Profile of Mike Hailwood on Famous Like Me

Mike Hailwood (b April 2, 1940, d March 23, 1981) was a nine-time motorcycle world champion and later a Formula One driver from Britain. He was also known as "Mike the Bike".

Hailwood won nine moto GP world championships between 1961 and 1967. He also won 76 GP and 14 TT at the Isle of Man. He won his first four championships on the dominant MV Agusta. In 1966, he switched to Honda. Honda had the most powerful engines at the time, but were known as difficult to drive because of their weak chassis. Hailwood's great skill overcame the disadvantages however, to continue recording world championships until 1967. Honda pulled out of top level motor racing in 1968, but continued to pay Hailwood with the expectation of returning. Hailwood never returned to full-time motorcycle racing.

He participated in 50 grands prix, debuting on July 20, 1963. He achieved two podiums finishes, and scored a total of 29 championship points. He is best known in F1, not for winning, but saving the life of Clay Regazzoni. In the 1973 South African GP, Hailwood stopped his car on the circuit to pull Regazzoni from his burning car after an accident, an act for which he was awarded the George Medal that year (as was David Purley for an equally heroic, but unsuccesful, attempt to rescue Roger Williamson). He left Formula One after being injured at the 1974 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring.

In 1978, he returned to racing motorcycles at the age of 38! Racing the TT races at the Isle of Man, he was not only competitive, but managed to win riding a Ducati 900SS.

He was involved in a car accident on March 21st, 1981 and subsequently died of his injuries on March 23rd at Selly Oak Accident Hospital. Michelle was killed instantly but his son David suvived

An annual MIKE HAILWOOD MEMORIAL RUN takes place in March every year. The start point is the former Norton factory in Aston, Birmingham. The run goes out to Portway, were the accident occurred and then onto the church in Tanworth in Arden were Mike and Michelle are buried. 2006 is the 25th anniversary of this tragic accicdent. More details of the run can be found at www.madeinbirmingham.org

Complete Formula One results

(Note: grands prix in bold denote points scoring races.)

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