Classic Racer takes you so close you can actually smell the Castrol R. With the world's finest archive, and an editorial team who live and breathe the sport, the only way you'll get closer will be to put on your leathers.
YEAR: 1954 (CR THINKS)//CORNER: QUARRY CORNER//HOT AND DUSTY IT MIGHT BE EARLY ON, BUT THOSE IN FRONT IN RHODESIA ARE GETTING ALL THE BENEFITS. THOSE BEHIND ARE STRUGGLING A BIT IN COMPARISON. IT’S not the most pristine of circuits, granted, but the old racing maxim ‘it’s the same for everybody’ has never been more true. The results of the race have been lost to the sands of time (unless you can help us out and you know who graced the podium) but what we do know from the CR archive is that Jannie Stander leads B Ferreira and G MacArthur. Our sage photographer from the event has left a nice note with this image. It says: “This is the first lap of the race. The control tower on the hilltop…
YEAR: 1973//TRACK: SILVERSTONE//CORNER: CLUB//WHEN RACING MEN COULD COME IN A MORE SOLID SIZE THAN THE MODERN RACING WHIPPETS, WOULD YOU REALLY WANT TO MESS WITH EITHER TONY JEFFERIES (32) OR DAVE CROCKFORD (22)? NO, US NEITHER. THIS was when men were men and racing wasn’t the preserve of the delicate or the fearful.Tony Jefferies picks his line on the 350ccYamaha with precision while Dave Crockford uses more of the track (naturally so) to hustle the 750 Norton around behindTJ. Look at the faces. Not a smile among them. Racing is a serious business when you’re on the throttle. Save the light stuff for a beer or two in the paddock later.…
YEAR: 1976//TRACK: MALLORY//CORNER: PITLANE//EDDIE DOW GRABS SHEENE AND ROBERTS FOR A NATTER. You can ask a lot of modern motorcycle racers these days, but you don’t get the top guys in the world coming together for a chat with each other in between races at Mallory Park. Here, a different time, a different era where Barry Sheene and Kenny Roberts play up their respective roles to the delight of the huge crowd listening in Leicestershire. Eddie Dow, so long the voice of racing for thousands each weekend, listens intently as Sheene explains something that Kenny (we can only assume, judging by the facial expression) doesn’t entirely agree with.…
IN MEMORY OF TED BROAD Dear CR My great friend and sponsor Mr E R J (Ted) Broad recently passed away (October 17, 2017, funeral November 10). He made my life and times far greater than I could ever imagine. He sponsored many riders including Geoff Tanner, Dave Chester, myself, Charlie Mortimer, Barry Ditchburn and Dave Potter; also an Anglo American Match Race. When Dave Potter was killed in 1981 Ted was so affected by this loss that he gave up motorcycling. But we should never forget the part he played and pleasure he gave to so many. For sure Ted, I will miss you as long as I live, and your memories linger on forever. Ted, thanks for everything. Reg Everett Email CRACKING READ Dear CR The latest issue…
GINGER MOLLOY AND THE LASZLO SZABO Memo on Ginger Molloy. Nice story on Ginger in the last issue, remembering his long and successful career with the ‘continental circus’! As it is with a lot of personal remembering dating far into history, the sight on facts has turned to the very optimistic side, as it is with his leading position at the German GP 1971. He led from Phil Read in the midst of the race just along the straight from the last corner to the first corner, before ignition-problems took him out. But I’m looking to his short ride for MZ. The photo showing him beside a 125 MZ is definitely not at the Sachsenring 1969. The year is 1965 and the location is probably Brünn. The shown MZ is…
Tuxworth tops the Stafford bill A top road racer with a career which spanned over three decades and then saw him become one of the sport’s most successful team managers, Neil Tuxworth will be the guest of honour at this April’s Stafford show. Lincolnshire man Tuxworth raced with great success from the late 1960s until 1990 on the roads and short circuits in the UK and across Europe, including TT rostrums and a Manx Grand Prix victory. With his own career cut short by a life threatening crash at Aberdare Park in Wales, Neil turned his hand to team management with Honda, and in a long career gave them a string of World Superbike, British Superbike and Isle of Man TT victories, often working with some of the most difficult-to-manage…
