Andrew Pitt

Andrew Pitt
Andrew Pitt, August 2008.
Nationality	Australian
Born	(1976-02-19) 19 February 1976 Kempsey, New South Wales Australia
Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 2002–2004, 2007 2007 championship position NC (0 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 23 0 0 0 0 10 Superbike World Championship Active years 2005–2006, 2010 2010 championship position 27th (3 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 53 1 6 0 1 409 Supersport World Championship Active years 2000–2002, 2004, 2007–2009 Championships 2 (2001, 2008) 2009 championship position 6th (119 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 66 7 23 3 6 744 British Superbike Championship Active years 2010 2010 championship position 21st (37 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 8 0 0 0 0 37

Andrew Pitt (born (1976-02-19)19 February 1976 in Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia) is a retired motorcycle racer. He is a double World Supersport Champion, and has also won a World Superbike race and competed in MotoGP. He lives in Peel on the Isle of Man.^[1]

Career

Early days

Pitt began racing in the NSW State 250 Production Series in 1995, winning it in 1997. He was Australian Supersport Champion and Superbike runner-up in 1999, before entering the Supersport World Championship in 2000 riding for Kawasaki. He finished 10th in his debut season and won the title in 2001, without winning a race. For 2002 he continued in Supersport with Kawasaki finishing the season 5th.

MotoGP and Superbikes

At the end of 2002 he was given a ride on Kawasaki's first MotoGP bike for the final 3 races of the season. He took his and Kawasaki's first MotoGP points at the final race of the season.^[2] His promising results in 2002 made Kawasaki offer him a full-time MotoGP ride for the 2003 season. He matched experienced team-mate Garry McCoy, but neither was retained after an uncompetitive year. He made occasional appearances for Moriwaki in 2004 as part of their development programme.

In 2004 Yamaha signed him. After three Supersport World Championship races at the end of the year, he was a Superbike World Championship factory rider for 2005.^[3] He finished the season 8th overall, behind team-mate Noriyuki Haga who was third. Things improved in 2006 as he was 5th overall, and scored his maiden Superbike World Championship win at the Misano Circuit in Italy in June 2006.^[4] At the end of the 2006 season, he lost his seat to fellow Australian and 2005 Superbike World Champion Troy Corser.^[5]

For 2007, he signed to race in MotoGP for the Ilmor team.^[6] He was forced to retire with mechanical problems from the first race of the season in Qatar.^[7] On 15 March 2007, Ilmor announced that they were taking a break from MotoGP as a result of funding issues.^[8] This left Pitt without a ride.

Supersport Part 2

Later in 2007 he made two substitute appearances in the Supersport World Championship for Ten Kate replacing the injured Sébastien Charpentier,^[9] taking two second places behind dominant team-mate Kenan Sofuoğlu.

In 2008 he races in World Supersport for Ten Kate full-time, replacing Sofuoglu. In his first race he collided with the crashed bike of team-mate Jonathan Rea.^[10] He won three of the first six races to establish a championship lead.^[11] A collision with Eugene Laverty at Vallelunga threatened to derail his championship challenge,^[1] but he clinched the 2008 World Supersport championship in the penultimate round at Magny-Cours after closest rival Rea was taken out by Robbin Harms.^[12] During the Brands Hatch race in 2008, Pitt was involved in an accident that claimed the life of Craig Jones. The British rider fell in front of Pitt at Clark Curve, and Pitt's bike unavoidably^[13] struck the head of Jones, who died from his injuries on 4 August.

He remained with the team for 2009, despite originally targeting a return to WSBK.^[14] He opened the season with two second places on the 2008 bike, but struggled once the 2009 model was introduced. He was replaced by Michele Pirro for 2010.

Return to World Superbikes

On 16 December 2009, it was announced that Pitt had agreed a contract with the Reitwagen Motorsport team to ride in the 2010 Superbike World Championship season.^[15] Pitt partnered team-mate Roland Resch in riding a satellite version of the BMW S1000RR. However, the team pulled out after only three races due to a lack of funds.

British Superbikes

Pitt again changed direction following the demise of Reitwagen, joining Rob McElnea's team midway through the 2010 British Superbike Championship season as a replacement for Neil Hodgson,^[16] but he was injured in a crash at Brands Hatch and missed the rest of the season.

Retirement

In June 2011 Pitt, who was still recovering, became Gary Mason's crew chief at MSS Colchester Kawasaki in British Superbike Championship.^[17]

In January 2012, Pitt, having struggled with the shoulder injury suffered in 2010, announced his retirement from motorcycle racing.^[18]

Career statistics

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

All Time

Supersport World Championship

Races by year

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Superbike World Championship

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

British Superbike Championship

References

External links

• andrewpitt.com Official website