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b.
Steven Hislop, 11 January, 1962,
Hawick, Scotland.
d. 30
July2003, Roxburghshire,
Scotland. |
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Steven Hislop was a Scottish
motorcycle racer. Hislop won the Isle of Man TT eleven times and
also the British 250cc Championship (1990) and British Superbike
championship (1995 and 2002). Hislop was born into a close borders
family, and grew up in the village of Chesters with his father
Sandy, mother Margaret and best friend/younger brother Gary. Their
father inspired the boys to take up motorcycle racing, but when
Garry was killed in a motorbike accident at Silloth in
1982 aged 19, and his father had died three years earlier from a
heart attack, Hislop slumped into an alcohol inspired depression.
Hislop entered and finished second in a newcomers’ race at the
Manx Grand Prix in 1983 - the year after Garry had won it. He won
the 250cc British Championship in 1990, and the British Superbike
Championship in 1995 - some attributed his success to James
Whitham battling cancer having led the championship midseason,
much to Steve's annoyance. Steve Hislop on the Norton but it was
on the Isle of Man that his knowledge of the circuit and
perfectionism led to his greatest success. Hislop's talent and
outright speed around the TT circuit was legendary and in 1992
aboard the poorly funded and unreliable factory Rotary Norton,
Hislop beat the future four-times World Superbike champion Carl
Fogarty who was riding a better-handling and more reliable works
Yamaha.Described by some as a flawed genius, success on the world
stage never materialised - possibly because of a self-destructive
reputation. He had many well-publicised clashes with other riders
and teams over the years. Having lost his brother and many friends
in motorcycle accidents, Hislop made a point of never going to the
funerals of fellow racers, saying: "Some people might find that a
bit callous. I only ever attend family ones and people find it a
bit strange that I won’t go to a friend’s funeral, but it’s just
my little way of shutting off." Hislop had two children by former
partner, Kelly Bailey, but the couple split just before his second
son Connor was born. He had joint custody of the children, and had
found love again with girlfriend Ally Greenwood. Hislop died in a
helicopter accident near Teviothead, Roxburghshire and was laid to
rest in the village of Chesters near his birthplace of Hawick,
Scotland.

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