Kel Carruthers
Carruthers on a 1969 stamp of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, incorrectly displaying the Union Jack.
NationalityAustralian
Born3 January 1938 (1938-01-03) (age 85)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1966 – 1970
First race1966 350cc Ulster Grand Prix
Last race1970 250cc Spanish Grand Prix
First win1969 250cc Isle of Man TT
Last win1970 250cc Ulster Grand Prix
Team(s)Aermacchi, Benelli, Yamaha
Championships250cc – 1969
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
56 7 22 0 8 302

Kelvin Carruthers (born 3 January 1938) is an Australian former world champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and racing team manager.[1] After his motorcycle riding career, he became race team manager for world championship winning riders Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson.[2]

Motorcycle racing career

Carruthers, as the son of a motorcycle shop owner, learned how to work on bikes from a young age, started riding at 10, and entered his first race at 12.[2] By the early 1960s he had won the Australian 125 cc, 250 cc, 350 cc and 500 cc National Championships.[2]

In early 1966, he moved to Europe with his family to compete in British and International short-circuit races,[3] including Grand Prix World Championship events riding a Drixton Aermacchi,[4] and for early 1969 season riding bikes for the Aermacchi factory.[2] Halfway through the 1969 season, he was offered a ride with the Benelli factory and won the Isle of Man 250 cc TT race. After the Isle of Man TT, Aermacchi released him from their contract to continue as a factory rider with Benelli and, he went on to win the 1969 FIM 250cc road racing world championship after a tight points battle with Santiago Herrero and Kent Andersson.[1][2]

Kel Carruthers, Mallory Park 1970

After the 1970 Grand Prix season, he accepted an offer from Yamaha to race in America.[2] Yamaha asked him to tutor a young American dirt track racer named Kenny Roberts.[2] In 1973, Carruthers became the manager of Yamaha's American racing team. Under Carruthers’ guidance, Roberts would win the 1973 and 1974 Grand National Championship for Yamaha.[2] When it became apparent that Yamaha didn't have a bike able to compete with the dominant Harley Davidson dirt track team, they decided to send Carruthers and Roberts to Europe to compete in the road racing world championships.[2][5] With Carruthers tuning the bikes and offering guidance, Roberts went on to win three consecutive world championships in 1978, 1979, and 1980. Carruthers also managed Eddie Lawson to a 500cc World Championship in 1984.

Carruthers went on to work for several Grand Prix teams through to the 1995 season. In 1996, he took a job with the Sea-Doo watercraft factory racing team, helping them win several national and world titles.[2] He returned to motorcycling in 1998 running a Yamaha satellite motocross team.[2]

In 1985, Carruthers was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.[6] He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.[2]

Grand Prix motorcycle racing results[1][7]

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 bold indicate pole position; 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
1966 125cc Honda ESP
-		 GER
-		 NED
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
8		 ULS
8		 IOM
12		 NAT
7		 JPN
-		 0 – 0
350cc Norton GER
-		 FRA
-		 NED
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
4		 ULS
-		 IOM
NC		 NAT
-		 JPN
-		 3 18th 0
500cc Norton GER
-		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 IOM
11		 NAT
-		 0 – 0
1967 125cc Honda ESP
-		 GER
-		 FRA
-		 IOM
5		 NED
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
5		 ULS
4		 NAT
7		 CAN
-		 JPN
-		 7 8th 0
250cc Suzuki ESP
-		 GER
-		 FRA
-		 IOM
12		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 CAN
-		 JPN
-		 0 – 0
350cc Aermacchi GER
5		 IOM
10		 NED
6		 DDR
4		 CZE
-		 ULS
4		 NAT
-		 JPN
-		 9 7th 0
500cc Norton GER
-		 IOM
NC		 NED
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 JPN
-		 0 – 0
1968 125cc Honda GER
6		 ESP
-		 IOM
3		 NED
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
6		 NAT
-		 6 10th 0
250cc Aermacchi GER
-		 ESP
-		 IOM
NC		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 0 – 0
350cc Aermacchi GER
3		 IOM
NC		 NED
-		 DDR
3		 CZE
4		 ULS
2		 NAT
-		 17 3rd 0
500cc Norton GER
-		 ESP
-		 IOM
6		 NED
5		 BEL
5		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
6		 NAT
6		 7 11th 0
1969 125cc Aermacchi ESP
6		 GER
10		 FRA
-		 IOM
2		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
9		 FIN
-		 NAT
-		 YUG
-		 20 10th 0
250cc Benelli ESP
-		 GER
-		 FRA
-		 IOM
1		 NED
2		 BEL
3		 DDR
5		 CZE
3		 FIN
4		 ULS
1		 NAT
2		 YUG
1		 89 1st 3
350cc Aermacchi ESP
2		 GER
6		 IOM
NC		 NED
7		 DDR
7		 CZE
7		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 YUG
-		 29 7th 0
500cc Aermacchi ESP
-		 GER
8		 FRA
-		 IOM
NC		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 DDR
-		 CZE
-		 FIN
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 YUG
-		 3 44th 0
1970 250cc Yamaha GER
1		 FRA
NC		 YUG
-		 IOM
1		 NED
-		 BEL
2		 DDR
-		 CZE
1		 FIN
-		 ULS
1		 NAT
2		 ESP
-		 84 2nd 4
350cc Yamaha GER
2		 YUG
2		 IOM
NC		 NED
4		 DDR
3		 CZE
4		 FIN
4		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 ESP
-		 28 2nd 0

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kel Carruthers. Motogp.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Kel Carruthers at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  3. ↑ Motor Cycle 13 December 1964, p.45 Still on form. "As a final warm-up for his forthcoming European race debut, Australian star Kelvin Carruthers won four races on his two-fifty Honda four at the Victorian Grand Prix". Accessed 24 May 2014
  4. ↑ Motor Cyclist Illustrated, May 1968 pp.10, 12 Accessed 24 May 2014
  5. ↑ American Motorcyclist Assoc (March 1979). American Motorcyclist. p. 30. ISSN 0277-9358.
  6. ↑ "Kel Carruthers". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  7. ↑ Kel Carruthers Isle of Man TT results. Iomtt.com. Retrieved on 14 July 2014.
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