Kork Ballington

South African motorcycle racer

Hugh Neville "Kork" Ballington (born 10 April 1951) is a South African former professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from to , most prominently as a member of the Kawasaki factory racing team with whom he won four FIM road racing world championships. Ballington was inducted into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame in 2018. TOC

Born in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, Ballington's family emigrated to South Africa when he was young. He used his domestic production road racing experience as a springboard to gain entry into the British domestic racing competitions. In he began competing in the world championships, taking his first podium position when he scored a second place result in the 250cc German Grand Prix held at the daunting, 14.2 mile (23 km) long Nürburgring racetrack, considered too dangerous for the Formula One championship. After three seasons without making significant gains on their competition, Kawasaki made the decision to withdraw from world championship competition after the season leaving Ballington without a job. In 1984 he entered the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race riding a Kawasaki GPZ750 with teammate Rob Phillis however, they retired after completing only 15 laps. He then raced in the Daytona 200 for the first time, riding a Suzuki GSX R750 for the British based Skoal Bandit Suzuki team in 1986. He placed third in his qualifying race behind the Yamaha factory teammates Eddie Lawson and Jimmy Filice but, retired from the main event after completing 37 laps. He returned in 1987 to compete on a Honda NSR250 in the AMA 250cc road racing national championship where he finished second to John Kocinski. Ballington competed in the 1988 AMA 250cc road racing national championship before making the decision to retire. Ballington now lives with his family in Brisbane, Australia. In 2018, the FIM inducted him into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame.