Michelle Duff

Last updated

Michelle Duff
Born (1939-12-13) 13 December 1939 (age 84)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years 1960 - 1967
First race 1960 Isle of Man TT
Last race 1967 500cc Canadian Grand Prix
First win 1964 250cc Belgian Grand Prix
Last win 1965 250cc Finnish Grand Prix
Team(s) Aermacchi, AJS, Bultaco, Cotton, Matchless, MZ, Norton, Yamaha
Championships 0
StartsWinsPodiums Poles F. laps Points
32405164 (176)

Michelle Ann Duff (born Michael Alan Duff on 13 December 1939) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.

Contents

Riding

Duff's best season was in 1965, winning the 250cc Finnish Grand Prix and finishing the year in second place to Phil Read. [1] [2]

Duff suffered a near-fatal crash in Japan and required extensive surgery and physical therapy. [3] The recovery was documented in the 1967 National Film Board of Canada short documentary film Ride for Your Life, directed by Robin Spry. [4]

Private life

Duff married a Finnish woman in 1963 and had a son with her the same year, and a daughter two years later. In 1984, she changed her name to Michelle and commenced transition, separating from her wife. [5] Following sex reassignment surgery, she wrote about her experiences as a professional motorcycle racer (note that this book is not about her life as a trans woman) in Make Haste, Slowly: The Mike Duff story. [6] [7]

World Championship results

Position123456
Points864321

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap. An empty black cell indicates that the class did not compete at that particular championship round.)

YearClassMotorcycle12345678910111213RankPoints
1960 FRA IOM NED BEL GER ULS NAT
500 cc Norton Ret—0
1961 ESP GER FRA IOM NED BEL DDR ULS NAT SWE ARG
350 cc AJS 156617th2
500 cc Matchless 144511th5
1962 ESP FRA IOM NED BEL GER ULS DDR NAT FIN ARG
350 cc AJS 5659th5
500 cc Matchless Ret—0
1963 ESP GER FRA IOM NED BEL ULS DDR FIN NAT ARG JPN
125 cc Bultaco 6Ret16th3
MZ 5
350 cc AJS 64610th5
500 cc Matchless 46436th11
1964 USA ESP FRA IOM NED BEL GER DDR ULS FIN NAT JPN
250 cc Cotton Ret4th20
Yamaha 5132
350 cc AJS 35332553rd20 (24)
500 cc Norton 44th18
Matchless Ret224
1965 USA GER ESP FRA IOM NED BEL DDR CSK ULS FIN NAT JPN
125 cc Yamaha 316th12
250 cc Yamaha 2232332212nd42 (50)
350 cc AJS Ret—0
500 cc Matchless 311th4
1966 ESP GER FRA NED BEL DDR CSK FIN ULS IOM NAT JPN
125 cc Yamaha 6410th4
250 cc Yamaha 534Ret9th9
500 cc Matchless Ret—0
1967 ESP GER FRA IOM NED BEL DDR CSK FIN ULS NAT CAN JPN
350 cc Aermacchi Ret—0
500 cc Matchless Ret311th4

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References

  1. ↑ "Mike Duff career statistics at MotoGP.com". Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2008.
  2. ↑ Mojo (15 February 2017). "Michelle Duff Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend". Motorcycle Mojo. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  3. ↑ Fowler, Rich (19 June 2010). "Ride for your life - A Documentary about Grand Prix racer Mike Duff". Motorsport Retro. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  4. ↑ Spry, Robin. "Ride for Your Life". Documentary film. National Film Board of Canada . Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  5. ↑ "The curious case of Michelle Duff". Half of My Life - Phil Hall's Motorcycling. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "Michelle Ann Duff (1939 - ) Motorcycle racer". 19 April 2008.
  7. ↑ Duff, Michelle Ann (1999). Make Haste, Slowly: The Mike Duff story. Toronto: [mad8 Publishing] [www.michelle-duff.ca]. p. 366.
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