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Kel Carruthers

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Kel Carruthers
Carruthers on a 1969 stamp of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, incorrectly displaying the Union Jack.
NationalityAustralian
Born3 January 1938 (1938-01-03) (age 86)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1966 – 1970
First race1966 350cc Ulster Grand Prix
Last race1970 250cc Spanish Grand Prix
First win1969 250cc Isle of Man TT
Last win1970 250cc Ulster Grand Prix
Team(s)Aermacchi, Benelli, Yamaha
Championships250cc – 1969
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
56 7 22 0 8 302

Kelvin Carruthers (born 3 January 1938) is an Australian former world champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racing team manager.[1] After his motorcycle riding career, he became race team manager for world championship winning riders Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson.[2]

Motorcycle racing career

Carruthers, as the son of a motorcycle shop owner, learned how to work on bikes from a young age, started riding at 10, and entered his first race at 12.[2] By the early 1960s he had won the Australian 125 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc and 500 cc National Championships.[2]

In early 1966, he moved to Europe with his family to compete in British and International short-circuit races,[3] including Grand Prix World Championship events riding a Drixton Aermacchi,[4] and for early 1969 season riding bikes for the Aermacchi factory.[2] Halfway through the 1969 season, he was offered a ride with the Benelli factory and won the Isle of Man 250 cc TT race. After the Isle of Man TT, Aermacchi released him from their contract to continue as a factory rider with Benelli and, he went on to win the 1969 FIM 250cc road racing world championship after a tight points battle with Santiago Herrero and Kent Andersson.[1][2]

Kel Carruthers, Mallory Park 1970

After the 1970 Grand Prix season, he accepted an offer from Yamaha to race in America.[2] Yamaha asked him to tutor a young American dirt track racer named Kenny Roberts.[2] In 1973, Carruthers became the manager of Yamaha's American racing team. Under Carruthers’ guidance, Roberts would win the 1973 and 1974 Grand National Championship for Yamaha.[2] When it became apparent that Yamaha didn't have a bike able to compete with the dominant Harley Davidson dirt track team, they decided to send Carruthers and Roberts to Europe to compete in the road racing world championships.[2][5] With Carruthers tuning the bikes and offering guidance, Roberts went on to win three consecutive world championships in 1978, 1979, and 1980. Carruthers also managed Eddie Lawson to a 500cc World Championship in 1984.

Carruthers went on to work for several Grand Prix teams through to the 1995 season. In 1996, he took a job with the Sea-Doo watercraft factory racing team, helping them win several national and world titles.[2] He returned to motorcycling in 1998 running a Yamaha satellite motocross team.[2]

In 1985, Carruthers was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.[6] He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.[2]

Grand Prix motorcycle racing results[1][7]

Points system from 1950 to 1968:

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6
Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

Points system from 1969 onwards:

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Rank Wins
1966 125cc Honda ESP
- 		GER
- 		NED
- 		DDR
- 		CZE
- 		FIN
8 		ULS
8 		IOM
12 		NAT
7 		JPN
- 		0 – 0
350cc Norton GER
- 		FRA
- 		NED
- 		DDR
- 		CZE
- 		FIN
4 		ULS
- 		IOM
NC 		NAT
- 		JPN
- 		3 18th 0
500cc Norton GER
- 		NED
- 		BEL
- 		DDR
- 		CZE
- 		FIN
- 		ULS
- 		IOM
11 		NAT
- 		0 – 0
1967 125cc Honda ESP
- 		GER
- 		FRA
- 		IOM
5 		NED
- 		DDR
- 		CZE
- 		FIN
5 		ULS
4 		NAT
7 		CAN
- 		JPN
- 		7 8th 0
250cc Suzuki ESP
- 		GER
- 		FRA
- 		IOM
12 		NED
- 		BEL
- 		DDR
- 		CZE
- 		FIN
- 		ULS
- 		NAT
- 		CAN
- 		JPN
- 		0 – 0
350cc Aermacchi GER
5 		IOM
10 		NED
6 		DDR
4 		CZE
- 		ULS
4 		NAT
- 		JPN
- 		9 7th 0
500cc Norton GER
- 		IOM
NC 		NED
- 		DDR
- 		CZE
- 		ULS
- 		NAT
- 		JPN
- 		0 – 0
1968 125cc Honda GER
6 		ESP
- 		IOM
3 		NED
- 		DDR
- 		CZE
- 		FIN
- 		ULS
6 		NAT
- 		6 10th 0
250cc Aermacchi GER
- 		ESP
- 		IOM
NC 		NED
- 		BEL
- 		DDR
- 		CZE
- 		FIN
- 		ULS
- 		NAT
- 		0 – 0
350cc Aermacchi GER
3 		IOM
NC 		NED
- 		DDR
3 		CZE
4 		ULS
2 		NAT
- 		17 3rd 0
500cc Norton GER
- 		ESP
- 		IOM
6 		NED
5 		BEL
5 		DDR
- 		CZE
- 		FIN
- 		ULS
6 		NAT
6 		7 11th 0
1969 125cc Aermacchi ESP
6 		GER
10 		FRA
- 		IOM
2 		NED
- 		BEL
- 		DDR
- 		CZE
9 		FIN
- 		NAT
- 		YUG
- 		20 10th 0
250cc Benelli ESP
- 		GER
- 		FRA
- 		IOM
1 		NED
2 		BEL
3 		DDR
5 		CZE
3 		FIN
4 		ULS
1 		NAT
2 		YUG
1 		89 1st 3
350cc Aermacchi ESP
2 		GER
6 		IOM
NC 		NED
7 		DDR
7 		CZE
7 		FIN
- 		ULS
- 		NAT
- 		YUG
- 		29 7th 0
500cc Aermacchi ESP
- 		GER
8 		FRA
- 		IOM
NC 		NED
- 		BEL
- 		DDR
- 		CZE
- 		FIN
- 		ULS
- 		NAT
- 		YUG
- 		3 44th 0
1970 250cc Yamaha GER
1 		FRA
NC 		YUG
- 		IOM
1 		NED
- 		BEL
2 		DDR
- 		CZE
1 		FIN
- 		ULS
1 		NAT
2 		ESP
- 		84 2nd 4
350cc Yamaha GER
2 		YUG
2 		IOM
NC 		NED
4 		DDR
3 		CZE
4 		FIN
4 		ULS
- 		NAT
- 		ESP
- 		28 2nd 0

References

  1. ^ a b c Kel Carruthers. Motogp.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Kel Carruthers at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  3. ^ Motor Cycle 13 December 1964, p.45 Still on form. "As a final warm-up for his forthcoming European race debut, Australian star Kelvin Carruthers won four races on his two-fifty Honda four at the Victorian Grand Prix". Accessed 24 May 2014
  4. ^ Motor Cyclist Illustrated, May 1968 pp.10, 12 Accessed 24 May 2014
  5. ^ American Motorcyclist Assoc (March 1979). American Motorcyclist. p. 30. ISSN 0277-9358.
  6. ^ "Kel Carruthers". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  7. ^ Kel Carruthers Isle of Man TT results. Iomtt.com. Retrieved on 14 July 2014.
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Preceded by 250cc Motorcycle World Champion
1969 		Succeeded by
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