Steve Hislop
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| Steven Hislop | |
|---|---|
 Steve on the Norton 588 at Creg-ny-Baa 1992. |
|
| Nicknames | Hizzy |
| Nationality |  Scottish |
| TTs contested | 11 (1984 - 1994) |
| TT wins | 11 |
| First TT win | 1987 Formula 2 TT |
| Last TT win | 1994 Senior TT |
| Podiums | 19 |
Steven 'Hizzy' Hislop (January 11, 1962 - July 30, 2003) 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).
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[edit] Biography
Hislop was born into a close Scottish Borders 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[1].
[edit] 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 Whitham battling cancer having led the championship midseason, much to Steve's annoyance.
But it was on the Isle of Man that his knowledge of the circuit and perfectionism led to his greatest success. Hislop's talent and outright speed around the TT circuit was legendary and in 1992 aboard the poorly funded and unreliable factory Rotary Norton, Hislop beat the future four-times Superbike World champion Carl Fogarty who was riding a better-handling and more reliable semi-works Yamaha.
[edit] 1992 Senior TT
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, Steve 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 RC45'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 123mph 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.
[edit] 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, Roxburghshire and was interred in the village of Chesters near his birthplace of Hawick, Scotland.
[edit] Trivia
- 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 Drumlanrig Tower at the end of the High Street in Hawick
- In The TV Show Long Way Round, when Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are learning Russian, a copy of "Hizzy" (Steve's Autobiography) is visible in the background.
[edit] References
