title: Kirk McCarthy
text: # Kirk McCarthy
  
  Kirk Richard McCarthy (18 November 1966 – 15 August 2004), in Melbourne Victoria, Australia, was an Australian motorcycle road racer who competed in several major championships both at home and internationally. He was killed in an Australian Superbike Championship race at Queensland Raceway in 2004.
  
  ## Superbikes
  
  McCarthy began racing in the Australian Superbike Championship in 1992, for the Ansett Suzuki team. In 1994 he joined the crack Winfield Honda team, and went on to win the 1995 title.
  
  This earned him a factory Superbike World Championship ride with Suzuki for 1996, finishing 13th overall without a podium. In 1998 he did five Supersport World Championship race's (one step below World Superbike, with less powerful machines) on a Castrol Honda finishing only one race in the points.
  
  A year in the German Superbike Championship for Suzuki, and two years back with Castrol Honda but in the British Supersport Championship, followed. In 2002 he won the AMA Pro Thunder series on a Ducati (having initially entered the season-opener as a one-off rider), before he returned to Australia, running his family's farm alongside his racing commitments. He was 7th overall in the Australian Superbike Championship in 2003.
  
  ## Grand Prix
  
  He contested the 1997 500cc World Championship on a Red Bull Yamaha, (with a best result of 12th and best grid position of 18th)
  
  ## Legacy
  
  In conjunction with a number of industry partners, his family has established an award program to assist young riders in contesting future Australian Superbike Championship (ASC) seasons.
  
  Each year, one rider will be selected to receive the Kirk McCarthy Memorial Award, which will be in the form of financial and product support to contest the following year's ASC. The award is open to riders in all ASC classes.
  
  A perpetual trophy will be awarded to the recipient, who will also receive a replica of the trophy at the annual ASC presentation dinner.
  
  ## Career results
  
  ### Grand Prix
  
  | Year | Class | Team | Machine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Points | Rank |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1997 | 500cc | World Championship Motorsports | ROC-Yamaha | MAL Ret | JPN 16 | ESP 15 | ITA 14 | AUT 17 | FRA Ret | NED Ret | IMO 15 | | | | | | | | 20 | 21st |
  | 1997 | 500cc | Red Bull Yamaha WCM | Yamaha YZR500 | | | | | | | | | GER 15 | BRA 12 | GBR 12 | CZE Ret | CAT 13 | INA 15 | AUS 13 | 20 | 21st |
  
  ### World Superbike Championship
  
  (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
  
  | Year | Make | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | Pos | Pts |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Year | Make | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | R1 | R2 | Pos | Pts |
  | 1992 | Suzuki | SPA1 | SPA1 | GBR | GBR | GER | GER | BEL | BEL | SPA2 | SPA2 | AUT | AUT | ITA1 | ITA1 | MAL | MAL | JPN | JPN | NED | NED | ITA2 | ITA2 | AUS 17 | AUS 15 | NZL | NZL | 75th | 1 |
  | 1994 | Honda | GBR1 | GBR1 | GER | GER | RSM | RSM | SPA | SPA | AUT | AUT | IND | IND | JPN | JPN | NED | NED | ITA | ITA | GBR2 | GBR2 | AUS 6 | AUS 5 | | | | | 29th | 21 |
  | 1995 | Honda | GER | GER | RSM | RSM | GBR | GBR | ITA | ITA | SPA | SPA | AUT | AUT | USA | USA | EUR | EUR | JPN | JPN | NED | NED | IND | IND | AUS 8 | AUS Ret | | | 33rd | 8 |
  | 1996 | Suzuki | RSM Ret | RSM 12 | GBR 13 | GBR 14 | GER 10 | GER 9 | ITA 8 | ITA 8 | CZH 14 | CZH Ret | USA 10 | USA 13 | EUR Ret | EUR 10 | IND 13 | IND 10 | JPN 17 | JPN 18 | NED 14 | NED 9 | SPA Ret | SPA 15 | AUS 10 | AUS 15 | | | 20th | 22 |
  | 1999 | Suzuki | RSA | RSA | AUS | AUS | GBR | GBR | SPA | SPA | ITA 19 | ITA Ret | GER1 Ret | GER1 20 | RSM | RSM | USA | USA | EUR | EUR | AUT | AUT | NED | NED | GER2 | GER2 | JAP | JAP | NC | 0 |
  
  ### Supersport World Championship
  
  | Year | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos | Pts |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1998 | Honda | GBR | ITA | SPA | GER | SMR | RSA Ret | USA Ret | EUR 22 | AUT 21 | NED 13 | 44th | 3 |
  