James Ellison (motorcycle racer)

For other people named James Ellison, see James Ellison (disambiguation).

James Ellison
James Ellison signing autographs during the 2009 BSB championship at Snetterton
Nationality	British
Born	19 September 1980 (1980-09-19) Lancaster, Lancashire
Current team	Paul Bird Motorsports
Bike number	77
Website	www.jamesellison.co.uk
Motorcycle racing career statistics Superbike World Championship Active years 2004, 2008–10 Manufacturers Yamaha, Honda Championships 0 2009 Championship position 26th 8 points Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 8 0 0 0 0 57

James Desmond Ellison (born 19 September 1980 in Lancaster) is an English motorcycle racer. He is currently set to make a return to Moto GP for the 2012 season on a CRT bike for Paul Bird Motorsport. He is a double European Superstock champion, World Endurance champion and has previously raced in British Superbikes, World Supersport, MotoGP and the American AMA Superbike series. His brother Dean is a former motorcycle racer.

Early years

James Ellison started racing motorcycles at the age of 15, riding 80 cc machines. After racing in junior championships such as Superteen, he entered the European Superstock series in 1999, winning the title in 2000 and 2001. In 2002, he raced in the Supersport World Championship, before winning the Endurance World Championship in 2003.

British Superbike Championship 2004

For 2004, Ellison switched to the British Superbike Championship. He rode a Yamaha YZF-R1 for the privateer Jentin team. He finished 11th overall, and won the privateer cup for independent riders. As well as the British Superbike Championship season, he received two wild-card entries in the Superbike World Championship, at Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Notably, Ellison finished fifth in the second of two races at Brands Hatch.

Towards the end of 2004, Ellison was asked to race for the WCM MotoGP team after their regular rider, Chris Burns, was injured. He finished 13th at Qatar, and the team signed him for the full 2005 season.

MotoGP 2005–2006

James Ellison at the 2005 British motorcycle Grand Prix

In 2005, he scored seven points whilst riding an underpowered bike, but impressed with his attitude and ability.

For 2006 he switched to the Tech 3 Yamaha team. At Philip Island he made history as the first rider to switch bikes mid-race, onto a bike with wet weather tyres. He later finished 16th and out of the points-scoring positions. He said that he was "disappointed" with the balance of the Yamaha M1 bike that season, and that his bike lacked a chassis modification to cure chatter, which the three other Yamaha riders had been riding.

AMA 2007

Ellison's contract with Tech 3 Yamaha was not renewed for the 2007 season. He raced in AMA Superbike in the United States for the Corona Honda team in 2007. He had a best finish of 5th at the wet Daytona circuit, in what was a difficult season in the AMA.

British Superbike championship 2008–2010

Ellison returned to British Superbikes for 2008, with the Hydrex Bike Animal team He finished the first round with a pair of 7th places, a great ride considering the problems in qualifying. He took his first ever BSB podium in race 2 of round 2 at Oulton Park. At Donington Park he qualified second but did not convert this into a podium finish in either race. At the second Oulton Park meeting he took another 2nd place after leading most of the day's first race, despite his suspension being set up too hard for the dry conditions. He missed the Cadwell Park round through injury, but returned at the World Superbike Championship round at Donington Park, qualifying fifth in wet conditions. He benefited from a traction control system designed by the team, which differed from that used by the factory HM Plant Honda team. After finishing the season with a podium finish at Brands Hatch on 12 October 2008, Ellison announced that he would be leaving the Hydrex Bike Animal team.

Three days later, it was announced that Ellison has signed a contract with GSE Racing to ride their Yamaha YZF-R1 for the 2009 season. He took his first career win in round 3 of the series at Donington Park.

In 2009, Ellison made a slow start on the Yamaha, unable to match his team-mate Leon Camier for pace. During the third round at Donington Park, Ellison grabbed his first British Superbike win in the second race. A string of good results lead to him getting his second British Superbike win in much more controversial circumstances at Mallory Park. Ellison was riding 8th in the race when an incident between Josh Brookes and Simon Andrews led to seven riders falling; at the time of the red flag Ellison was 1st and therefore awarded the race win. He also inherited a victory at Cadwell Park, after Camier developed a technical problem in the closing stages and was excluded for failing to observe a black-and-orange flag urging him to stop

At the end of 2009, the title sponsor of GSE Racing, Wrigleys UK, opted not renew their backing of the team. After failing to find an alternative backer, GSE Racing pulled out of the championship, leaving Ellison without a ride for the 2010 British Superbike Championship. On February 7, Ellison confirmed that he had agreed a contract with the Swan Honda team to ride in the 2010 championship. Ellison's season was closely documented in the film I, Superbiker.

Personal life

During his time in AMA, while attending Texan Ben Spies' birthday party, he met Dallas area native & Texas Tech University graduate, Sarah Thompson. The couple married at The Venetian Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, in January 2009. They currently live in Kendal, Cumbria.

Career statistics

Stats correct as of 16 October 2011
* Denotes season in progress
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

All Time

Series		Years Active		Races	Poles	Podiums	Wins	2nd place	3rd place	Fast Laps	Titles
British Superbike (BSB)		2008-2011		65	0	17	3	8	7	0	0
World Superbike (SBK)		2004, 2008, 2009		8	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Moto GP		2005–06, 2012		33	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
World Supersport		2011		12	0	2	0	1	1	2	0

Yearly Breakdown

* Rounds marked with a light blue background were under wet race conditions.

World Superbike Championship

Yr	Team	ESP		AUS		SMR		ITA		GER		GBR		USA		GBR		NED		ITA		FRA		Pos	Pts	Ref
		R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2
2004	Yamaha											Ret	7			6	5							19th	30

Yr	Bike	QAT		AUS		ESP		NED		ITA		USA		GER		SMR		CZE		GBR		EUR		ITA		FRA		POR		Pos	Pts	Ref
		R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2
2008	Honda																					10	4							25th	19

Yr	Team	AUS		QAT		SPA		NED		ITA		RSA		USA		SMR		GBR		CZE		GER		ITA		FRA		POR		Pos	Pts	Ref
		R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2
2009	Yamaha																	Ret	8											26th	8

Moto GP Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate pole position)

Year	Class	Bike	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Pos	Pts
2005	MotoGP	Blata	SPA 16	POR 15	CHN 13	FRA Ret	ITA Ret	CAT 18	NED 19	USA 16	GBR Ret	GER Ret	CZE 19	JPN DNS	MAL Ret	QAT 15	AUS 14	TUR 18	VAL Ret	23rd	7
2006	MotoGP	Tech 3 Yamaha	SPA 16	QAT 13	TUR 18	CHN 16	FRA 14	ITA 16	CAT 9	NED Ret	GBR 14	GER 13	USA 13	CZE 17	MAL 16	AUS 16	JPN 15	POR 13	VAL 14	18th	26

• * Season In Progress

British Superbike Championship

Yr	Team	THR		OUL		BHGP		DON		SNE		MAL		OUL		KNO		CAD		CRO		SIL		BHI		Pos	Pts
		R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2
2008	Honda	7	7	8	2	6	8	4	5	7	10	5	11	2	5	3	5			9	7	Ret	6	3	5	7th	230

Yr	Team	BHI		OUL		DON		THR		SNE		KNO		MAL		BHGP			CAD		CRO		SIL		OUL			Pos	Pts	Ref
		R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R3	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R3
2009	Yamaha	5	7	5	4	2	1	2	2	4	2	5	3	1	2	6	5	3	3	1	2	4	2	1	4	3	12	2nd	413

Yr	Team	BHI		THR		OUL		CAD		MAL		KNO		SNE			BHGP			CAD		CRO		SIL		OUL			Pos	Pts	Ref
		R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R3	R1	R2	R3	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R3
2010	Honda	3	1	DNS	DNS					13	12	24	C	7	4	Ret	7	5	5	6	6	Ret	6	4	1	3	7	3	7th	210

Year	Bike	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8			9			10		11		12			Pos	Pts	Ref
		R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R3	R1	R2	R3	R1	R2	R1	R2	R1	R2	R3
2011	Honda	BHI	BHI	OUL	OUL	CRO	CRO	THR	THR	KNO	KNO	SNE	SNE	OUL 11	OUL C	BHGP 24	BHGP Ret	BHGP 13	CAD 13	CAD 11	CAD 10	DON 8	DON 7	SIL	SIL	BHGP 5	BHGP 3	BHGP 4	16th	79

World Supersport Championship

Year	Make	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Pos	Pts	Ref
2011	Honda	AUS 6	EUR Ret	NED 7	ITA 17	SMR 7	SPA Ret	CZE 8	GBR 10	GER 2	ITA 6	FRA 5	POR 3	7th	99

External links

• Official website,
• Moto Gp Profile
• Crash.net Profile