Leon Camier
Leon Stuart Camier (born 4 August 1986) is an English motorcycle racer. After difficult 2018 and 2019 seasons with Honda satellite team Moriwaki Althea and suffering from injuries, for 2020 he was contracted to ride for Barni Ducati in WSBK. Camier continued to have injury problems with his shoulder and was unable to start the season and parted ways with Barni Ducati.[1]
Leon Camier | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Camier at Assen in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | British | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Ashford, Kent, England | 4 August 1986||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Barni Racing Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bike number | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In late 2017, he signed to compete in the 2018 Superbike World Championship series aboard a Honda Fireblade SP2 for Ten Kate Racing as teammate to Jake Gagne.[2] Camier continued with Honda into 2019, for the first time a full factory-backed team, with teammate Ryuichi Kiyonari.[3]
Previously he competed since 2015 for MV Agusta Reparto Corse in the Superbike World Championship, aboard an MV Agusta F4.
He was the 2005 British Supersport and 2009 British Superbike Champion. 2010 was his first full season in the World Superbike series.
Early life
Camier was born in Ashford, Kent, England. His distant paternal ancestors were French Huguenots, although several generations of the family lived in Cork, Ireland. His appreciation of the music of Jack Johnson has been mentioned on ITV's racing coverage. He also enjoys System of a Down and Linkin Park. At 6'2", he is tall for his profession which has its disadvantages. According to ITV's coverage, he has a habit of walking around circuits the evening before races with the aim of spotting extra details about the track. This is a habit picked up from his Grasstrack days where this behaviour is usual. His nickname is Shafter. As well as racing, Camier also enjoyed playing football as a youngster for an Ashford-based club called Bliby. Camier resides in Andorra.
Career
Early career
After beginning Grasstrack racing aged 6 and winning five British championships, Camier became British Junior 80 cc Road Racing champion in 1998. He won the British 125 cc title in 2001 and the British Supersport crown in 2005.[4] This period built a working relationship with Honda which included contesting the 2005 Suzuka 8 Hours race in 2005 at the age of 18[5] (unusually young for a non-Japanese rider).
British Superbike Championship (2007–2009)
2007 was his first season in the British Superbike Championship on a Bike Animal Honda. He led the first corners of his very first race and was on the podium in the first three races. A crash in race 6 at Silverstone and two eighth places at Oulton Park damaged his momentum however. At Snetterton, a bike failure in qualifying saw him start 29th but he moved up to 6th in both races amidst Honda dominance. His season ended with a huge crash at Cadwell Park causing a broken left femur and right pelvis.[6]
For 2008 he joined the GSE Racing Airwaves Ducati team alongside former champion Shane 'Shaky' Byrne. He finished fifth overall, taking his first three wins.
For 2009 GSE switched to Yamahas and James Ellison joined as him teammate. Camier quickly dominated the series, winning even more races than Byrne had in 2008. He clinched the title with four races to go fittingly by overtaking closest rival Ellison on the penultimate lap of race 1 at Silverstone. Immediately on returning to the pits he was greeted by Niall Mackenzie (the last man to win the BSB title on a Yamaha) decked out in his original 1998 Rob Mac Cadbury's Boost leathers. Camier ultimately won a record-breaking 18 races despite only leading out of the first corner twice. His success led to the organisers of the series to adopt the "Showdown Rule" for 2010. This revised the points system to the split-season format popularly used by saloon-car series in the United States.
Superbike World Championship (2009–present)
After winning the title, Camier was invited to join the Aprilia squad in the Superbike World Championship for the final two races of the season, replacing the injured Shinya Nakano.[7] His first meeting at Magny-Cours saw him qualify 16th improving to set the fourth fastest warm-up time. Unfortunately, two technical problems meant he took no points. However, in the last meeting of the season at Portimao, Camier finished 6th and 7th.
Camier raced full-time with Aprilia in World Superbike in 2010. He finished second to teammate Max Biaggi in race two at Miller Motorsport Park, giving Aprilia their first 1–2 in the series.[8] At his home round at Silverstone, Camier started 16th but fought back to finish sixth and third in the two races.[9]
Career statistics
All-time statistics
Series | Years Active | Races | Poles | Podiums | Wins | 2nd place | 3rd place | Fastest Laps | Titles | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
British Supersport Championship | 2004–2006 | 37 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | |
Supersport World Championship | 2006 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
British Superbike Championship | 2007–2009 | 70 | 9 | 33 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 1 | |
Superbike World Championship | 2009− | 162 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 270 | 9 | 55 | 26 | 13 | 16 | 21 | 2 |
Races by year
(key)
Year | Class | Bike | SIL |
BHI |
SNE |
OUL |
MON |
SNE |
BHGP |
KNO |
MAL |
CRO |
CAD |
OUL |
DON |
Pos | Pts | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | BSS | Honda | 5 | Ret | Ret | 6 | 8 | 2 | Ret | 3 | 2 | Ret | 4 | 15 | 7th | 99 | [10] |
Year | Class | Bike | BHI |
THR |
MAL |
OUL |
MON |
CRO |
KNO |
SNE |
SIL |
CAD |
OUL |
DON |
BHGP |
Pos | Pts | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | BSS | Honda | 4 | 1 | 1 | Ret | Ret | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1st | 202 | [11] |
Year | Class | Bike | BHI |
DON |
THR |
OUL |
MON |
MAL |
SNE |
KNO |
OUL |
CRO |
CAD |
SIL |
BHGP |
Pos | Pts | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | BSS | Honda | 5 | Ret | 4 | Ret | 2 | 6 | Ret | 3 | 3 | 4 | Ret | 4 | 4th | 112 | [12] |
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Class | Bike | BHGP |
THR |
SIL |
OUL |
SNE |
MOP |
KNO |
OUL |
MAL |
CRO |
CAD |
DON |
BHI |
Pos | Pts | Ref | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | ||||||
2007 | BSB | Honda | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | Ret | 8 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Ret | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 5 | Ret | Ret | 8th | 199 | [13] |
Year | Class | Bike | THR |
OUL |
BHGP |
DON |
SNE |
MAL |
OUL |
KNO |
CAD |
CRO |
SIL |
BHI |
Pos | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | ||||||
2008 | BSB | Ducati | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | Ret | 8 | DNS | DNS | 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5th | 306 | [14] |
Year | Class | Bike | BHI |
OUL |
DON |
THR |
SNE |
KNO |
MAL |
BHGP |
CAD |
CRO |
SIL |
OUL |
Pos | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R3 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R3 | ||||||
2009 | BSB | Yamaha | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | DSQ | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1st | 549.5 | [15] |
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Honda | QAT | AUS | SPA | ITA | EUR | SMR | CZE | GBR 10 |
NED | GER | ITA | FRA | 32nd | 6 |
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
By season
Season | Class | Motorcycle | Team | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | 125cc | Italjet | Italjet Racing Service | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
2003 | 125cc | Honda | Metasystem Racing Service | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
2014 | MotoGP | Honda | Drive M7 Aspar | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27th |
Total | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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 | 125cc | Italjet | JPN | RSA | SPA | FRA | ITA | CAT 24 |
NED 28 |
GBR 24 |
GER | CZE | POR | BRA | PAC | MAL | AUS | VAL | NC | 0 | ||
2003 | 125cc | Honda | JPN 26 |
RSA Ret |
SPA 30 |
FRA 24 |
ITA 30 |
CAT 27 |
NED Ret |
GBR Ret |
GER 23 |
CZE | POR | BRA | PAC | MAL | AUS | VAL | NC | 0 | ||
2014 | MotoGP | Honda | QAT | AME | ARG | SPA | FRA | ITA | CAT | NED | GER | IND Ret |
CZE 15 |
GBR 16 |
RSM 16 |
ARA | JPN | AUS | MAL | VAL | 27th | 1 |
References
- Camier joins Barni Ducati for 2020 WorldSBK season wsbk.com, 22 October 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019
- Jake Gagne completes Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team line up for 2018 Honda Racing, 7 December 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2018
- Moriwaki Althea Honda Team officially launch their 2019 colours and team hondaproracing.com Retrieved 28 July 2019
- Motorcycle Racing Online – Leon Camier scoops 2005 British Supersport crown. F1network.net. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- CAMIER TURNING JAPANESE: News from Leon Camier. Biker247.com (3 August 2005). Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- Pinchin, Gary. (28 August 2007) British Superbikes: Leon Camier's operation a success – | Motorcycle Sport | WSB | BSB | MotoGP | TT & Road races | MCN. Motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- "Camier to replace Nakano at Aprilia". VisorDown. Magicalia Ltd. 29 September 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
- "Aprilia savours new landmark result". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 2 June 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
- "Camier shows fighting spirit with 16th to podium". crash.net. Crash Media Group. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
- "FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS". Archived from the original on 25 December 2008.
- Camier scoops Supersport title | BSB News | Oct 2005. Crash.Net (13 October 2005). Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- "FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS". Archived from the original on 21 November 2008.
- Airwaves Ducati Back In BSB With Byrne & Camier Archived 19 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Londonbikers.com (7 November 2007). Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- "ViSK British Superbike Championship Race Two - Oulton Park". Archived from the original on 16 May 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
- BSB: Camier celebrates BSB championship title – British Superbikes – BSB Blog – Mirror.co.uk. Blogs.mirror.co.uk (27 September 2009). Retrieved 27 August 2011.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leon Camier. |