Steve Plater

Steve Plater (born 22 August 1972, in Luton) is a former English motorcycle road racer. He was the 2009 British Supersport champion, and also finished as runner-up in the series twice in the late 1990s. In the British Superbike Championship he has 4 wins and 17 further podiums.

Steve Plater
Steve Plater
NationalityEnglish
Born (1972-08-22) 22 August 1972
Luton, England
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Isle of Man TT career
TTs contested3 (2007 – present)
TT wins2
First TT win2008 Supersport TT
Last TT win2009 Senior TT
Podiums3

He won the prestigious Isle of Man Senior TT, North West 200 and also enjoyed success at Endurance racing. For 2015/2016, Plater is manager of a race-team, and rides in demonstration events. He lives in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and is involved in property development with his father.

Race career

Having briefly raced speedway in his teens, he started his working life as a bricklayer, beginning racing in 1994 and winning his first ever race, at Cadwell Park.[1] In 1998 he won the British Powerbike championship, and only lost the more prestigious Supersport title on countback. He set an impressive pace at the 1999 Bol d'Or en route to finishing third on a Kawasaki, which led him to race one in the 2000 British Superbike Championship full-time, finishing 6th overall without a podium but with a string of 4th to 7th places. He missed much of 2001 through injury, but still took three podiums. 2002 was his strongest season to date, seeing him finish 5th overall on a Yamaha, with two late-season wins. In 2003 he rode a Honda to sixth overall, winning at Cadwell Park in 2003[2] )

He missed the start of 2006 due to injury,[3] but returned to win both Superbike races at the North West 200.[2] He won the 2007 Albacete 6-Hour Endurance race on a Kawasaki, teamed with Julian Mazuecos and Gwen Giabbani. He was voted Best Newcomer at the 2007 Isle of Man TT on Yamahas, having been mentored by former racer Mick Grant.[4]

Most of his 2008 races were on Yamaha machinery. He won the Supersport TT race after on-the-road winner Bruce Anstey's bike was excluded.[5] As for circuit racing, he started the year in the British Superbike Championship, but a lack of success saw him switch to Supersport, winning first time out[6] before a one-off in the Brands Hatch round of the World Supersport Championship on a Triumph.[7]

Steve Plater - BSB Snetterton 2009

Plater spent 2009 with the HM Plant Honda team in Supersport, winning the title ahead of Australian Billy McConnell at the final round.[8] He also stood in on a Superbike at Brands Hatch after Josh Brookes' visa was delayed, falling from the lead in race one but finishing third in race two. In the 2009 Isle of Man Senior TT race, Plater set a new race record, beating team-mate John McGuinness after his chain broke on the fourth lap.[9] He also won the North West 200. He also contested the Le Mans 24 Hour motorcycle race for Honda France.

During Thursday practice for the 2010 North West 200 Plater who had set the fastest time in Superbike practice on the Tuesday was injured in an accident. He suffering a broken arm when he came off his bike at Quarry Hill on the Coast Road section of the course.[10] Subsequent hospital examinations revealed that Plater had fractured his neck.[11]

2011

Plater confirmed his retirement from the roads to concentrate on World Endurance Championship.

After riding

Plater became a motorcycle racing co-commentator/presenter,[12] and in 2015 was appointed as manager of the Prime Factors Racing team for road racing and Endurance.[13] He continues to ride in demonstration events.[14]

Circuit racing career stats
Yr Class Team 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 Honda Ret 3 20th 16 [15]
2009 BSS Honda 2 11 1 2 1 11 7 3 2 1 2 1 1st 215 [16]
Yr Class Team 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 Yamaha Ret 12 28th 4 [17]
2008 BSS Yamaha 1 2 Ret – 1 – 3 2 5th 106 [18]
Yr Class Team BHI
 DON
 THR
 OUL
 MON
 MAL
 SNE
 KNO
 OUL
 CRO
 CAD
 SIL
 BHGP
 Pos Pts Ref
2006 BSS Yamaha 7 7 Can 8 21st 26 [19]

References
  1. Steve Plater profile Archived 5 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Motorcycle Racing Online – Steve Plater's double win at the North West 200". F1network.net. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  3. "Bike Animal – Steve Plater injured". Bikeanimal.com. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  4. "Q&A: Steve Plater. | BSB Features | Crash.Net". Crash.net. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  5. "Motorcycle Racing Online – Steve Plater is awarded his début TT win". F1network.net. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  6. "Snetterton British Supersport: Steve Plater wins in his first 600 circuit race of the season – Motorcycle Sport". Motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  7. "Steve Plater lands World Supersport wildcard – Motorcycle Sport". Motorcyclenews.com. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  8. Plater delighted to clinch title
  9. Steve Plater wins senior TT
  10. "Steve Plater hurt in North West 200 practice crash". BBC News. BBC. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  11. "Steve back in hospital". Steve Plater Website. 30 May 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  12. Road Racing World December 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2015
  13. Prime Factors Racing 18 September 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015
  14. 2015 Goodwood Revival Telegraph, Roland Brown, 12 September 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015
  15. "Chris Walker And Karl Harris Confirmed For British Superbike 2009". British Superbike News. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  16. "Steve Plater 2009". Steveplater.com. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  17. "Plater and Martin targeting success at Oulton Park. – Market Rasen Mail (Market Rasen, England)". 28 April 2008. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2010 – via HighBeam Research.
  18. "Steve Plater 2008". Steveplater.com. Retrieved 13 June 2010.
  19. Archived 21 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Michael Rutter		 Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix Winner
2006–2007		 Succeeded by
Stuart Easton
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