Troy Bayliss facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Troy Bayliss
Bayliss in 2006
Nationality	Australian
Born	(1969-03-30) 30 March 1969 (age 56) Taree, New South Wales, Australia
Current team	Desmosport Ducati
Bike number	21
Website	[1]
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1997, 2003–2006 First race 1997 250cc Australian Grand Prix Last race 2006 MotoGP Valencian Community Grand Prix First win 2006 MotoGP Valencian Community Grand Prix Last win 2006 MotoGP Valencian Community Grand Prix Championships 0 Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 45 1 5 0 0 288 Superbike World Championship Active years 2000–2002, 2006–2008, 2015 Manufacturers Ducati Championships 3 (2001, 2006, 2008) 2015 championship position 24th (15 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 156 52 94 26 35 2442

Troy Andrew Bayliss, born on March 30, 1969, in Taree, New South Wales, Australia, is a famous Australian motorcycle racer. He became a champion in the Superbike World Championship three times and also won a MotoGP race, all while riding for Ducati. Troy ended his main racing career after winning the World Superbike title in 2008. With 52 wins in the World Superbike series, he is one of the top riders ever, ranking fourth behind Jonathan Rea, Álvaro Bautista, and Carl Fogarty.

Troy Bayliss's Early Life and Start in Racing

Troy Bayliss grew up in a town called Warialda in New South Wales, Australia. His dad was a baker, and his mom drove a school bus. By the time he was 10, Troy was already a skilled motocross rider. He loved riding through the bushland near his family's home. When he was about 11, his family moved to Taree.

As a teenager, Troy's interest in racing faded for a bit. He started an apprenticeship as a spray painter. Every day, he rode his bicycle past a motorcycle shop. Eventually, he couldn't resist and bought a Kawasaki ZXR 750 with a loan. He won his very first race on that bike and did well in others. Because of this early success, Troy decided to race in the Australian Supersport championship when he was 26.

Troy Bayliss's Racing Career Highlights

Starting Out in Motorcycle Racing

After coming in second place in the Australian Supersport championship in 1995, Troy Bayliss moved up to the Australian Superbikes series. He finished third in 1996 and second in 1997.

His big chance came in 1997 when he got to race as a wildcard in the Australian 250 Grand Prix. He rode for the Dutch Arie Molenaar Suzuki team. Even though his bike wasn't as powerful as his competitors', Troy finished an amazing sixth place. This showed everyone how talented he was.

Troy's impressive performance caught a lot of attention. The next year, he was offered a spot in the British championship with the new GSE Ducati team. He won his first race at Oulton Park and another at Silverstone. However, many crashes and bike problems stopped him from winning the title that year. But in 1999, Troy beat Chris Walker to become the champion.

Becoming a Superbike World Champion

Troy Bayliss started the 2000 season racing for Ducati in the US's AMA Superbike Championship. But then, he was asked to replace Carl Fogarty in the Superbike World Championship after Fogarty got injured. Even though Troy missed the first three races, he had a good season. He won two races and finished sixth overall in the championship.

In the 2001 season, Troy started strong with four second-place finishes in five races. He got his first win in race 8 at Monza. His consistent riding and six race wins helped him become the championship title winner, beating the reigning champion Colin Edwards. Troy secured the title at Assen when Edwards had a problem with his bike.

The 2002 season saw Troy start very strongly, setting a record for most race wins in a season at that time. However, Colin Edwards was very consistent, often finishing second when Troy won, which helped him catch up. Edwards won his second title in a thrilling final race at Imola. Troy won the first race there, but lost overall. Looking back, some problems with his own team, like an injury from colliding with his teammate and a change to his bike's frame, made the 2002 season harder for Troy.

Racing in MotoGP

Bayliss racing in the 2005 MotoGP season on a Honda RC211V

Both Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards moved to MotoGP in 2003. Troy had more success at first. In Ducati's first year in MotoGP, their bike was very competitive. Troy finished third three times and ended up sixth overall in the championship. He even led races briefly at Philip Island, Brno, and Welkom.

The year 2004 was tough for the team, and Troy finished 14th in the standings. The bike was very fast in a straight line but didn't handle well. Troy often pushed too hard and crashed a lot. This led to him being let go from the factory Ducati team after five years. Many people thought this was an unfair decision, especially since his teammate also struggled that year.

In 2005, Troy got a chance to ride for Sito Pons' Camel Honda team. He wasn't a top contender, and a badly broken arm meant he couldn't race in the last six events. Troy later said that MotoGP bikes were too stiff for his riding style.

After his success in the 2006 Superbike season, Ducati gave Troy a special chance to race in the final MotoGP race of the year in Valencia. This was because Sete Gibernau was injured. Amazingly, Troy qualified second and led the entire race, with Ducati finishing first and second! This was the first time any rider had won a race in both the Superbike and Grand Prix world championships in the same year.

Returning to Superbike and More Championships

Bayliss in the 2006 Superbike World Championship on a Ducati 999 F06

After a challenging time in MotoGP, Troy Bayliss returned to the Superbike World Championship in 2006. He was back with the factory Ducati team.

Troy started the 2006 season incredibly strong. He led the points table after the first five races, winning seven races in a row and getting other podium finishes. He continued his great form and won the title at Imola by finishing fifth in Race 1. He then won Race 2 to seal the championship.

Even though he had a fantastic win in the final MotoGP race of 2006, Troy continued to race in WSBK with the Ducati team in 2007. On April 1, 2007, at Donington Park, Troy crashed and injured his right hand. This injury was serious and prevented him from racing in the second Donington race. He finished the season fourth overall.

The 2008 season saw Troy continue with the factory Ducati team, riding the new Ducati 1098. At the first race in Qatar, Troy won Race 1, giving Ducati their first win with the new 1098 model. He also won both races at Philip Island, which was his last time racing at his home track. He won Race 1 at Donington Park, which was his first win at that circuit. He secured the championship in the next round by finishing third at Magny Cours. He then won Race 2, which was his 50th World Superbike victory! He took two more wins in his final World Superbike race meeting at Portimão.

In February 2015, Troy made a comeback to racing. He was asked to replace an injured Ducati rider, Davide Giugliano, at the Phillip Island opener. He rode the 1199 Panigale R, which was a new bike for him.

Racing Cars and Later Comebacks

After his motorcycle career, Troy Bayliss started a new adventure in car racing. He signed up to drive as a co-driver for Triple F Racing in the V8 Supercar touring car series in Australia. He also raced as a co-driver in the 2013 and 2014 Australian Porsche Carrera Cup Championship.

At 49 years old, Troy Bayliss came out of retirement again with his DesmoSport Ducati team to try and win his first Australian title. He finished the 2018 ASBK season in third place. For the 2019 season, Troy got the new factory Ducati Panigale V4R and changed his race number to 32. However, a crash during practice at the first race caused a finger injury, and he decided to take a longer break from riding to have some metal removed from his foot. Troy had another injury in 2021 after a bicycle accident.

Troy Bayliss's Career Statistics

Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Summary

Results by Season

Superbike World Championship Summary

Results by Season

Images for kids

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  Bayliss in 2006

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  Bayliss in the 2005 MotoGP season on a Honda RC211V

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  Bayliss in the 2006 Superbike World Championship on a Ducati 999 F06

See also

In Spanish: Troy Bayliss para niños