lap the course at an average speed of over 120mph. Hizzy's TT victories over big name rivals like Joey Dunlop and Carl Fogarty made him a living legend the world over. He turned his back on the Isle of Man in 1994, claiming it was too fast and dangerous for modern superbikes.
However, he had already proved he was just as fast on purpose-built short circuits having won the British 250cc championship in 1990 and then went on to win the British superbike title in 1995.