Rider Of The Week looks into the career of a famous motorcyclist to see how influential they’ve become. Stuart Easton is one of the most talented riders of his generation, having won the British Supersport Championship twice. In his career, Easton has had his fair share of injuries, but it’s never stopped him from bouncing back and getting back onto the track. In 2016, he retired to concentrate on his family, but his career is one of the best in recent memory.
Racing career
Born in Hawick, Easton grew up in the same town as his idol Steve Hislop. Known as ‘Rat Boy,’ Easton made a lasting impression early on when he finished third in the 2000 125 cc British Championship. Over the coming years he continued to improve and in 2002 he won the British Supersport Championship as part of the Motorsport Ducati team.
In 2004, Easton entered superbike races and the next year he returned full time to supersport. That year he came third in the championship behind Leon Camier and Craig Jones. Easton competed in British and World Supersport races during 2006 and he came out with strong results. Around this time, he took a cue from his mentor Hislop and combined short circuit racing with road racing. His first short circuit race happened at the North West 200.
2008 saw Easton progress to the British Superbike Championship in a full-time capacity. He signed with the Hydrex Honda team in 2009 and gained his first British Superbike podium by finishing third at Brands Hatch.
Between 2010 and 2013, Easton suffered from a number of injuries. This included a shattered pelvis, a dislocated hip, tissue damage and a broken femur. The injuries occurred during a practice run for the North West 200. Easton crashed into his teammate Gary Mason and hurt himself badly. Easton could have easily retired, but he focused on recovering and came back in 2014 to dominate the Macau Grand Prix. He also won the Guia Circuit.
Easton demonstrated his tenacity by carrying on in the 2015 season and winning the BSB at Oulton Park. Easton retired from racing after the 2016 season, though he earned his place among the greats of the industry.
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Image Credit: https://alchetron.com/Stuart-Easton
