Steve Hislop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Steve Hislop |
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Hislop in 1992
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| Nationality | British | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 January 1962 Hawick, Scotland |
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| Died | 30 July 2003 (aged 41) Teviothead, Scotland |
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Robert Steven Hislop (born January 11, 1962 – died July 30, 2003) was an amazing Scottish motorcycle racer. Many people called him "Hizzy." He was known for his incredible speed and bravery on the track.
Steve Hislop won the famous Isle of Man TT race eleven times. He also became the British 250cc Champion in 1990. Later, he won the British Superbike championship twice, in 1995 and 2002.
Sadly, Steve Hislop passed away in July 2003 in a helicopter accident. In March 2010, he was honored by being added to the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.
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Meet Steve Hislop
Steve Hislop grew up in a loving family in the Scottish Borders. His home village was Chesters, near the town of Hawick. He lived with his father, Sandy, his mother, Margaret, and his younger brother, Garry. Garry was also Steve's best friend.
Steve's father, Sandy, really encouraged his sons to get into motorcycle racing. He wanted them to be excited about competing. However, a sad event changed things. In 1982, Garry was in a racing accident at Silloth circuit and passed away at age 19. This made Steve very sad, and his passion for racing became difficult for a while. His father had also passed away three years earlier.
Steve's Amazing Races
Isle of Man TT Challenges
Steve Hislop started his road racing career at the Isle of Man in 1983. He finished second in the newcomers' race at the Manx Grand Prix. This was a great start for him.
The 1992 Senior TT race is often called one of the best races in TT history. Steve Hislop rode a Norton 588 bike. He wore a special white racing suit from his sponsor, Abus. In an earlier race, the TT F1, his bike proved it could handle six tough laps. The weather was very hot, but the bike performed well.
Before the Senior TT, some changes were made to Steve's Norton bike. A bigger screen was added to protect him from strong winds. The front mudguard was removed to help cool the engine. Also, protective covers were put on the front forks.
Steve's main rival in this race was Carl Fogarty. Carl started at number four, while Steve started at number 19. This meant Steve had more other riders to pass. But the time difference between them was always very small, never more than 7.4 seconds. Both riders broke their own speed records from the year before. Steve had a small lead going into the final lap. Carl Fogarty tried his best to catch Steve. He set a new record lap time of over 123 mph on his Yamaha. But it wasn't enough. Steve Hislop guided his Norton bike to first place. This was one of Steve's greatest wins and a memorable battle with Fogarty.
Short Circuit Success
On shorter race tracks, Steve Hislop first won a championship in 1990. He became the 250cc British Champion. Then, in 1995, he won the British Superbike Championship.
Even though he didn't win a BSB race in 1996 or 1997, Steve was still a top rider. In 1998, he joined the strong Cadbury's Boost Yamaha team. He raced alongside his teammate, Niall Mackenzie. Their fight for the championship was very close. At Snetterton, they almost crashed on the last lap. This close call cost the team a first and second place finish. Steve usually matched his teammate's speed. However, a crash caused an injury that took him out of the championship race.
His last big championship win was in 2002. He won the British Superbike Championship while riding a Ducati bike. Something amazing happened that season: Steve rode his superbike faster around Donington Park circuit than the fastest Moto GP machine. This was special because Steve's modified Ducati was heavier and less powerful than the special Grand Prix bikes.
Steve's Life Off the Track
Steve Hislop had two children with his former partner, Kelly Bailey. Their first son was named Aaron. They separated before their second son, Connor, was born. Steve had joint custody of his children. He had also found new happiness with his girlfriend, Ally Greenwood.
Steve Hislop passed away in a helicopter accident. This happened near Teviothead, in Roxburghshire, Scotland. He was buried in the village of Chesters, close to where he was born in Hawick.
Remembering Steve
Steve Hislop is remembered in many ways:
- The Knickerbrook Chicane at the Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire was renamed "Hislops Chicane." This happened after the track was updated in late 2003.
- There is a bronze statue of Steve Hislop on Onchan Head, on the Isle of Man.
- Another bronze statue of "Hizzy" is in Wilton Park, Hawick. This is near his hometown of Denholm. It's special because it's a life-sized statue of him in his racing gear, placed at ground level.
- Wilton Park also has a museum room dedicated to Steve Hislop. It shows his trophies, some of his racing bikes, and his racing leathers. It even has X-rays from when he broke his neck.
- There is an annual "Hizzy Run" for bikers. It starts and finishes in Denholm Green. This run began in 2003. It was started by his friend and fellow racer, Alan Duffus. The run helped raise money for the bronze statues, which were put up in 2005. The run still happens every year. Hundreds of bikers attend and listen to speeches from Steve's friends and other racers.
