Craig Jones (motorcyclist)

Craig Jones (16 January 1985 – 4 August 2008) was an English motorcycle racer. He grew up in the town of Northwich in Cheshire and attended Charles Darwin Primary School, and later Hartford High School. He died in 2008, shortly after a racing accident when he fell and was struck by another motorcycle.

Biography

Born at Leighton Hospital Crewe, Cheshire, Jones grew up in nearby Northwich and remained there until later in his career he moved to Peterborough. Jones was a successful racer in the lower ranks of the British motorcycling ladder, winning the 1996 British Junior Mini-Moto Championship, the 1997 British Senior Mini-Moto Championship and the 2002 British Junior Superstock Championship before moving up to the British Supersport Championship.

In 2003 and 2004, Jones rode a Daytona 600 in the British Supersport Championship, initially with teammate Jim Moodie in the Valmoto team run by experienced tuner/team manager Jack Valentine in conjunction with the Triumph factory, which returned to racing in 2003 after an absence of 30 years. Jones was retained by Valmoto as sole-rider for 2004, and finished the season with a win at the last round and in eighth position overall.

In 2005 Jones has his best year in the British Supersport Championship riding for the Northpoint Honda team, achieving seven podium finishes and second overall in the title contest behind Leon Camier. Jones' riding that year earned him wildcard entry into the two British rounds of World Supersport, where he performed impressively. Jones qualified on the front row at Silverstone and was contesting the lead when he pulled out of the race with clutch problems, and he finished eighth at Brands Hatch.