Ratthapark Wilairot (Feem) ( th, รัฐภาคย์ วิไลโรจน์ (ฟิม) (Born April 14, 1988), is a Thai professional
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
road racer. Wilairot first competed in
Grand Prix racing
Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition, has its roots in organised auto racing, automobile racing that began in France as early as 1894. It quickly evolved from simple Road racing, road races from one town to the next, to End ...
during the
2006 season's
Japanese Grand Prix
The Japanese Grand Prix ( ja, 日本グランプリ, Nihon-guranpuri) is a motor racing event in the calendar of the Formula One World Championship. Historically, Japan has been one of the last races of the season, and as such the Japanese Gran ...
, and finished a respectable 10th after qualifying in 14th place. In 2006 he was runner-up in the challenging Japanese national championship. He joined the
250cc World Championship in
2007 as a member of the Thai
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...
PTT-SAG team. His best finish came at the
2010 Dutch TT where he finished 4th, narrowly missing out on the podium.
Motorcycle racing career
Born April 14, 1988 in
Chonburi Province
Chonburi (, , ) is a province of Thailand (''changwat'') located in eastern Thailand. Its capital is also named Chonburi. Neighbouring provinces are (clockwise from north) Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, and Rayong, while the Bay of Bangkok is to ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, Wilairot is the eldest son of Thai veteran racer
Christmas Wilairot. He began junior road racing at 5 years old and first won a 50cc
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competiti ...
trophy at the age of ten. Ratthapark has a younger brother
Ratthapong Wilairot (Float, born 1993) who is competing in the Asia Road Racing Championship SS600 class and the
Supersport World Championship.
Wilairot currently competes in the
Moto2
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of ...
World Championship, with a best result of fourth at the
2010 Dutch TT. Wilairot had qualified on the front row for the first time, and challenged for the lead with eventual race winner
Andrea Iannone. Title challengers
Toni Elías
Antonio "Toni" Elías Justícia (born 26 March 1983) is a Spanish professional motorcycle racer and inaugural champion of the Moto2 World Championship. He is the third member of the Elías family to compete in motorcycle racing. He currently ride ...
and
Thomas Lüthi
Thomas Lüthi (born 6 September 1986) is a Swiss sporting director at Prüstel GP, and former Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He spent 19 years in Grand Prix world championships, becoming one of only six riders to reach 300 race starts, spending m ...
later demoted Wilairot to just off the podium.
On 31 July 2013, Wilairot took a sabbatical from racing professionally and became a rider coach for his replacement in the
Thai Honda PTT Gresini Moto2 team, Thitipong Warokorn.
On 27 December 2013, Wilairot announced an end to his sabbatical by signing with PTR for the
2014 Supersport World Championship season. He will ride a
Honda CBR600RR
The Honda CBR600RR is a sport bike made by Honda since 2003, part of the CBR series. The CBR600RR was marketed as Honda's top-of-the-line middleweight sport bike, succeeding the 2002 Supersport World Champion 2001–2006 CBR600F4i, which was t ...
and be sponsored by Core.
Career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
By season
Races by year
(
key)
Supersport World Championship
Races by year
(
key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilairot, Ratthapark
Ratthapark Wilairot
250cc World Championship riders
1988 births
Living people
Moto2 World Championship riders
Supersport World Championship riders
Ratthapark Wilairot
Ratthapark Wilairot