Keith Campbell (motorcyclist)

Keith Campbell
Nationality Australian
Born (1931-10-02)2 October 1931
Melbourne, Australia
Died 13 July 1958(1958-07-13) (aged 26)
Cadours, France
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1950 – 1958
First race1950 250cc Ulster Grand Prix
Last race1958 350cc Belgian Grand Prix
First win1957 350cc Dutch TT
Last win1957 350cc Ulster Grand Prix
Team(s)Moto Guzzi
Championships350cc – 1957
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
11 3 8 0 2 53

Keith Ronald Campbell (2 October 1931 – 13 July 1958) was an Australian professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.[1]

Keith Campbell grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Prahran with the ambition to be a champion racing motorcyclist. He became Australia's first motorcycling road racing world champion when he won the 1957 FIM 350cc world championship as a member of the Moto Guzzi factory racing team.[1]

He married Geraldine, the sister-in-law of Britain’s championship rider Geoff Duke and came back to Australia on his honeymoon in December 1957. He returned to Europe as the star rider at the 500cc Grand Prix de Cadours near Toulouse in France. According to a newspaper report, in trials he had beaten all records for the circuit, lapping at 71.5 miles an hour.[2] He was leading the race when he failed to round a bend known as Cox’s Corner, crashed and was killed instantly.[3][4] His cause of death was said to be a fractured skull. This same corner claimed the life of Frenchman Raymond Sommer in 1952 and the circuit is named in his honour. Campbell’s wife Geraldine was watching the race from the pits but did not see the accident.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results[1][5]

Points system from 1950 to 1968

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6
Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

5 best results were counted up until 1955.

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Points Rank Wins
1950 250cc Excelsior IOM
-		 SUI
-		 ULS
6		 NAT
-		 1 17th 0
1954 500cc Norton FRA
-		 IOM
-		 ULS
-		 BEL
5		 NED
-		 GER
-		 SUI
-		 NAT
-		 ESP
-		 2 19th 0
1955 350cc Norton FRA
-		 IOM
-		 GER
9		 BEL
3		 NED
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 4 11th 0
1957 350cc Moto Guzzi GER
-		 IOM
2		 NED
1		 BEL
1		 ULS
1		 NAT
-		 30 1st 3
500cc Moto Guzzi GER
-		 IOM
5		 NED
-		 BEL
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 2 15th 0
1958 350cc Norton IOM
7		 NED
3		 BEL
3		 GER
-		 SWE
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 8 7th 0
500cc Norton IOM
NC		 NED
-		 BEL
2		 GER
-		 SWE
-		 ULS
-		 NAT
-		 6 9th 0

References

  1. 1 2 3 Keith Campbell career profile at MotoGP.com
  2. ↑ THE HERALD - Melbourne, VIC, Monday 14 July 1958, page 1
  3. ↑ Keith Campbell career profile at Motorsport Memorial
  4. ↑ Isle of Man Weekly Times pp5 dated 18 June 1958
  5. ↑ Keith Campbell Isle of Man TT results at iomtt.com
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