Billy McConnell (Skippy) - 2006 Rider Profile
2006 Rider Profiles
The Facts;
Residence Sunthorpe, North Lincolnshire
Nationality: Australian
Date of Birth: 24th December 1986
Marital Status: Single
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 75kg
Hobbies: Mountain Bikes, Jet Skiing, Trials Riding
Car: Gets the Bus
Fav. Food: BBQs
First Road Race Mallala motor sport park, on board an RS 125cc
Favourite Circuit Philip Island, Donnington Park, Oulton Park
Favorite Race Virgin Mobile Cup 05 Donnington Park (won the championship)
Ambition To be World Superbike Champion
At 19 years old, Australian McConnell has already made a name for himself in the Superbike paddock, winning the Virgin Mobile Cup in 2005. Like Hill, all eyes will be firmly fixed on the newest Superbike rookie as he cuts his teeth among the big boys of British motorcycle racing.
Billy hails from Adelaide , Southern Australia . A champion jet skier down under, McConnell is now even more successful on dry land. After moving to the UK at the start of 2005 to take part in the Virgin Mobile Cup, Billy has proved why the Cup is so important to the future of developing young riding talent in the British Superbike Championship.
Billy came to the UK in 2004 to enter a one off Superstock Cup round at Mallory Park . He was invited to take part because he was leading the 600cc Superstock Championship over in Australia . He got not only got pole position at Mallory, but he won the race. Even though it was his first race in the UK and he had only had one practice on the circuit. A Red Bull rookies Supersport team spotted Billy's obvious talent and invited him to replace Jonathan Rea in the last three rounds of the British Supersport Championship. This meant he missed the last 2 rounds of his Australian championship, but he still managed to finish third!
Billy decided to take part in the Virgin Mobile Cup after being offered a full sponsorship deal he couldn't refuse! "Once I got testing on the British tracks, I loved them! There aren't that many tracks in Australia , the closest one is an hour away - the one after that is 10 hours away!" Billy proved that he had a natural talent and four rounds in to the series he had won his race at Oulton, quickly followed by success at Croft. From that race Billy rode the yellow leader Dunlop Animal faired bike for the rest of the season, winning the Cup and his place in the Virgin Mobile Superbike team for 2006 at the Donington round.
Billy's prize of a contract with the Virgin Mobile British Superbike team has seen him step up to a 1000cc Yamaha R1, but how would he cope?
Team Manager Rob McElnea; "Billy in his very early tests has been amazing, at 19 years old I believe we have found one of the stars of the future! Billy is already at a level we hoped to see much later in the season!"
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