Steve Parrish

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

This article is about the former motorcycle and truck racer. For the photographer and publisher, see Steve Parish. For the businessman and Chairman of Crystal Palace F.C., see Steve Parish (businessman).

Steve Parrish
Nationality	English
Born	(1953-02-24) 24 February 1953 Cambridge
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1977–1985 First race 1977 500cc Venezuelan Grand Prix Last race 1985 500cc British Grand Prix Team(s) Suzuki Championships 0 Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 52 0 1 0 1 92 Isle of Man TT career TTs contested 8 (1975, 1977, 1981–1986) TT wins 0 Podiums 0

Racing career

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

Team management

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 BP-Mercedes 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

Steve provides commentary and analysis for ITV's week-long coverage of the Isle of Man TT, alongside former racer James Whitham, shown on Velocity Channel in the US.[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, before transferring to their Moto GP coverage, in conjunction with Charlie Cox until the BBC lost its contract at season-end 2013.[5][12] The pair had a rapport and commentated on a number of series for the BBC from the late 1990s, including British Touring Cars, British and WorldSuperbikes and now MotoGP.[13] A qualified pilot, Parrish is also a commentator for the Red Bull Air Race series for Channel 4.

Other work and achievements

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.[14]

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

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

• He is permanently banned from the Chinese administrative region of Macau after blowing a brothel up with a home-made bomb made out of firecrackers, when several of his fellow riders were being 'serviced' inside.
• He burnt down a toilet block in Finland.[15]
• He once posed as a medical doctor to allow John Hopkins to fly from Japan to the Australian GP.[16]
• He upset his fellow village residents by registering PEN 15 as his 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.[15]
• He once posed as Barry Sheene in a qualifying session when the two were team-mates, as Sheene had turned up to the session with a hangover. 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.[15]
• 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.[15]
• He also owns a fire engine and once hosed down the inside of a friend's packed pub on a Sunday afternoon.[15]
• 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

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.[17]

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

(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

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

External links

• Bio at the BBC Press Office