Ian Simpson (motorcycle racer)
Encyclopedia
Ian Simpson is a retired motorcycle
road racer
from Scotland
, nicknamed the 'Dalbeattie
Destroyer'http://www.bikesportnews.com/articles/article.html?id=IAN_SIMPSON_TO_MAKE_A_COMEBACK_AT_THE_NORTHWEST_1.
Simpson began racing at the age of 16, and entered the British Championship two years later. He won the TT Superbike class in the 1994 HEAT British Supercup (now known as the British Superbike Championship) on a Duckhams Crighton Norton
, the final year Rotary
Nortons were raced at this level. As new homoglation rules required that a larger number of road-going bikes were produced than Norton could affordhttp://www.realclassic.co.uk/norton06120100.html. Other British titles won by Simpson were in Supersport, taking the 600cc Supercup championships in 1991 and 1994, and the 400cc national championship in 1993. He was Production Powerbike champion in 1997. Simpson also won 3 Isle of Man TT
and 5 North West 200
races (including the Superbike class in 1995, 1996 and 1998).
Simpson was injury prone, breaking both legs four times. It was a repeat of these injuries which caused him to retire in 2001, having narrowly escaped needing to have his right leg amputatedhttp://www.ttwebsite.com/interviews/iansimpson.php. He later opened a sporting goods shop, managed the ETI Racing teamhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/7370713.stm, and competed in a handful of rallies, and has done racing tuitionhttp://www.tracksense.co.uk/support.htm. He made a one-off comeback in the International Classic Grand Prix race at the 2008 North West 200http://www.bikesportnews.com/articles/article.html?id=BRAVEHEART_-_THE_RETURN_OF_IAN_SIMPSON_1
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
road racer
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, nicknamed the 'Dalbeattie
Dalbeattie
Dalbeattie is a town in Dumfries and Galloway , Scotland.Dalbeattie is situated in a wooded valley on the Urr Water east of Castle Douglas and south west of Dumfries...
Destroyer'http://www.bikesportnews.com/articles/article.html?id=IAN_SIMPSON_TO_MAKE_A_COMEBACK_AT_THE_NORTHWEST_1.
Simpson began racing at the age of 16, and entered the British Championship two years later. He won the TT Superbike class in the 1994 HEAT British Supercup (now known as the British Superbike Championship) on a Duckhams Crighton Norton
Norton (motorcycle)
Norton is a British motorcycle marque, originally from Birmingham, founded in 1898 as a manufacturer of "fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade". By 1902, they had begun manufacturing motorcycles with bought-in engines. In 1908, a Norton-built engine was added to the range...
, the final year Rotary
Rotary engine
The rotary engine was an early type of internal-combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration, in which the crankshaft remained stationary and the entire cylinder block rotated around it...
Nortons were raced at this level. As new homoglation rules required that a larger number of road-going bikes were produced than Norton could affordhttp://www.realclassic.co.uk/norton06120100.html. Other British titles won by Simpson were in Supersport, taking the 600cc Supercup championships in 1991 and 1994, and the 400cc national championship in 1993. He was Production Powerbike champion in 1997. Simpson also won 3 Isle of Man TT
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
and 5 North West 200
North West 200
The North West 200 is a motorcycle race meeting held each May in Northern Ireland. The course, made up of public roads running between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush is one of the fastest in the world, with speeds in excess of . It is one of around fifteen events run on public...
races (including the Superbike class in 1995, 1996 and 1998).
Simpson was injury prone, breaking both legs four times. It was a repeat of these injuries which caused him to retire in 2001, having narrowly escaped needing to have his right leg amputatedhttp://www.ttwebsite.com/interviews/iansimpson.php. He later opened a sporting goods shop, managed the ETI Racing teamhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/7370713.stm, and competed in a handful of rallies, and has done racing tuitionhttp://www.tracksense.co.uk/support.htm. He made a one-off comeback in the International Classic Grand Prix race at the 2008 North West 200http://www.bikesportnews.com/articles/article.html?id=BRAVEHEART_-_THE_RETURN_OF_IAN_SIMPSON_1