Barry Sheen

By the time Barry Sheen won his two 500cc World Championship titles in 1976 and 1977, he was already a popular racer, and his talents were already proven. In 1971, Barry Sheen had a heated battle with Angel Nieto for the 125cc championship title, and he went on to win the 1975, 500cc Dutch TT. The commendable fight he put up against Giacomo Agostini, after suffering from a broken leg, collarbone, two broken ribs and a broken arm, sustained in an accident at Daytona, just a few months before, established his skill and talent beyond doubt. With a nine year long championship career, Sheen accumulated 19 wins, with his Dutch win being his first, and a further 40 podiums, in the premier class.

Gathering many British titles, Sheen's legion of fans only kept increasing, as he kept giving one unforgettable race after another, like those against Kenny Roberts, from the late 70s till the early 80s. In 1982, after making five podiums from seven rounds, Sheen was on his way to winning the title, when an unfortunate crash during practice in Silverstone left both his legs battered, and ended his title dreams.

After the crash, Sheen returned for two more seasons and took his last podium with an impressive third place in the wet Kyalami, in the 1984 season, one of his best rated performances.

The records he set include being the last British rider to win a 125cc Grand Prix, in 1971, also the last British rider to win a premier class race, which was the 300th in Sweden in 1981, and he is also UK's last motorcycle World Champion.