Kelvin "Kel" Carruthers is born in Sydney, Australia.
Kel Carruthers was the 250cc Grand Prix Road Race World Champion in 1969. As a rider, he is well known for winning not only the World Champion title, but also for his victories in the 250cc class at Nurburgring and the Isle of Man (twice '69 and '70). He went on to have a brief, but highly successful racing career in America before becoming one of the most successful team managers and racing engineers in the history of the sport – heading both US National and World Championship teams during the 1970's and ‘80's. Kel ran the teams on which a brash kid named Kenny Roberts would win three consecutive 500cc World Championships and then three more with Eddie Lawson on works Yamahas.
In 1970, he went within an ace of being the first rider to win a world Grand Prix Championship on "private machinery". He won more GP's on his self-tuned Yamaha than had the previous year on a works bike and set the fastest lap in five races, but broken contact breakers on the TD2’s standard ignition caused several DNF's.
Carruthers finished third in the 1968 350cc Championship on an Aermacchi single and was runner-up in the 1970 350cc Championship, riding most of the season on a second-hand Yamaha TR2.
Known as a very keen, precision rider, so much that in five European seasons he never broke a bone, went to a hospital or missed a race due to injury.
Kel Carruthers was inducted in the AMA Hall of Fame in 1999.
In 1970, he went within an ace of being the first rider to win a world Grand Prix Championship on "private machinery". He won more GP's on his self-tuned Yamaha than had the previous year on a works bike and set the fastest lap in five races, but broken contact breakers on the TD2’s standard ignition caused several DNF's.
Carruthers finished third in the 1968 350cc Championship on an Aermacchi single and was runner-up in the 1970 350cc Championship, riding most of the season on a second-hand Yamaha TR2.
Known as a very keen, precision rider, so much that in five European seasons he never broke a bone, went to a hospital or missed a race due to injury.
Kel Carruthers was inducted in the AMA Hall of Fame in 1999.
