Kevin Curtain calls time

After a career which took him to the top reaches of road racing both in Australia and internationally, Kevin Curtain has decided to retire from racing, effective immediately.

“I have been lucky enough to live a blessed life and through racing I have seen all parts of the world and met some amazing people,” Curtains said, who has been a Yamaha rider for much of his professional career.

“But the motivation to continue at this level has dropped for me and I didn’t feel I could give my team, my family and my sponsors a 100 per cent effort every time I went on the track and for that reason, it is that I have decided to retire from racing.

“Motorcycles have been a huge part of my life and it wasn’t an easy decision as racing is my passion and I have dedicated so much of my life towards it. But I know it is the right thing to do and looking back I couldn’t have asked for more.

“I also would like to thank all the people who have been involved in my racing and who have assisted me in chasing my dreams. Riding the bike is the easy part, having the right people behind you, privately and professionally, make the job that much better and far more rewarding, so without going through a huge list of names, I thank everyone who has been there for me over the time.

“I look forward to a life outside of bikes and have some spare weekends now but I will always follow racing and with all the riders in one series here in Australia, things look to be back on track and the future looks good for the talented riders we have coming through.”

Curtain’s road racing career began way back in 1993 when he attended an event at the now-defunct Oran Park circuit in Sydney for the very first time. He was instantly hooked and in just two years, was the Australian 250cc Production champion.

His career continued to blossom locally before he began to compete in the Supersport World Championship on a full-time basis in 2001, which continued until 2006 save for a sabbatical in 2003. His world supersport career delivered him four race wins, 12 second places and four third places, and he was runner-up in the championship in 2005 and 2006.

The second place in 2006 was a particularly bitter pill to swallow, as he was leading the championship heading into the final round before he crashed out, with race winner Sebastien Charpentier retaining the No. 1 plate in a cliff-hanger.

After returning to Australia he eventually signed on with the Yamaha Racing Team. He then went on to win the FX Australasian Superbike Championship three years running – 2010-2012-- and also numerous championships in various support classes including supersport.

He competed in the opening round of the 2014 Australasian Superbike Championship, before deciding to call it quits. It's still unclear whether he will be replaced in Yamaha's factory team.

Kevin Curtain career highlights
1995: Australian 250cc Production champion
1996: Australian supersport champion
1997: 4th Australian Supersport Championship
1998: Formula Xtreme champion/Australian Pro-Superbike champion
1999: Formula Xtreme champion/2nd Australian Supersport Championship/6th Australian Superbike Championship
2000: Formula Xtreme champion/Australian supersport champion /3rd Australian Superbike Championship
2001: 5th Supersport World Championship, including race wins at Phillip Island and Lausitzring
2002: Formula Xtreme champion/FX supersport Champion/11th Supersport World Championship
2005: 2nd Supersport World Championship
2006: 2nd Supersport World Championship
2010: FX Australasian Superbike champion/Formula Oz champion
2011: FX Australasian Superbike champion/FX supersport champion
2012: Australasian superbike champion /FX supersport champion
2013: 2nd FX Australasian Superbike Championship/1st Formula Oz