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

Steve Parrish
NationalityBritish
Born (1953-02-24) 24 February 1953 (age 71)
Cambridge, England
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years19771985
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, 19811986)
TT wins0
TT podiums0

Racing career

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Parrish turned professional at the age of 22 in 1976, winning the ACU Solo title in the British Motor Cycle Championship. He was a team mate to Barry Sheene on a Suzuki RG 500 in the 1977 500 cc 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

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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 BPMercedes-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

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Steve provides commentary and analysis for ITV's week-long coverage of the Isle of Man TT as well continuous commentary on Europsort and TnT Sports for Motorbike racing events including British Superbikes, Motogp, World Superbikes.[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.

Parrish was previously co commentator on World Superbikes for the BBC with Leigh Diffey.[12]

Parrish then teamed up with Charlie Cox commentating on MotoGP coverage, until the BBC lost its contract at the end of 2013.[5][13] The pair had a rapport and commentated on a number of series for the BBC from the late 1990s, which were British and World Superbikes and MotoGP.[14] A qualified pilot, Parrish is also a commentator for the Red Bull Air Race series for Channel 4.

Other work and achievements

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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.[15]

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

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

  • He was banned from the Chinese administrative region of Macau for 5 years until China took over control of the region, 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.[16]
  • He once posed as a medical doctor to allow John Hopkins to fly from Japan to the Australian GP.[17]
  • He upset his fellow village residents by registering PEN 1S as his personalised 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.[16]
  • He once posed as Barry Sheene in a qualifying session when the two were team-mates, as Sheene had injured his knee cartilage and needed to secretly see a Doctor. 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.[16]
  • 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.[16]
  • He also owns a fire engine and once hosed down the inside of a friend's packed pub on a Sunday afternoon.[16]
  • 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

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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.[18]

Career statistics

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Grand Prix motorcycle racing

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Races by year

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(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

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  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. ^ "SundayGrandstand". BBC. 9 September 2001. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  13. ^ BBC Sport May 2013 MotoGP: BT Sport secures TV rights from 2014 in five-year deal. Retrieved 2014-03-04
  14. ^ "Charlie Cox and Steve Parrish - An Appreciation". Teamdan.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  15. ^ BBC - Press Office - Steve Parrish Archived 13 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ a b c d e "Strange tales from when the racers are at play - MCN". Motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  17. ^ "Sporting Life - Geoff McClure". Theage.com.au. 11 October 2004. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  18. ^ 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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