About
Maria Costello
Name: Maria Costello
Nickname: Elvis
DOB: 09/06/73
Hair : Blonde
Eyes: Green
Home Town: Spratton, Northampton
Occupation: Motorcycle racer, PR Agent & public speaker.
Hobbies: Cycling, snowboarding, swimming
Favourite Race Bike: Kawasaki ER6 Supertwin ‘pizza race bike’
Racing Hero: Steve Hislop, David Jefferies.
Ambition: Continue to race varied motorcycles all over the world.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1997
1
Honda CB500 Cup – competed in selected rounds
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1998
2
Won the Honda CB500 Ladies Cup onboard the CJ Ball Honda CB500.
Manx Grand Prix: Maria lapped at 107.47mph placing her in the top three fastest women ever to have raced around the TT course.
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1999
3
Honda Hornet Cup – CJ Ball Honda Hornet – selected rounds
TT:
Production 1000 race – T3/GT Motorcycles Honda Fireblade – crashed at bottom of Bray Hill
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2000
3
Competed in the fiercely contest British Superstock Championship onboard a Cusworths Bikes/T3 Racing Honda Fireblade
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2001
3
European Superstock Championship, Imola, Italy – BKM Honda Fireblade.
World Endurance 24 Hour Championship, Oschersleben, Germany – Thunderbike Endurance Team – Suzuki GSXR1000 – reserve rider
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2001
3
Manx Grand Prix:
Junior race – Cusworths Bikes Honda CBR600FS – 23rd – Silver Replica
Awarded the Lesley Ann Trophy - Best performance by a female racer at the Manx Grand Prix.
TT:
Production 1000 race – Avonvale Honda CBR900RR Fireblade – 49th
Production 600 race – Cusworths Honda CBR600FS – 39th
EMRA awarded Maria with the Ann Tubby Trophy for ‘outstanding achievement’.
2003
3
Senior race - Tony Scott Tuning/Noel Clegg Motorcycles Honda CBR600RR – 15th – NEW TT PB standing start average lap speed of 113.52mph - Silver Replica.
TT:
Production 600 race - Martin Bullock/Honda Racing CBR600RR - 41st.
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2004
3
Fastest woman to lap the Isle of Man TT course. On her standing start lap of the TT Production 1000 race Maria averaged a speed of 114.73mph making her the fastest woman to lap the course. Maria achieved this with a broken collar bone.
Maria received a Guinness World record for this achievement.
Manx Grand Prix:
Junior race – Island Motorcycles Ltd Honda CBR600RR – 14th – Silver Replica
Senior race - Island Motorcycles Ltd Honda CBR600RR – 8th – Silver Replica
She achieved this with her collarbone still broken.
2005
3
History maker - Maria becomes the first woman solo racer to finish on a podium in a race around the Isle of Man TT course. Finishing in third place onboard the RLR prepared Tim Bradley RVF400 in the Ultra Lightweight class.
Won the BBC Northamptonshire Sports Personality of the Year Award.
NW200:
Debut 3rd place finish onboard the RLR tuned Tim Bradley Honda RVF400.
2006
3
Southern 100:
Combined 125/400 race – RLR Honda RVF400 – 7th in class/15th overall
Crashing out of practice at the Manx Grand Prix – Maria suffered the worst injuries of her career.
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2007
3
Still recovering from her previous years Manx Grand Prix crash injuries Maria competed in two races at the Manx Grand Prix.
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2008
3
Maria Costello [Triumph 675] & Sam Neate made a winning pair in their TAG Endurance debut.
Thundersport GB Snetterton:
Supersport race - Triumph 675 – 9th
Manx Grand Prix:
Ultra-Lightweight race – CMS Honda RVF400 – 6th
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2009
3
Awarded an M.B.E. for services to motorcycling and attended a ceremony at Buckingham Palace where Prince Charles presented her with her gong.
Set up UK Endurance Race team with former Olympic athlete Derek Redmond.
Mid-Antrim 100:
Supertwins race - Lynn Racing Suzuki SV650 supported by Darren Gilpin & Irish Racer Magazine – Debut 12th
Dundrod & Ulster Grand Prix:
Dundrod 150 Supertwins race - Lynn SV650 supported by Darren Gilpin & Irish Racer Magazine – 13th
Manx Grand Prix:
Junior - CSC Yamaha R6 – 17th after starting from 48th place – Silver Replica
4 Hours of Spa Classic:
Endurance race – Chris Wilson Offenstadt Kawasaki – team mate Spike Edwards – 52nd
Goodwood Revival:
Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy race – Roger Munsey Norton Domiracer – 14th
2010
3
Became a published author with the release of her autobiography ‘Queen of Bikers’ co written with Steve Pitts.
Cookstown 100:
Supersport 400 race – CMS Honda RVF400 – Debut 3rd place
NW200:
Supersport race – CMS Yamaha R6 – 47th
TT:
Maria made her return to the TT since her last appearance back in 2004.
Superbike race – BMWS1000RR – 50th
Supersport 1 race – Yamaha R6 – 42nd
Supersport 2 race – Yamaha R6 – 43rd
Dundrod 150 & Ulster Grand Prix:
Fastest woman to lap the Ulster Grand Prix - 114.328mph
Dundrod 150 Challenge race – Yamaha R6 – 34th
Combined 125/400/Supertwins race – Honda RVF400 – 21st
Ulster GP Supersport 1 race – Yamaha R6 – 34th
Ulster GP Supersport 2 race – Yamaha R6 – 26th – 114.328mph average
Manx Grand Prix:
Post Classic – Team Classic Suzuki XR69 – 5th place [with no steering damper]
AHRMA BEARS Championship:
Barber Motorsports, Alabama – Jamie Waters Norton Seeley 750 – 6th & 3rd
2011
3
South African TT Race Series:
2nd overall in the championship – Team Classic Suzuki XR69
848 Challenge – Maria realised a lifelong dream by competing on a Ducati for the first time in her career.
Cookstown 100:
Supertwin race - Pizza Race Bike Kawasaki ER6 – 2nd [B Race]
TT:
Supersport 1 race – CMS Yamaha R6 – 37th
Supersport 2 race – CMS Yamaha R6 – 29th – NEW TT PB average 114.97mph – Bronze Replica
Manx Grand Prix:
250 Classic race – Bob Jackson Suzuki T20 – 3rd place podium – pushed in for a finish
AHRMA BEARS World Championship:
Barber Motorsports, Alabama - Kenny Cumming's Norton Seeley 750 – 1 x win, 1 x 2nd
Daytona International Speedway – Kenny Cummings Norton Seeley 750 – 2 x wins - Overall World Championship winner
2012
3
CRMC Races:
Post Classic 2 races: Team Classic Suzuki XR69 – 2 x wins
Cookstown 100:
Supersport race – BE Racing Yamaha R6 – 16th
Supertwin race - Pizza Race Bike Kawasaki ER6 – 16th
TT: Supertwin race – Pizza Race Bike Kawasaki ER6 - Bronze TT Replica and best ever finish of 28th
Superbike racer - Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki ZX10R – 37th
Supersport race - BE Racing Yamaha R6 – 46th
Walderstown Road Races:
Supertwin race - Pizza Race Bike Kawasaki ER6 - Debut 10th place
125/Moto3 race - Bob Wylie Racing Moto3 Honda NSF250 – 7th
Skerries Road Races:
Supertwin race - Pizza Race Bike Kawasaki ER6 – 16th
Ulster Grand Prix:
125/Moto3 race - Bob Wylie Racing Moto3 Honda NSF250 – 8th
Supertwins race - Pizza Race Bike Kawasaki ER6 - 10th
Armoy Road Races:
Supertwin race - Pizza Race Bike Kawasaki ER6 – Debut 11th place
Manx Grand Prix:
Superbike Classic race - Team Classic Suzuki XR69 – 5th
Goodwood Revial:
Barry Sheene Memorial race - George Cohen 1952 Daytona Manx Norton – 15th
Killalane Road Races:
Supertwin race - Pizza Race Bike Kawasaki ER6 – 16th
Some questions answered
THREE THINGS YOU WOULD TAKE TO A DESERT ISLAND?
My iPod, sketch pad and pencil
HAVE YOU EVER USED HYPNOSIS TO HELP YOU FOCUS BEFORE A RACE OR EVEN LEARN THE COURSE?
imagine a lap of the course before I start a race but I do use hypnotherapy as part of my training program and we work on many different performance enhancing techniques.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SET ROUTINE BEFORE A RACE LIKE LEFT BOOT ON FIRST?
I used to have a lucky T-shirt but when I crashed in it that idea went out the window but I do put a certain boot and glove on first but it’s more habit than anything else. Listening to certain music before I set off down Bray Hill has become my only ritual.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO KEEP GOING & GET BACK ON THE BIKE AFTER INJURY?
 Racing motorbikes is the best thing I’ve ever done. It has it’s up and downs and I’ve broken over 20 bones but I’ve not found anything that gives me the same buzz to replace it.
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WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RACING CIRCUIT AND ON WHICH BIKE?
I don’t have one favourite. My favourite combinations however include the Norton Seeley 750 at Barber Motorsports in Alabama, USA. My Kawasaki ER6 Supertwin at Ulster Grand Prix and the Padgett’s Suzuki GSXR750 K2 at the Isle of Man TT course.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU RIDE ON MOUNTAIN CIRCUIT?
Pure freedom, pleasure, speed, adrenaline, euphoria and happiness [when it’s all going well].
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Proud to work with
Proud to work with
