Ollie Barstow

Ollie Barstow's picture

Ollie Barstow

Journalist

To say I am a veteran of Crash Media Group, would be something of an understatement. 

Indeed, I have spent almost half of my life with the company in variety of different capacities and roles, combining an exuberant passion for motorsport from a young age - sparked by receiving the 1995 BTCC Season Review VHS as a gift and obsessively watching it on repeat - with my enthusiasm for journalism, the written word and the buzz of breaking news first.

It took a chance meeting with an F3 driver’s press officer at the age of 17 to crack open the door at Crash.net, one that ultimately led to being offered work experience at the Silverstone round of the 2005 World Touring Car Championship.

Proceeding to dovetail my Journalism degree studies at university with helping out on the weekends, I began a full-time role with Crash.net in 2008 upon graduating covering the WorldSBK and BSB Championships. 

Since then I have amassed 15 years on the front-line representing CMG - both Crash.net and Visordown.com - as a journalist and editor across two-wheels and four-wheels covering motorsport series’ as diverse as F1, MotoGP, WorldSBK, BSB, Isle of Man TT, Le Mans, BTCC and more right in the heart of the paddock, as well established myself as a respected figure within the motorcycle industry specialising in breaking, sporting and industry news and features.

Unusually for this industry, my experience, expertise and reputation traverses both car and motorcycle racing disciplines at the highest level, which in turn has afforded me the opportunity interview and feature a diverse alumni of the sport’s highest-profile figures including Lewis Hamilton, Marc Marquez, Max Verstappen and Jonathan Rea.

From the nervous early days covering WorldSBK - a series I had never previously followed - in 2008, I’ve gone on to become renowned Superbike journalist, hold the hallowed F1 ‘red badge’ season pass, played a pivotal role in Crash.net and Visordown’s emergence as industry-revered, internationally reputed publications and had the pleasure of expressing my opinionated opinions about my passion to a wider audience.

It is also a pleasure to represent the LGBTQ+ community as an out and proud gay man in a motorsport industry that has always been an open and tolerant platform upon which to progress my career.

Fifteen years is a long time but no two working days have ever been the same…

Articles by Ollie Barstow
WorldSSP 300 race winner and 2022 title contender Victor Stefan has died, his family has confirms
New patents reveal development is underway on the next generation Honda CB1000R, complete with aero winglets and a power hike
A rich vein of free swinging form for soon-to-be-ex-Ducati rider Jack Miller has invigorated his bid for a very unlikely 2022 MotoGP title challenging
Forget Bonhams or Mecum... the Aste Bolaffi auction of weird and wonderful rare motorcycles is fascinating - and you don't need much to bid either... 
On the day he would have turned 27-years old, Crowe Performance leads tributes to its late British Superbike (BSB) rider Chrissy Rouse
Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz plays down LiveWire's sluggish investment drive on the New York Stock Exchange, says it is trailblazing like Tesla
Alvaro Bautista breaks the resolve of a determined Toprak Razgatlioglu to restore his WorldSBK title lead in WorldSBK Portimao Race 2
In case you hadn’t noticed, the past is now the future in motorcycling with sales of Modern Classic models soaring in the charts.
Toprak Razgatlioglu calls upon his signature late-braking skills to hold off a rapid Alvaro Bautista for his second victory of the WorldSBK Portimao weekend
The Kawasaki EV - the first full-size electric motorcycle to come from the Japanese giants - makes its bow in prototype form at the 2022 Intermot show
Toprak Razgatlioglu takes a bite out of Alvaro Bautista's 2022 WorldSBK Championship lead with his ninth win of the year in a truncated Race 1 at Portimao
BSB champion elect Bradley Ray is reportedly in talks with Motoxracing over a possible 2023 WorldSBK ride, while Rory Skinner is also courting attention
Jonathan Rea secures a fifth pole position of the 2022 WorldSBK Championship season at Portimao as Alvaro Bautista reinstated to fourth on grid
One seat on the 2023 WorldSBK Championship is filled by Axel Bassani as another becomes available at Barni Ducati after it drops Luca Bernardi
Burgeoning Chinese firm Voge looks set to expand its model line-up with its largest model yet, the Triumph Tiger 900-rivalling Voge 900 DS 
Six-time WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea dismisses notion that he wants 'outstanding' Ducati to be reined in, but believes Kawasaki should get 500rpm back
The Honda CMX1100 Rebel range will expand to include a 'CMX 1100T' Touring variant offering greater versatility as a long distance cruiser
Damon Motors announces it has 3,500 pre-sale orders worth $90M already for its innovative Damon HyperSport electric sportsbike and HyperFighter naked
Tom Booth-Amos reveals details of a physical attack during 2019 Thai Moto3 race by one of his mechanics, who has since been fired by rival team
The two Moto3 mechanics caught trying to deliberately obstruct the bike of a rival rider in Motorland Aragon have now left Max Racing Husqvarna team
Jack Miller says he'd become 'sick and tired' of justifying himself for one-year contracts as sharpens his aim at Ducati ahead of KTM switch for 2023 MotoGP
BSB racer Chrissy Rouse is in an induced coma after suffering a 'significant head injury' in a crash at Donington Park, MSV confirms
Bradley Ray wins Race 3 at Donington Park to put himself on the cusp of clinching the 2022 British Superbike Championship (BSB) title at Brands Hatch finale
Tom Sykes follows up his first win of the 2022 BSB season in Race 1 by charging to another in Race 2 at Donington Park; Bradley Ray second to close on title
Tom Sykes transforms his 2022 BSB season with a surprise first win of the season at Donington Park; Bradley Ray extends lead despite late drop to fourth