Troy Bayliss
Troy Bayliss won three World Superbike championships for Ducati and made a brief, competitive foray into MotoGP, but he's just as well remembered for the way he finished: coaxed out of retirement for one final wildcard race in 2008, which he won.
Troy Bayliss built his career primarily in World Superbike racing, winning the championship for Ducati in 2001 before a stint in MotoGP with Ducati and Honda between 2003 and 2006.
He returned to World Superbikes and won a second title in 2006, then a third in 2008, cementing his status as one of the most successful riders the championship has produced.
Already retired by the final round of 2008, Bayliss was called in as a late replacement for an injured rider at Phillip Island and won both races — finishing his competitive career with a victory in what was meant to be a one-off wildcard appearance.
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Having already retired, Bayliss was asked to fill in for an injured rider at the final round of the 2008 World Superbike season at Phillip Island — and won both races on the day, finishing his competitive career on the most dramatic possible note.
Bayliss won World Superbike titles in 2001, 2006, and 2008, split either side of a brief move into MotoGP, making him one of the most successful riders in the championship's history.
After retiring from motorcycle racing, Bayliss pursued a second competitive outlet in cars, including entries in Australian endurance racing events such as the Bathurst 12 Hour — a common path for retired motorcycle racers but one Bayliss pursued with real seriousness.
Bayliss grew up in Taree, a regional town in New South Wales, and is often cited in Australian motorsport media as an example of a rider who reached the top of world championship racing from outside the sport's usual wealthier feeder pathways.