British motorcycle racer and racing driver (1950-2003)
For the judge, see Barry Sheen.
Barry Sheene
Sheene in 1975
Nationality
British
Born
(1950-09-11)11 September 1950 London, England
Died
10 March 2003(2003-03-10) (aged 52) Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years
1970–1984
First race
1970 125cc Spanish Grand Prix
Last race
1984 500cc San Marino Grand Prix
First win
1971 125cc Belgian Grand Prix
Last win
1981 500cc Swedish Grand Prix
Team(s)
Suzuki, Yamaha
Championships
Formula 750 – 1973,
500cc – 1976, 1977
Starts
Wins
Podiums
Poles
F. laps
Points
104
23
52
18
20
Barry Steven Frank SheeneMBE (11 September 1950 – 10 March 2003) was a British professional motorcycle racer and television sports presenter. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing between 1971 and 1984, most prominently as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team where he won two consecutive 500cc World Championships in 1976 and 1977.[1] Sheene's 1977 title remained as Britain's last solo motorcycle world championship until Danny Kent won the 2015 Moto3 championship.[2] However, Sheene is still the last British champion in the premier class.[3]
Articulate and charismatic, Sheene was the first motorcycle racer to harness the power of mass media to transcend the sport to become the best-known face of British motorcycling during the 1970s, parlaying his fame to gain commercial endorsements from outside the sport including television advertisements for Brut cologne.[4][5] Fluent in several languages, he had a cheeky, cockney persona that matched his talent as a racer and endeared him to thousands of race fans.[4]
Sheene was also a strong proponent of race track safety, and was one of the first competitors to object to racing at the notoriously dangerous Isle of Man TT street circuit.[5][6] He recognized his value to race promoters as a gate attraction and used his influence to force race promoters to increase rider safety.[4][6]
After a racing career stretching from 1968 to 1984 he retired from competition and relocated to Australia, working as a motorsport commentator and property developer.[4][6] In 2011, the F.I.M. inducted Sheene into the MotoGP Hall of Fame.[7]
^"Rider Statistics - Barry Sheene". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 25 May 2009.
^"Danny Kent the first British motorcycle GP world champion since Sheene". theguardian.com. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
Barry Steven Frank Sheene MBE (11 September 1950 – 10 March 2003) was a British professional motorcycle racer and television sports presenter. He competed...
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of the 1978 Grand Prix season. The popularity of defending champion BarrySheene had boosted the appeal of motorcycle racing into the realm of the mass...
rider BarrySheene lined up on the starting grid, on a works 125cc Bultaco, for his first race. It was an impressive debut by anyone's standards. Sheene had...
in the world, attracting world champions such as Giacomo Agostini and BarrySheene. He arrived at Daytona as an unknown rookie aboard an unmodified Yamaha...
in the world, attracting world champions such as Giacomo Agostini and BarrySheene. By 1976, the 750cc class had become dominated by Yamaha's powerful TZ750...
ITV series Just Amazing!, a programme where former motorcycle racer BarrySheene interviewed people who had, through accident or design, achieved feats...
Mike Baldwin and ahead of former world champion and top British scorer, BarrySheene. Mamola entered the 1979 250cc Grand Prix road racing world championships...
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Formula 750 racing. The machine was first raced at the 1972 Daytona 200. BarrySheene won the 1973 season and was runner-up in 1975. The motorcycle, designated...
riders' championship in the premier class with two stroke engine. 1976: BarrySheene wins the first 500cc championship for Suzuki. After the 1976 Isle of...
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