Bill Ivy

Infobox Former Grand Prix motorcycle rider


Caption =
Name = Bill Ivy
Nationality = flagicon|UK British
Years = 1965 - 1969
Teams = Yamaha, Jawa
Races = 46
Championships = 125cc - 1967
Wins = 21
Podiums = 42
Points =
Poles = N/A
Fastest laps = N/A
First race = 1965 125cc Dutch TT
First win = 1966 125cc Spanish Grand Prix
Last win = 1968 125cc Nations Grand Prix
Last race = 1969 350cc East German Grand Prix

William David Ivy (27 August 1942–12 July 1969) was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Maidstone, Kent.

Ivy started racing motorbikes at Brands Hatch in 1959.cite web
url = http://www.ozebook.com/gpwin/ivy.htm
title = Bill Ivy - motorcycle GP rider tribute
accessdate = 15 November
accessyear = 2006
publisher = ozebook.com] He raced in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship towards the end of 1965, where he finished fourth in two 125 cc races and third in a 250 cc race. In 1966, he raced for the works Yamaha team, won the first race of the year at the Montjuich Circuit in Spain, and took three more wins--not enough, however, to beat Swiss rider Luigi Taveri, who beat Ivy to the title by six points.

In 1967, Ivy dominated the 125 cc championship: he won eight out of twelve races to claim the World Championship by 16 points over Phil Read. On top of this, he won two 250 cc races in France and Belgium.

In 1968, Ivy and his teammate Phil Read were in control of the 125 and 250 cc championships. Yamaha ordered them to win one title each, with Ivy scheduled to win the 250 cc championship and Read the 125 cc championship. After securing the 125 cc title, Read ignored Yamaha's orders to tie with Ivy on points. The tie break was decided on overall race times, and Read took the title. Ivy announced his retirement from motorcycle racing, stating he would race Formula Two cars during the next season.

Despite announcing his retirement the previous year, Ivy returned to motorcycle racing in 1969, racing a 350 cc motorcycle for Jawa Motors. The season started promising, as he took two second places behind Giacomo Agostini. However, during practice for the fifth race, in East Germany, Ivy was touring back to the paddock with his helmet resting on the tank when his motorcycle's engine seized.cite web
url = http://racingmemo.free.fr/MOTO-GP-1969.htm
title = The year 1969
accessdate = 15 November
accessyear = 2006
publisher = Racing Memory ("French language")] He was thrown from the bike, sustained massive head injuries, and died in hospital.

Notes