Steve Parrish

Infobox Former Grand Prix motorcycle rider


|Caption =
Name = Steve Parrish
Nationality = flagicon|UK British
Years = 1971 - 1979, 1981 - 1985
Teams = Suzuki
Races = 52
Championships = 0
Wins = 0
Podiums = 1
Points = 92
Poles = 0
Fastest laps = 1
First race = 1977 Venezuelan Grand Prix
First win =
Last win =
Last race = 1985 500cc British Grand Prix

Steve Parrish (born February 24, 1954 in Isle of Man) is a former motorcycle and truck racer, who now commentates for various British television channels on motorsport.

Parrish turned professional at the age of 22 in 1976, winning the ACU Solo title in the British Motor Cycle Championship, as well as being team mate to Barry Sheene on a Suzuki in the 1976 500cc world championship. [ [http://www.autoracingdaily.com/article/steve_parrish_obviously_i_am_very_very_excited_about_riding_the_kawasaki_ni/ Auto Racing Daily : Steve Parrish: “Obviously I Am Very, Very Excited About Riding The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR” ] ] Parrish finished fifth in the 1977 500cc world championship, but returned to British based riding to become the 1978 500cc British Champion. He also won the Shell 500 title in both 1979 and 1980, and a Superbike title in 1981.

After retiring from motorcycle racing in 1986, Parrish led a dual career both managed a successful Yamaha factory team to three British Superbike championship titles; [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/1859932.stm BBC SPORT | MOTORBIKES | Steve Parrish ] ] and starting a successful truck racing career, winning the 1987 British Open Truck Racing Championship. Parrish took both the European and British Truck Racing championship titles in 1990, then held the British title for four years and retained the European title for three years driving for the BP-Mercedes Benz team. [ [http://www.castrol.com/castrol/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9000068&contentId=7000163 Castrol Motor Oil and Lubricants - The history of Castrol in truck racing ] ] [ [http://www.ascsharp.co.uk/Homepage/racing.html Anna Sharp - Truck Racing ] ] Parrish regained the prestigious European crown again in 1996 in Jarama. The most successful truck racer ever, he retired in 2002 at the age of 47 to hand over to Terry Rymer. [ [http://www.terryrymer.com/28_01_02.htm Terry Rymer Motorsport - News ] ]

In 1985, Parrish started commentating for the BBC radio, and then transferring to television with Sky with Barry Nutley. From 1990 he commentated on the British 125 championship for the BBC, before transferring to their Moto GP coverage, currently undertaken with Charlie Cox. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/1859932.stm BBC SPORT | MOTORBIKES | Steve Parrish ] ] The pair have a rapport and have commentated on a number of series for the BBC from the late 1990s, including British Touring Cars, British and WorldSuperbikes and now MotoGP. [ [http://www.teamdan.com/archive/cox/cox.html Charlie Cox and Steve Parrish - An Appreciation ] ] A qualified pilot, Parrish is also a commentator for the Red Bull Air Race series for Channel 4. Away from television, he regularly tests various vehicles and racing machines, and is an expert witness for motor racing incidents. Parrish holds the Guinness Book of Records world record for the “Fastest Speed Achieved in Reverse” (85mph) using a Caterham car. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/sport/steveparrish.shtml BBC - Press Office - Steve Parrish ] ]

A renowed practical joker, Parrish is banned from Macau after blowing up a brothel, and burnt down a toilet block in Poland. [ [http://www.varsity.co.uk/sport/403/2/ Varsity / Sport / Bombing brothels in Macau ] ] He also posed as a medical doctor to allow John Hopkins to fly from Japan to the Australian GP. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/11/1097406431682.html?from=storylhs Sporting Life - Geoff McClure - www.theage.com.au ] ]

Divorced from wife Ruth, the couple have two children.

References

External links

* [http://www.steveparrishracing.com Official site]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/sport/steveparrish.shtml Bio at the BBC Press Office]