Mike Hailwood facts for kids

Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, MBE GM (born April 2, 1940 – died March 23, 1981) was an amazing English professional motorcycle racer and racing driver. Many people think he was one of the best racers ever. He raced in the Grand Prix motorcycle world championships from 1958 to 1967. He also competed in Formula One car races between 1963 and 1974. People called Hailwood "Mike The Bike" because he was so naturally talented at riding motorcycles of all sizes.

Quick facts for kids Mike Hailwood MBE GM
Hailwood at TT Assen, 21 June 1967
Nationality	British
Born	(1940-04-02)2 April 1940 Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England
Died	23 March 1981(1981-03-23) (aged 40) Warwickshire, England
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1958–1967 First race 1958 250cc Isle of Man TT Last race 1967 350cc Japanese Grand Prix First win 1959 125cc Ulster Grand Prix Last win 1967 350cc Japanese Grand Prix Team(s) NSU, Honda, MV Agusta Championships 250cc – 1961, 1966, 1967 350cc – 1966, 1967 500cc – 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 152 76 112 N/A 79 Isle of Man TT career TTs contested 12 (1958 – 1967, 1978, 1979) TT wins 14 First TT win 1961 Lightweight 125 TT Last TT win 1979 Senior TT Podiums 19

Mike Hailwood won nine world championships. He also won 76 Grand Prix motorcycle races. This included 14 victories at the famous Isle of Man TT. He also won four 500 cc world championships in a row. After his motorcycle career, he raced cars in Formula One. He became one of the few people to race at a high level in both motorcycle and car racing. He even returned to motorcycle racing when he was 38. He won the 1978 Isle of Man TT.

Hailwood died in 1981 after a road traffic accident in Warwickshire, England.

Early Life and Beginnings

Hailwood was born in Great Milton, Oxfordshire. He was the only son of a rich businessman. His father also raced motorcycles before World War II. Mike had a comfortable childhood. He learned to ride a minibike at a very young age. He went to school at Pangbourne Nautical College. Later, he worked for his family's business. Then, his father sent him to work at Triumph motorcycles.

Motorcycle Racing Journey

Mike Hailwood first saw a race when he was 10. He watched the Isle of Man TT races in 1956. His first race was on April 22, 1957, at Oulton Park. He finished 11th. In 1958, he won several awards. He also won the Thruxton 500 endurance race with Dan Shorey. He even got on the podium in one of the TT races.

Honda RC162, ridden by Hailwood in 1961

By 1961, Hailwood was racing for the Japanese company Honda. In June 1961, he made history at the Isle of Man TT. He was the first person to win three races in one week. He won in the 125 cc, 250 cc, and 500 cc categories. He almost won a fourth race, but his bike broke down. Riding a Honda, Hailwood won the 250cc world championship in 1961.

In 1962, Hailwood joined MV Agusta. He then became the first rider to win four 500cc World Championships in a row. In February 1964, he set a new speed record. He rode his MV 500 cc bike at 144.8 mph (233.0 km/h) at the Daytona International Speedway. This was a new one-hour speed record. He then won the Grand Prix race that same afternoon.

In 1965, Hailwood raced in some UK events for the Tom Kirby Team. He won the 1965 Hutchinson 100 Production race. This was at the Silverstone track. He rode a BSA Lightning Clubman in heavy rain. He beat other top riders like Phil Read. This race was important for motorcycle makers. It showed how good their bikes were.

Hailwood (number 35) leading a 250cc race at Cadwell Park around 1967. Phil Read (61) and Rod Gould (33) are close behind.

Hailwood at the 1967 French Grand Prix

After his success with MV Agusta, Hailwood returned to Honda. He won four more world titles in 1966 and 1967. These were in the 250 cc and 350 cc categories. At the 'Motor Cycle' 500 race in 1966, Hailwood showed off a Honda CB450 Black Bomber. But it could not race in the 500cc category. The FIM said it was not a production machine.

Hailwood was very successful at the Isle of Man TT. By 1967, he had won 12 times on the Snaefell Mountain Course. He won what many people call the most exciting Isle of Man race ever. This was the 1967 Senior TT against his rival, Giacomo Agostini. In that race, he set a lap record of 108.77 mph (175.05 km/h). This record stood for the next eight years.

After some bike problems in 1967, Hailwood planned to stay with Honda. He moved to South Africa and started a building business. He told Motorcycle Mechanics that he would retire if Honda didn't have good bikes. He planned to finish racing at the end of the 1968 season anyway.

In 1968, Honda stopped racing in Grand Prix events. But they paid Hailwood a lot of money. This was so he wouldn't ride for another team. They hoped to have him back when they returned to racing.

Hailwood (63) and Agostini (1) racing in 1969.

Hailwood still rode Hondas in 1968 and 1969. These were in special races that were not World Championships. He sometimes wore a plain silver helmet. He even rode a 500 cc bike with a special frame he had made. He also raced in some UK events. In 1968, he was at Mallory Park. In 1969, he was at the Mallory Park Race of the Year.

He had already started car racing. Since there were no other factory teams to race against MV Agusta, Hailwood decided to focus on cars. He finished third in the 1969 Le Mans 24-Hour race in France. He was a co-driver of a Ford GT40 with David Hobbs.

In 1970, Hailwood was asked to race bikes again. This time it was for the BSA team. He rode a Rocket 3 at the Daytona 200 race in Florida. His bike had problems and he had to stop. Hailwood rode for BSA again at the 1971 Daytona race. He led the race but his bike broke down again.

Car Racing Adventures

During his car racing career, Hailwood raced in Formula One and World Sports Cars. He didn't win as much as he did on motorcycles. He took part in 50 Formula One Grands Prix. His first was the 1963 British Grand Prix on July 20, 1963. He finished on the podium twice. He scored 29 championship points in total. He almost won his first Formula One race in six years. This was the 1971 Italian Grand Prix. The top five cars finished very close together. Hailwood was fourth, just 0.18 seconds behind the winner.

He won the 1972 Formula Two European title. He also got a podium finish at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans. Hailwood raced in the European Shellsport F5000 series for three seasons. He was second in the 1972 Tasman F5000 series.

Mike Hailwood driving a Yardley-sponsored McLaren M23 at Brands Hatch in 1974.

Hailwood was recognized for being very brave. In the 1973 South African Grand Prix, he helped Clay Regazzoni. Regazzoni's car was on fire after a crash. Hailwood's own racing suit caught fire. But after it was put out, he went back to help rescue Regazzoni. For this brave act, he received the George Medal. This is the second-highest award for bravery a British civilian can get.

In 1974, he drove a Yardley-sponsored McLaren M23. He sometimes raced faster than his team leader, Emerson Fittipaldi. He left Formula One after getting hurt badly. This happened at the 1974 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. He then moved to New Zealand. There, he worked in a marine engineering business.

He was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life in 1975.

Amazing Comeback

In 1977, Hailwood went to Australia. He rode powerful Ducatis in long-distance races. He also rode a Yamaha in a 30-lap event. He had some success. In April 1978, he entered a 3-hour long-distance race. He also rode at the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix. This was his first time on a 750 Yamaha. He later rode this bike in the Classic TT race.

In May 1978, Hailwood rode a demonstration lap. This was at a Donington Park race day. He rode a Yamaha XS1100 to get used to the TT course again. Martini sponsored most of his TT race bikes. He also tested his Yamaha and Ducati race machines.

On June 3, 1978, Hailwood made a big comeback. He had been away from motorcycle racing for 11 years. He raced at the Isle of Man TT in the Formula I race. This was a new World Championship class. It was for large road bikes.

Not many people thought the 38-year-old could win. But he rode a Ducati 900SS bike. He won the F1 race! He also finished 12th in the 250 cc Junior event. He was 28th in the 500 cc Senior race. He had to stop early in the Classic (1000 cc) race.

Hailwood was named 'Man of the Year' for 1978. This was after a public vote by Motorcycle News. After the June 1978 TT races, he raced in Australia again.

Hailwood raced at the 1979 Isle of Man TT. Then he retired for good at age 39. In his last Isle of Man race, he won the Senior TT. He rode a two-stroke Suzuki RG 500. He then used the same 500 cc bike in the Unlimited Classic race. He battled for the lead with Alex George. Hailwood lost by only two seconds.

His Final Days

After retiring from racing, Hailwood opened a Honda motorcycle shop. It was called Hailwood and Gould. He partnered with former racer Rodney Gould.

On March 21, 1981, Hailwood was driving his car. His children, Michelle and David, were with him. They were going to get fish and chips. As they drove home, a lorry made an illegal turn. Their car crashed into it. Michelle, who was nine, died right away. Mike and David were taken to the hospital. Mike died two days later from serious injuries. He was 40 years old. David survived with minor injuries.

Mike Hailwood's Legacy

1984 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica.

An annual 'Mike Hailwood Memorial Run' used to take place. It started at the old Norton factory. Then it went to Portway, where the accident happened. A service was held at the church in Tanworth-in-Arden. This event stopped after 2011.

Hailwood retired with 76 Grand Prix wins. He had 112 Grand Prix podium finishes. He also won 14 Isle of Man TT races. He earned 9 World Championships. This included 37 Grand Prix wins and 4 World Championships in the 500cc class.

He received the Segrave Trophy in 1979. This was for his amazing wins at the Isle of Man TT. His friend, Ted Macauley, also got a special medal. Hailwood supported a charity called The Joan Seeley Pain Relief Memorial Trust.

The FIM called him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2000. He was also added to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2001, he joined the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

After his 1978 Isle of Man Formula One win, Ducati sold a special bike. It was called the 900SS-based Mike Hailwood Replica. About 7,000 of these bikes were sold.

In 1981, a part of the Snaefell Mountain Course was named Hailwood's Rise. This leads to the highest point, Hailwood's Height. In 1984, Pauline Hailwood opened the Mike Hailwood Centre. This building is at the TT Grandstand in Douglas. It is a place for refreshments during the TT and Manx Grand Prix races. It is run by the Mike Hailwood Foundation, a charity. It helps promote the races and supports new racers.

Personal Life

Mike Hailwood came from a wealthy family. Early in his career, he lived a very good life. Even before he moved to Honda in 1966, he was the highest-paid rider in the world.

In 1964, he wrote a book with journalist Murray Walker. It was called The Art of Motorcycle Racing. In 1967, he moved to South Africa. He spent about two months there each winter.

He had two children: a daughter named Michelle, born in 1971, and a son named David. He married their mother, Pauline, on June 11, 1975. Pauline Hailwood passed away in June 2020.

Images for kids

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  Mike and Michelle Hailwood gravestone

See also

In Spanish: Mike Hailwood para niños