Steve Parrish (born February 24, 1954 in Douglas) is a former motorcycle and truck racer, who now commentates for various British television channels on motorsport.
Parrish turned professional at the age of 22 in 1976, winning the ACU Solo title in the British Motor Cycle Championship, as well as being team mate to Barry Sheene on a Suzuki in the 1976 500cc world championship.[1] Parrish finished fifth in the 1977 500cc world championship, but returned to British based riding to become the 1978 500cc British Champion. He also won the Shell 500 title in both 1979 and 1980, and a Superbike title in 1981.
After retirning from motorcycle racing in 1986, Parrish led a dual career both managed a successful Yamaha factory team to three British Superbike championship titles;[2] and starting a succesful truck racing career, winning the 1987 British Open Truck Racing Championship. Parrish took both the European and British Truck Racing championship titles in 1990, then held the British title for four years and retained the European title for three years driving for the BP-Mercedes Benz team. Parrish regained the prestigious European crown again in 1996 in Jarama. The most succesful truck racer ever, he retired in 2002 at the age of 47 to hand over to Terry Rymer.[3]
In 1985, Parrish started commentating for the BBC radio, and then transfering to television with Sky with Barry Nutley. From 1990 he commentated on the British 125 championship for the BBC, before transfering to their Moto GP coverage, currently undertaken with Charlie Cox.[4] The pair have such a raport, they have commentated on a number of series for the BBC from the late 1990's, including Bristish Touring Cars, British and WorldSuperbikes and now MotoGP.[5] A qualified pilot, Parrish is also a commentator for the Red Bull Air Race series for Channel 4. Away from television, he regularly tests various vehicles and racing machines, and is an expert witness for motor racing incidents. Parrish holds the Guinness Book of Records world record for the “Fastest Speed Achieved in Reverse” (85mph) using a Caterham car.[6]
A renowed practical joker, Parrish is banned from Macau after blowing up a brothel, and burnt down a toilet block in Poland.[7] He also posed as a medical doctor to allow John Hopkins to fly from Japan to the Australian GP.[8]
Divorced from wife Ruth, the couple have two children.