Cal Crutchlow is one of the only two British riders in the prestigious MotoGP class, the world’s premier motorcycling championship, in 2012. He follows fellow Bennetts’ ambassador James Toseland by racing in the Monster Tech3 Yamaha Team last year and was awarded the MotoGP Rookie of the Year title in his debut season. Read Cal's exclusive mid-season interview with Bennetts.
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Number: #35
Place of Birth: Coventry, England
Date of Birth: 29 October, 1985
Biking Dream: To be Moto2 GP World Champion
World Superbike to MotoGP
A meteoric rise through the Superbike World Championship saw Yamaha reward Cal with a move into MotoGP on a two-year deal with the satellite Monster Tech3 Yamaha team in 2011. His rookie season saw him make the challenging transition from the production-based machinery he was accustomed to, to the prototype machinery of MotoGP. It was a transition that had proved a step too far for many British riders in previous years but one that Cal seemed to relish. In typical fashion, he saved the best until last and ended the 2011 MotoGP World Championship with a career best fourth position in the dramatic final race at Valencia.
Cal’s Silverstone success
It was a return to the front of the field for the rider who had entered the championship on a high following a successful 2010 season. A clean sweep of pole positions, fastest laps and two race wins at his home round of Silverstone was the highlight of Cal’s debut season with the factory Yamaha World Superbike Team, which saw him finish the season in fifth overall.
World Supersport victory
His World Superbike success was a continuation of the blistering pace that Cal had shown in the World Supersport Championship in the previous season. 2009 was an incredible season that saw him steal championship victory from more experienced rivals in his first season aboard the Yamaha World Supersport Team’s YZF-R6. The stunning performance saw him collect five race wins and ten pole positions from fourteen races after making the move from the British Superbike Championship.
British Superbike Championship
Familiarity with the production-based machinery undoubtedly contributed to Cal’s success, having spent five years perfecting his race craft in the British Superbike and Supersport Championships. Highlights of his time in the national series include a 2006 British Supersport Championship victory before stepping up to the 1000cc Superbike class in 2007.
His debut British Superbike season saw Cal teamed with experienced racer Chris Walker. He finished a respectable ninth overall and scored a step on the podium with a third place finish at Brands Hatch. Cal further proved his abilities on a Superbike in 2008 when he became one of the few riders to cause problems for Shane Byrne in the opening half of the championship and was the only rider to break Shakey’s run of wins in the first eight races. However, his season became one of win it or bin it with unfortunate crashes at Knockhill and Cadwell Park relegating him to the still impressive third place in the standings.
Crutchlow’s early years
As ever, before making the important move into BSB, Cal made sure he was prepared for the challenge ahead with a season in the 2003 Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup. Second place in the one-make series and fourth place overall in the preceding year’s Junior Superstock Championship ensured that Crutchlow was confident of his racing abilities aboard larger capacity machinery, having switched from the 125s he raced early in his career.
He cut his road racing teeth in 1999 in the UK Junior Challenge, dominating the class to win the championship before moving on to the Aprilia RS 125 Challenge for 2000 and 2001. Cal pushed hard in his second year, culminating in a nail-biting race at Brands Hatch where, with four laps to go, he went from 10th place on track to first past the chequered flag, clinching the tope step of the podium and the championship victory!