Andrew Pitt (born 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]
| Andrew Pitt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Andrew Pitt, August 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Australian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 19 February 1976 Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Career
Early career of Andrew pitt
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 and gaining his first two victories.
MotoGP & Superbike World Championship
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 teammate 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 teammate 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.
Return to Supersport
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 teammate 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 teammate 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 Superbike
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 teammate 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 Superbike Championship
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
All-time statistics
| Series | Years | Races | Poles | Podiums | Wins | 2nd place | 3rd place | Fastest Laps | Titles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Supersport Championship | 2000–2004, 2007–2009 | 76 | 3 | 23 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 2 | |
| MotoGP | 2002–2004 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| World Superbike Championship | 2005–2006, 2010 | 53 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
| British Superbike Championship | 2010 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 157 | 3 | 29 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 2 | ||
Supersport World Championship
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Kawasaki | AUS Ret | JPN 8 | GBR 4 | ITA 13 | GER 17 | SMR 7 | SPA 8 | EUR 13 | NED 10 | GER Ret | GBR 6 | 10th | 60 | |||
| 2001 | Kawasaki | SPA 11 | AUS 3 | JPN 3 | ITA 4 | GBR 10 | GER 3 | SMR 8 | EUR 2 | GER 3 | NED 2 | ITA 4 | 1st | 149 | |||
| 2002 | Kawasaki | SPA 5 | AUS 1 | RSA 1 | JPN 7 | ITA 4 | GBR Ret | GER 2 | SMR 6 | GBR 18 | GER 4 | NED Ret | ITA Ret | 5th | 126 | ||
| 2004 | Yamaha | SPA | AUS | SMR | ITA | GER | GBR | GBR | NED 3 | ITA 6 | FRA 6 | 12th | 36 | ||||
| 2007 | Honda | QAT | AUS | EUR | SPA 2 | NED 2 | ITA | GBR | SMR | CZE | GBR | GER | ITA | FRA | 17th | 40 | |
| 2008 | Honda | QAT Ret | AUS 1 | SPA 19 | NED 1 | ITA 4 | GER 1 | SMR 1 | CZE 2 | GBR 3 | EUR 2 | ITA Ret | FRA 1 | POR 2 | 1st | 214 | |
| 2009 | Honda | AUS 2 | QAT 2 | SPA 13 | NED Ret | ITA 5 | RSA 6 | USA 7 | SMR Ret | GBR 10 | CZE 10 | GER 7 | ITA 6 | FRA 6 | POR 11 | 6th | 119 |
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | MotoGP | Kawasaki | JPN | RSA | SPA | FRA | ITA | CAT | NED | GBR | GER | CZE | POR | BRA | PAC | MAL 19 | AUS 17 | VAL 12 | 26th | 4 | ||
| 2003 | MotoGP | Kawasaki | JPN 17 | RSA 16 | SPA 15 | FRA Ret | ITA 16 | CAT Ret | NED 14 | GBR 17 | GER 19 | CZE 16 | POR 21 | BRA 18 | PAC 16 | MAL 16 | AUS 15 | VAL 18 | 26th | 4 | ||
| 2004 | MotoGP | Moriwaki | RSA | SPA | FRA | ITA 17 | CAT 14 | NED | BRA | GER | GBR | CZE 16 | POR | JPN | QAT | MAL | AUS | VAL | 27th | 2 | ||
| 2007 | MotoGP | Ilmor GP | QAT Ret | SPA | TUR | CHN | FRA | ITA | CAT | GBR | NED | GER | USA | CZE | RSM | POR | JPN | AUS | MAL | VAL | NC | 0 |
Superbike World Championship
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Pos | Pts | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | ||||
| 2005 | Yamaha | QAT 4 | QAT 9 | AUS 5 | AUS Ret | SPA Ret | SPA 8 | ITA 5 | ITA 6 | EUR 13 | EUR 9 | SMR Ret | SMR Ret | CZE 10 | CZE Ret | GBR 7 | GBR 6 | NED 5 | NED 5 | GER 6 | GER 6 | ITA 16 | ITA C | FRA 6 | FRA 7 | 8th | 156 | ||
| 2006 | Yamaha | QAT 3 | QAT 5 | AUS 9 | AUS 5 | SPA 10 | SPA 9 | ITA 5 | ITA 6 | EUR 5 | EUR 4 | SMR 16 | SMR 1 | CZE Ret | CZE Ret | GBR 4 | GBR 3 | NED 2 | NED 2 | GER 4 | GER Ret | ITA 3 | ITA 4 | FRA 18 | FRA 5 | 5th | 250 | ||
| 2010 | BMW | AUS 15 | AUS 15 | POR Ret | POR 20 | SPA 15 | SPA 16 | NED | NED | ITA | ITA | RSA | RSA | USA | USA | SMR | SMR | CZE | CZE | GBR | GBR | GER | GER | ITA | ITA | FRA | FRA | 27th | 3 |
British Superbike Championship
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos | Pts | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R3 | ||||
| 2010 | Yamaha | BHI | BHI | THR | THR | OUL | OUL | CAD | CAD | MAL 9 | MAL 10 | KNO 11 | KNO C | SNE 14 | SNE 12 | SNE 8 | BHGP 11 | BHGP Ret | BHGP DNS | CAD | CAD | CRO | CRO | SIL | SIL | OUL | OUL | OUL | 21st | 37 |
References
External links
- Andrew Pitt at MotoGP.com
- Andrew Pitt at WorldSBK.com
- andrewpitt.com Official website
