Jack Findlay

Cyril John Findlay (5 February 1935 – 19 May 2007) was an Australian professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is noted for having one of the longest racing careers in Grand Prix history spanning 20 years, as well as one of four riders (along with Ángel Nieto, Loris Capirossi and Valentino Rossi) to race in Grand Prix motorcycle racing for 20 years or more. He competed at the highest level despite racing as a privateer - that is, not as a contracted member of a factory team - throughout most of his racing career.

Jack Findlay
Findlay circa 1973/74 working on a Suzuki TR500 watercooled twin
NationalityAustralian
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1958 - 1978
First race1958 500cc German Grand Prix
Last race1978 500cc West German Grand Prix
First win1971 500cc Ulster Grand Prix
Last win1977 500cc Austrian Grand Prix
Team(s)Suzuki
Championships1975 - Formula 750
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
156 3 25 1 1

Motorcycle racing career

Findlay was born in Mooroopna, Victoria, roughly 120 miles north of Melbourne. He began racing aged 15, two years under age, taking the name "Jack" so he could use the identification documents of his father, John 'Jock' Findlay, a Scottish immigrant to Australia.[1][2] After leaving school, he worked as a trainee accountant at Commonwealth Bank of Australia until 1957.[2]

He moved to England in 1958 to race, got a job at the BSA factory in Birmingham, and joined the Grand Prix circuit with a 350cc Norton Manx.[2] He competed in his first Isle of Man TT in 1959. He competed on the Grand Prix circuit from 1958 to 1978.

His best championship result was in 1968 when he rode a Matchless to finish second behind Giacomo Agostini in the 500cc class.[3] In 1971 he won his first race for Suzuki at the Ulster Grand Prix. As well as marking Suzuki's first 500cc class victory, the victory was notable for being the first 500cc class win for a motorcycle powered by a two stroke engine.[2][4] His greatest victory came in 1973 when he won the Isle of Man Senior TT after 15 years of trying.[5] He rode Suzuki TR500s in 1973 and 1974. In 1974, he was a member of the Suzuki factory racing team and helped develop the Suzuki RG 500, with Barry Sheene and Paul Smart. In 1975, he defeated Barry Sheene for the FIM Formula 750 championship.[6] An accident that fractured his skull curtailed his racing career, and he retired in 1978. A further high-speed accident in 1987 stopped him riding motorcycles.

He married Dominique Monneret, the widow of Georges Monneret, and made his domestic base in France and has a son, Gregory Findlay. He was appointed Grand Prix technical director by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme in 1992, retaining the post until he retired in 2001. He was assisted by his fluency in French and Italian. The French film director Jérôme Laperrousaz made a documentary movie about road racing called Continental Circus in 1972. It starred Findlay and Giacomo Agostini and featured a soundtrack by the psychedelic rock band Gong, including a song called "Blues for Findlay".[7] A bronze statue of Findlay on a TT-winning Suzuki by Philip Mune was unveiled in July 2006, in a park in his hometown that was renamed the Jack Findlay Reserve.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results [3][5]

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 italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Rank Wins
1958 500cc Norton IOM
-
NED
-
BEL
-
GER
12
SWE
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
0 - 0
1959 350cc Norton FRA
-
IOM
NC
GER
-
SWE
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
0 - 0
500cc Norton FRA
-
IOM
NC
GER
-
NED
-
BEL
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
0 - 0
1960 500cc Norton FRA
-
IOM
-
NED
11
BEL
-
GER
12
ULS
13
NAT
8
0 - 0
1961 500cc Norton GER
-
FRA
-
IOM
DNS
NED
DNS
BEL
8
DDR
5
ULS
8
NAT
6
SWE
NC
ARG
-
3 20th 0
1962 350cc Norton IOM
NC
NED
-
ULS
-
DDR
-
NAT
-
FIN
-
0 - 0
500cc Norton IOM
NC
NED
12
BEL
5
ULS
NC
DDR
NC
NAT
-
FIN
-
ARG
-
2 21st 0
1963 250cc Mondial ESP
-
GER
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
BEL
-
ULS
5
DDR
-
NAT
-
ARG
-
JPN
-
2 18th 0
500cc Norton IOM
NC
NED
-
BEL
9
ULS
NC
DDR
5
FIN
-
NAT
2
ARG
-
8 8th 0
1964 350cc AJS IOM
NC
NED
-
GER
-
DDR
-
ULS
-
FIN
-
NAT
-
JPN
-
0 - 0
500cc Matchless USA
NC
IOM
13
NED
-
BEL
5
GER
8
DDR
-
ULS
-
FIN
9
NAT
5
4 14th 0
1965 125cc Yamaha USA
-
GER
-
ESP
8
FRA
-
IOM
-
NED
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
ULS
-
FIN
-
NAT
-
JPN
-
0 - 0
250cc DMW USA
-
GER
-
ESP
-
FRA
-
IOM
10
NED
-
BEL
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
ULS
-
FIN
-
NAT
-
JPN
-
0 - 0
350cc AJS GER
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
ULS
-
FIN
-
NAT
-
JPN
-
0 - 0
500cc Matchless USA
-
GER
4
IOM
10
NED
11
BEL
12
DDR
11
CZE
9
ULS
4
FIN
5
NAT
8
8 7th 0
1966 50cc Bridgestone ESP
-
GER
-
NED
-
IOM
NC
NAT
-
JPN
6
1 13th 0
125cc Bultaco ESP
-
GER
-
NED
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
FIN
-
ULS
-
IOM
NC
NAT
-
JPN
-
0 - 0
250cc Bultaco ESP
4
GER
-
FRA
-
NED
-
BEL
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
FIN
4
ULS
-
IOM
5
NAT
4
JPN
4
14 7th 0
500cc Matchless GER
-
NED
6
BEL
NC
DDR
2
CZE
4
FIN
3
ULS
4
IOM
8
NAT
3
20 3rd 0
1967 250cc Bultaco ESP
-
GER
4
FRA
-
IOM
-
NED
-
BEL
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
CAN
-
JPN
-
3 14th 0
500cc Matchless GER
3
IOM
DNS
NED
-
BEL
4
DDR
3
CZE
DNS
FIN
-
ULS
3
NAT
9
CAN
-
15 5th 0
1968 250cc Bultaco GER
5
ESP
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
BEL
-
DDR
6
CZE
-
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
5
5 9th 0
350cc Aermacchi GER
-
IOM
6
NED
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
1 18th 0
500cc Matchless GER
NC
ESP
2
IOM
NC
NED
2
BEL
2
DDR
3
CZE
2
FIN
2
ULS
5
NAT
NC
34 2nd 0
1969 250cc Yamaha ESP
-
GER
-
FRA
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
BEL
7
DDR
-
CZE
-
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
YUG
-
4 33rd 0
350cc Yamaha ESP
5
GER
4
IOM
3
NED
5
DDR
-
CZE
-
FIN
7
ULS
-
NAT
-
YUG
-
34 6th 0
500cc Linto ESP
NC
GER
3
FRA
NC
IOM
NC
16 13th 0
Aermacchi NED
5
BEL
NC
DDR
NC
CZE
DNS
FIN
NC
ULS
NC
NAT
DNS
YUG
-
1970 250cc Yamaha GER
-
FRA
-
YUG
-
IOM
14
NED
-
BEL
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
ESP
-
0 - 0
350cc Yamaha GER
-
YUG
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
DDR
6
CZE
7
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
ESP
-
9 20th 0
500cc Seeley GER
-
FRA
NC
YUG
4
IOM
4
NED
NC
BEL
NC
DDR
12
FIN
-
ULS
4
NAT
-
ESP
-
24 8th 0
1971 250cc Yamaha AUT
-
GER
-
IOM
13
NED
-
BEL
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
SWE
-
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
ESP
-
0 - 0
350cc Yamaha AUT
-
GER
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
DDR
-
TCH
-
SWE
-
FIN
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
ESP
6
5 32nd 0
500cc Suzuki AUT
4
GER
NC
IOM
-
NED
NC
BEL
3
DDR
-
SWE
10
FIN
5
ULS
1
NAT
5
ESP
6
50 5th 1
1972 350cc Yamaha GER
-
FRA
-
AUT
-
NAT
-
IOM
4
YUG
-
NED
7
DDR
-
CZE
-
SWE
6
FIN
-
ESP
-
41 9th 0
500cc Jada GER
7
FRA
-
AUT
-
NAT
NC
IOM
NC
YUG
-
NED
6
BEL
NC
DDR
5
CZE
2
SWE
NC
FIN
-
ESP
3
31 8th 0
1973 500cc Suzuki FRA
10
AUT
-
GER
-
IOM
1
YUG
-
NED
5
BEL
3
CZE
5
SWE
-
FIN
NC
ESP
-
38 5th 1
1974 500cc Suzuki FRA
12
GER
NC
AUT
4
NAT
4
IOM
NC
NED
NC
BEL
5
SWE
NC
FIN
4
CZE
7
34 5th 0
1975 500cc Yamaha FRA
-
AUT
NC
GER
10
NAT
NC
IOM
-
NED
NC
BEL
3
SWE
9
FIN
3
CZE
-
23 10th 0
1976 350cc Yamaha FRA
-
AUT
-
NAT
-
YUG
-
IOM
8
NED
-
FIN
-
CZE
-
GER
-
ESP
-
3 32nd 0
500cc Suzuki FRA
-
AUT
8
NAT
NC
IOM
NC
NED
5
BEL
NC
SWE
2
FIN
7
CZE
-
GER
-
25 8th 0
1977 500cc Suzuki VEN
-
AUT
1
GER
13
NAT
NC
FRA
-
NED
-
BEL
9
SWE
14
FIN
-
CZE
-
GBR
NC
17 16th 1
1978 500cc Suzuki VEN
-
ESP
-
AUT
-
FRA
-
NAT
-
NED
NC
BEL
15
SWE
-
FIN
-
GBR
NC
GER
18
0 - 0

References

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