43 Facts About Gregg Hansford

Gregory John "Gregg" Hansford was an Australian professional motorcycle and touring car racer.

Gregg Hansford competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1978 to 1981 and in Australian touring car championships from 1982 to 1994.

Gregg Hansford died in an accident during a Supertouring race at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in 1995.

Gregg Hansford worked as a motorcycle mechanic and began racing motorcycles in 1971 with financial assistance from his mother.

Gregg Hansford began competitive motorcycle racing in dirt track racing and then motocross, before focusing on road racing in the early 1970s.

Gregg Hansford became known for his mastery of the Lakeside International Raceway, his home circuit near Brisbane.

The Annand and Thompson-Yamaha team obtained one of the newly-released machines on which Gregg Hansford made his international racing debut at the 1974 Daytona 200, then considered one of the most prestigious motorcycle races in the world.

Gregg Hansford returned to Australia where his battle with Warren Willing in the 1974 Unlimited Class Grand Prix at the Mount Panorama Circuit has been cited as one of the greatest Australian motorcycle races of the 1970s.

In 1975, Gregg Hansford was contracted by Kawasaki Australia to replace the injured rider, Ron Toombs.

Gregg Hansford made his European debut at the French round of the 1975 FIM Formula 750 Championship held at the Magny-Cours Circuit.

Gregg Hansford returned to the Daytona 200 in 1977, where despite the domination of the 750cc class by the Yamaha TZ750, he posted a credible fourth place result as the highest-placed Kawasaki rider.

Gregg Hansford's KR750 lacked the power to compete with the Yamaha TZ750, but he made up the deficit with sheer ability.

At the Canadian round of the 1977 FIM Formula 750 Championship held at the Mosport Circuit on September 18, Gregg Hansford beat Yvon Duhamel and eventual Formula 750 champion, Steve Baker for the victory.

Gregg Hansford moved up to the 1978 Grand Prix World Championships as part of the Team Kawasaki Australia effort that consisted of the Kawasaki KR250 and KR350 as well as the KR750, with Gregg Hansford as the rider and Neville Doyle as manager and mechanic.

Not only did this give Ballington a power-to-weight advantage, his small physique gave him an aerodynamic advantage by allowing him to tuck his body behind his motorcycle's windscreen, while Gregg Hansford's limbs protruded beyond his windscreen.

Gregg Hansford recovered in an impressive manner to take the race lead after four laps and had a three-quarter lap lead over the opposition when his motorcycle had a mechanical failure.

Gregg Hansford dropped out of the 250cc Grand Prix with mechanical problems while holding third place.

At the following 1978 Spanish Grand Prix, Gregg Hansford was initially denied an entry by Spanish race organizers who claimed that he was not on the official FIM grading list.

Gregg Hansford posted a qualifying time 0.1 seconds behind pole sitter, Kenny Roberts, then won the race over Roberts to claim his maiden Grand Prix victory.

Gregg Hansford demonstrated his ability to learn new circuits at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix where he claimed the pole position for the 350cc class with a faster lap time than the 500cc class pole sitter, Johnny Cecotto.

At the German Grand Prix held at the daunting, 14.2 miles long Nurburgring racetrack, considered too dangerous for the Formula One championship, Gregg Hansford was the fastest 250cc and 350cc qualifier, on his first visit to the circuit.

However, Gregg Hansford rejected Suzuki's offer, choosing to remain loyal to the Kawasaki team.

Gregg Hansford suffered injuries while testing his motorcycle prior to the 1979 season.

Gregg Hansford rode the KR750 to win the French round of the 1979 Formula 750 championship, held at the Nogaro Circuit.

Rather than staying in Europe to race in the smaller classes, Gregg Hansford chose to return home and raced Kawasaki 250s and 350s in the 1980 Australia national championships, while Kawasaki developed their new KR500 for the FIM 500cc World Championship.

Gregg Hansford made only one appearance in the 1980 World Championships at the final round in Germany, where he debuted the new KR500 featuring a monocoque chassis, but retired with a mechanical issue.

Gregg Hansford won the pole position at the Imola 200 pre-season race, but while avoiding slower riders, he hit a damp patch of track and crashed, sustaining a fractured tibia.

Gregg Hansford returned to Australia where he owned motorcycle dealerships in Brisbane and a personal watercraft shop on the Gold Coast.

Gregg Hansford continued to develop his businesses however, he was compelled by his competitive nature to announce that he would pursue an auto racing career.

Gregg Hansford then turned to touring car racing in 1982 with Allan Moffat Racing.

Gregg Hansford had previous ties to the Moffat team and was actually entered to partner Colin Bond in the second Moffat Ford Dealers Ford Falcon in the 1977 Hardie-Ferodo 1000.

However, a motorcycle racing crash caused injuries which saw Gregg Hansford forced to withdraw from the race and be replaced by open wheel driver Alan Hamilton.

Gregg Hansford's first touring car race was in the second Moffat Mazda RX-7 at the 1982 Sandown 500 driving with young open wheel prospect Lucio Cesario.

Gregg Hansford then put in some good performances in the Mazda in the 1983 Australian Touring Car Championship.

Gregg Hansford then finished in 6th place at Oran Park before finishing second to Peter Brock's Holden Dealer Team Commodore in the wet final round at Lakeside in Brisbane.

Gregg Hansford's first touring car win was the 1984 Oran Park 250 in the 1984 Australian Endurance Championship with team boss Allan Moffat in the RX-7.

The Moffat team entered two cars for the race with Gregg Hansford listed in both cars alongside Moffat.

Gregg Hansford won a number of fans by qualifying his RX-7 in 8th place and it was his car that crossed the line 3rd after Moffat's own car had been retired with overheating on lap 15.

Gregg Hansford then teamed with Moffat's former teammate Colin Bond to drive an Alfa Romeo GTV6 to eighth outright and first in Class B in the 1985 James Hardie 1000.

Gregg Hansford again linked with Allan Moffat and the pair went on to win the Enzed 500 at Sandown driving a Ruedi Eggenberger built Ford Sierra RS500.

Gregg Hansford would drive the RS500 Sierras for both Allan Moffat and Glenn Seton Racing in both the ATCC and at Bathurst over the next four seasons, though on-track results would elude him.

Gregg Hansford finished 2nd at the 1993 James Hardie 12 Hour with Charlie O'Brien in a Mazda RX-7 and won the 1993 Tooheys 1000 at Bathurst with Larry Perkins in a Holden Commodore.

Gregg Hansford followed this success with a victory at the 1994 James Hardie 12 Hour with television commentator turned race driver Neil Crompton, again in an RX-7.