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Steve Parrish

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This article is about the former motorcycle and truck racer. For the photographer and publisher, see Steve Parish. For the businessman and Chairman of Crystal Palace F.C., see Steve Parish (businessman).

Steve Parrish
NationalityEnglish
Born (1953-02-24) 24 February 1953 (age 71)
Cambridge
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1977–1985
First race1977 500cc Venezuelan Grand Prix
Last race1985 500cc British Grand Prix
Team(s)Suzuki
Championships0
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
52 0 1 0 1 92
Isle of Man TT career
TTs contested8 (1975, 1977, 1981–1986)
TT wins0
TT podiums0

Stephen J. "Stavros " Parrish (born 24 February 1953 in Cambridge, England)[1] is a British former professional motorcycle and truck racer, who is now a motorsport television commentator and speaker/entertainer.[2]

Racing career

Parrish turned professional at the age of 22 in 1976, winning the ACU Solo title in the British Motor Cycle Championship. Parrish was a team mate to Barry Sheene on a Suzuki in the 1977 500cc world championship,[3] finishing fifth overall,[4] but returned to British-based riding to become the 1978 500cc ACU 'Gold Star' Champion. He also won the British Shell 500 title in both 1979 and 1980, and a British Superbike title in 1981.[citation needed]

Team management

After retiring from motorcycle racing in 1986, Parrish led a dual career both managing a successful Yamaha factory team to three British Superbike championship titles;[5] and starting a successful truck racing career, winning the 1987 British Open Truck Racing Championship. Parrish took both the European and British Truck Racing championship titles in 1990, then held the British title for four years and retained the European title for three years driving for the BP-Mercedes Benz team.[6][7] Parrish regained the prestigious European crown again in 1996 in Jarama. The most successful truck racer ever, he retired in 2002 at the age of 47 to hand over to Terry Rymer.[8]

Career highlights
  • 1976: Winner, British Solo Championship
  • 1975: Winner, Grovewood Award,[9] Best Young Rider, Motorcycles
  • 1977: 5th, 500cc World Motorcycle Championship
  • 1978: Winner, 500cc ACU 'Gold Star' Championship
  • 1979: Winner, 500cc Shellsport Motorcycle Championship
  • 1981: Winner, British Superbike Championship
  • 1987: Winner, British Open Truck Racing Championship
  • 1989: 2nd, British Open Truck Racing Championship
  • 1990: Winner, European and British Truck Racing Championship
  • 1991: Winner, British Open Truck Racing Championship
  • 1992: Winner, European and British Truck Racing Championship
  • 1993: Winner, European and British Truck Racing Championship
  • 1994: Winner, European Truck Racing Championship
  • 1995: 2nd, European Truck Racing Championship
  • 1996: Winner, European Truck Racing Championship
  • 1997: 8th, European Truck Racing Championship
  • 1998: 5th, European Truck Racing Championship
  • 1999: 4th, European Truck Racing Championship
  • 2000: 5th, European Truck Racing Championship
  • 2001: 6th, European Truck Racing Championship

Commentary career

Steve provides commentary and analysis for ITV's week-long coverage of the Isle of Man TT, alongside former racer James Whitham, shown on Velocity Channel in the US.[10][11]

In 1985, Parrish started commentating for the BBC radio, and then transferring to television with Sky with Barry Nutley. From 1990, he commentated on the British 125 championship for the BBC, before transferring to their Moto GP coverage, in conjunction with Charlie Cox until the BBC lost its contract at season-end 2013.[5][12] The pair had a rapport and commentated on a number of series for the BBC from the late 1990s, including British Touring Cars, British and WorldSuperbikes and now MotoGP.[13] A qualified pilot, Parrish is also a commentator for the Red Bull Air Race series for Channel 4.

Other work and achievements

Away from television, he regularly tests various vehicles and racing machines, and is an expert witness for motor racing incidents. Parrish holds the Guinness Book of Records world record for the "Fastest Speed Achieved in Reverse" (85 mph) using a Caterham car.[14]

With journalist and broadcaster Nick Harris, Parrish co-authored Barry: The Story of Motorcycling Legend Barry Sheene (2008), a biography of his former team mate Barry Sheene.

Personality

A notorious practical joker, Parrish is known to have carried out various pranks.

  • He is permanently banned from the Chinese administrative region of Macau after setting off a home-made bomb outside a brothel. Several of his fellow riders were being 'serviced' inside at the time.
  • He burnt down a toilet block in Finland.[15]
  • He once posed as a medical doctor to allow John Hopkins to fly from Japan to the Australian GP.[16]
  • He upset his fellow village residents by registering PEN 15 as his car number plate.
  • He once sabotaged a Mini Moke belonging to Team Bike, (a group of benefactors, mechanics, racers, journalists and helpers) by undoing every single wheel-nut to the last thread, in a revenge prank. The prank was discovered shortly before the vehicle was going to be driven off.[15]
  • He once posed as Barry Sheene in a qualifying session when the two were team-mates, as Sheene had turned up to the session with a hangover. Parrish put on Sheene's helmet/overalls and qualified on his behalf, then put his own clothing back on and qualified further down the grid as himself.[15]
  • Parrish owns an ambulance and has been seen using the ambulance to park on double yellow lines with the doors open in visits to his local bank.[15]
  • He also owns a fire engine and once hosed down the inside of a friend's packed pub on a Sunday afternoon.[15]
  • Steve appeared in Beadle's About pranked by one of his best friends. Beadle launched a military assault in the back garden of the ex-champion motorcycle racer. Beadle's About - S02E04 Steve Parrish on Beadles About

Personal life

Parrish commonly goes by the nickname of Stavros, named by Barry Sheene back in his racing days, after the 'Stavros' character in the TV show 'Kojak' who had a similar mop of black curly hair. Divorced from wife Ruth, the couple have two children.

Parrish remarried in December 2017, to Michelle, a television outside-broadcast floor manager.[17]

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

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

Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos. Pts
1977 500cc Suzuki VEN
9 		AUT
DNS 		GER
4 		NAT
11 		FRA
6 		NED
Ret 		BEL
5 		SWE
4 		FIN
5 		CZE
7 		GBR
Ret 		5th 39
1978 500cc Suzuki VEN
4 		SPA
10 		AUT
Ret 		FRA
7 		NAT
Ret 		NED
10 		BEL
Ret 		SWE
15 		FIN
5 		GBR
15 		GER
13 		12th 20
1979 500cc Suzuki VEN
Ret 		AUT
7 		GER
9 		NAT
11 		SPA
11 		YUG
9 		NED
10 		BEL
DNS 		SWE
5 		FIN
11 		GBR
Ret 		FRA
7 		12th 19
1980 500cc Suzuki NAT SPA FRA NED
17 		BEL
DNQ 		FIN GBR
17 		GER
17 		NC 0
1981 500cc Yamaha AUT GER NAT
DNS 		FRA YUG NED
18 		BEL
20 		RSM
Ret 		GBR
9 		FIN
10 		SWE
15 		21st 3
1982 500cc Yamaha ARG AUT
16 		FRA
3 		SPA
13 		NAT NED
14 		BEL
Ret 		YUG
22 		GBR
18 		SWE
10 		RSM GER
Ret 		18th 11
1983 500cc Yamaha RSA
20 		FRA
Ret 		NAT
15 		GER
18 		SPA
15 		AUT
22 		YUG NED
Ret 		BEL
DNQ 		GBR
Ret 		SWE
13 		RSM
16 		NC 0
1984 500cc Yamaha RSA NAT
17 		SPA AUT GER
11 		FRA YUG NED
12 		BEL
16 		GBR
16 		SWE
Ret 		RSM
20 		NC 0
1985 500cc Yamaha RSA SPA GER NAT AUT YUG NED
Ret 		BEL FRA GBR
17 		SWE RSM NC 0

References

  1. ^ England and Wales Birth records Retrieved 2014-03-04
  2. ^ Steve Parrish Official site, Biography Archived 7 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2014-03-04
  3. ^ Auto Racing Daily : Steve Parrish: "Obviously I Am Very, Very Excited About Riding The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR" Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "motogp.com · Steve Parrish". Motogp.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Steve Parrish". News.bbc.co.uk. 7 March 2002. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  6. ^ "BP". bp.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  7. ^ Anna Sharp - Truck Racing Archived 8 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Terry Rymer Motorsport - News Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Haslam, Ron; Haslam, Leon (10 November 2009). Rocket Men. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4070-3408-9.
  10. ^ "Isle of Man TT 2014 highlights on ITV4". Sport-onthebox.com. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  11. ^ "New TV deals for 2014 Isle of Man TT Races - Isle of Man TT Official Website". Iomtt.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  12. ^ BBC Sport May 2013 MotoGP: BT Sport secures TV rights from 2014 in five-year deal. Retrieved 2014-03-04
  13. ^ "Charlie Cox and Steve Parrish - An Appreciation". Teamdan.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  14. ^ BBC - Press Office - Steve Parrish Archived 13 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ a b c d e "Strange tales from when the racers are at play - MCN". Motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  16. ^ "Sporting Life - Geoff McClure". Theage.com.au. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  17. ^ Parrish, Steve (11 December 2017). "Oops's we done it again! @mrsstavros6 has become #MrsParrish! Happiest day of our life...one way of remembering her birthday! pic.twitter.com/LIL8d7Ot8T". @Stavros6. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
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