Neil Hodgson

Neil Stuart Hodgson (born 20 November 1973) is a British former motorcycle racer, who won the 2000 British Superbike Championship, and the 2003 Superbike World Championship titles.

He then went on to have a moderately successful four years in the American Superbike Championship, with a best 5th place championship finish.

Hodgson starred in a video called RIDE with EagleE and The Schlepp Riders also starring: Phil Greening, DJ Sassy, Princess the hit song maker of Say I'm Your No.1 fame in the 1980s.

Also featuring Jason Fin.

A schoolboy motocross rider from 1982 through 1989, and was voted Rider of the Year in season 1986–87.

Hodgson made the leap to road racing on Easter Sunday 1990 at a meeting at Langbaurgh (Teesside Autodrome), on a Yamaha TZR125.

His first win was at the Three Sisters meeting in that same year.

He came 8th in his first season in the British Clubman's Ministock.

In 1992, he moved to the 125cc International Supercup, and became British National 125cc Champion aged 18.

In 1994, he was selected by HRC Honda as one of only five officially supported riders in 125cc World Championship with Team Burnett.

He took part in two 500cc World Championship races for the Harris-Yamaha team.

In 1995, he moved full-time to 500cc World Championship with WCM, developing a reputation for being a smooth but impetuous rider who crashed a lot – he came 11th in the Championship.

For 1996, he moved to the Superbike World Championship (aka 'WSBK') with Ducati, and this began a frustrating three-year spell in the series, the latter two years with Fuchs Kawasaki.

9th was Hodgson's best championship finish in this era.

His first podium came at Laguna Seca Raceway in 1996.

For 1999, he returned to the British Superbike Championship (BSB) with GSE Racing, and spent the season re-establishing himself on a superbike and regaining his confidence.

His teammate at GSE Racing Troy Bayliss took the British Superbike title.

2000 saw one of the most titanic battles British Superbike had ever seen, as Hodgson battled Chris Walker who was riding for Suzuki, all season long.

The championship came down to the last race of the year at Donington Park, and for most of the race it looked like Walker would take the title.

However, with just 3 laps to go Walker's engine blew, allowing Hodgson to take the title.

He also won two races of the British rounds of the Superbike World Championship that year as a 'wildcard' entry – one at Donington Park and one at Brands Hatch.

The most memorable race of Hodgson's British Superbike title winning year was at Oulton Park, when he started race 1 from the back of the grid due after he stalled his bike, and ended up winning the race in breathtaking style, much to the amazement of the British crowd and his fellow competitors.

The most controversial moment of the season came in race 2, when him and Walker came together on the final lap of the race battling for the win, resulting in Walker going down and Hodgson receiving a post-race penalty.

GSE Racing stepped up to the Superbike World Championship series full-time for 2001, with Hodgson joined in the Ducati satellite team by up and coming English rider James Toseland.

Hodgson was a race winner and 5th overall that year, while in 2002, Bayliss and Colin Edwards were dominant, although Neil took pole positions en route to 3rd overall.

After both Bayliss and Edwards left for MotoGP, Hodgson became the number one rider for the works Ducati team in 2003, winning the title against teammate Ruben Xaus.

For 2004, both Hodgson and Xaus went to Ducati's second-string MotoGP team, Team d'Antin Ducati.

But the power delivery of the Desmosedici was extreme compared to a WSB Superbike, and the team had limited sponsorships and funds to run a test programme.

Resultantly, Hodgson never felt he had the bike set up like he ever wanted it to be, while Xaus's natural extreme style appeared to get more out of the machine.

At the start of the 2010 season Hodgson returned to the British Superbike Championship with the Motorpoint Yamaha team managed by Rob McElnea.

However, on 22 April 2010 Hodgson announced his retirement from British superbikes and competitive motorcycle racing, due to a shoulder injury sustained in a motocross accident during the previous AMA season.

Hodgson aggravated the injury in the first round of the British Superbike Championship at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit.

Hodgson now divides his time between family in the Isle of Man whilst working as a motorcycle racing commentator and TV studio pundit, road racing trackday instructor and as an ambassador for motorcycle companies including Ducati.

Hodgson was born in Burnley and lived there and in Nelson and Colne, Lancashire during his early life, attending Ss John Fisher and Thomas More RC High School.

He was 6 when he started riding his brother's bike around playing fields in Brierfield near his grandma's home.

Hodgson has a daughter Hollie-Jean and son Taylor.

He lives in Onchan on the Isle of Man.

His hobbies include motocross, trials and mountain biking.

He supports Burnley F.C.

He was then selected to compete in the FIM World 125cc Championship as the youngest rider in the series and Britain's only representative in the class with Team Burnett (Roger Burnett), placing 24th in the Championship.