James Whitham

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James 'Jamie' Whitham (born September 6, 1966 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England), is a former professional motorcycle road racer. He won the 1991 MCN TT Superbike Challenge, with Suzuki; and for Yamaha in 1993 both the British Superbike Championship Supercup and the ACU TT British Superbike Championship. In 1994 he raced full-time in the Superbike World Championship for Ducati, taking a race win at Sentul and finishing 7th overall. He returned to the British series in 1995, leading the standings and taking a podium as a World Superbike Championship wild-card at Brands Hatch, but contracted Hodgkin's Disease mid-season. He recovered in time to be British Superbike Championship runner-up in 1996 on a Yamaha.

He raced for the Harris Suzuki team in the World Superbike Championship in 1997 and 1998, finishing 8th in the championship both seasons with a total of 3 podiums, but for 1999 the factory contract changed hands, and the new owners hired Pierfrancesco Chili and Katsuaki Fujiwara. Worse was to follow when he was hired by Kenny Roberts' uncompetitive Modenas 500cc World Championship team: he crashed heavily at Brno, breaking his pelvis. He competed in the Supersport World Championship from 2000 to 2002, taking 12 podiums including 4 wins, and 4th overall in 2001. Glaucoma, most likely a consequence of past chemotherapy, caused him to retire at the end of 2002. He now runs Crosland Moor airfield, and as of 2006 he works on ITV's coverage of Superbike racing. He also works as a road tester for the British motorcycle magazine T.W.O.

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