Classic Racer May - June 2020

The year 2000 saw a changing of the guard in World Superbikes. An injury at round two in Phillip Island saw the reigning champ Carl Fogarty retire – eventually for good – while the rest of the chasing pack tried to make the new millennium’s title theirs. Two would rise to the surface: Colin Edwards on the new Honda VTR1000 SP1/W and Noriyuki Haga on the Yamaha YZF-R7. By this time of the season you see here (Oschersleben, the penultimate round) the controversy over Haga’s drug test was almost done. The Japanese rider had tested positive for ephedrine after the first round, which had been in a herbal slimming aid. He and Edwards had been fighting the likes ofTroy Corser (3) on the Aprilia RSV Mille, Pier-Francesco Chilli (7) on…

Mike Hailwood pushes off on his MV Agusta 500-4 at the start of the SeniorTT on the Isle of Man, June 8, 1962. The race wasn’t going to be his finest on Mona’s Isle, as he finished 12th, after gearbox and clutch trouble. Instead, the win went to his team-mate Gary Hocking, the then-reigning 500cc Grand Prix world champion. The Rhodesian was riding following the death of Australian Tom Phillis in the JuniorTT race where he and Hailwood’s MVs were battling the slower Honda of Phillis. Phillis would die in a crash at Laurel Bank. Hocking was badly affected by this and would leave bike racing almost immediately, sadly dying within six months while at the wheel of a V8 Lotus Climax car he was testing. Hailwood – Hocking’s natural…

If you want to get in touch… ... please do. We read every letter, email and comment sent to us and we enjoy hearing from you whether you’ve an event coming up, a motorcycle you own or you just want to let us know about something you find interesting in Classic Racer’s world. Naming those prewar greats Dear CR I really enjoyed reading the article on the North West 200 in issue 201, and I thought that perhaps some readers would like to know who all the riders were in the photograph of the start of the race in 1938. They are as follows: 1 Freddie Frith (Norton) 3 Stanley Woods (Velocette) 5 Jack Moore (Norton) 7 John McCredie (Rudge) 8 Edwin Lambert (Vincent-HRD) 9 N Wainwright (Norton) 11 H…

Dear CR It was good to see the recent feature on Alan and Stella Cathcart and Dick Linton and their tireless work in getting the CRMC off the ground. I well remember the first event at Snetterton where I was entered in the Kennings Four-Stroke series. I was approached by Alan and asked if I would like to enter other races for which my Ray Cowles G50 would be eligible and was happy to oblige. I had a very successful day by winning two races and finishing second in the Kennings and included in one of the winds by coming first overall in the unlimited Classic Race of the Year on my 500, and having the fastest lap of the day. I would also like to set the record straight…

The world of sport has seen numerous events, leagues, meetings and occasions cancelled for months in advance thanks to Covid-19… and motorcycle sport has not escaped the momentous effects. All events in the coming weeks have been cancelled, with everything from Moto GP right through to track day events succumbing to the coronavirus. At the time of Classic Racer going to press, no one knows how long it will be before events can start to get back to normal, but plans and arrangements for the future are still being made for when there is a resumption. One of the first major motorcycle classic races of the year was due to be the Classic // Send your classic racing news to: CRnews@mortons.co.uk Racing Motorcycle Club’s visit to Darley Moor. The CRMC…

Bosses at the governing body of UK motorcycle sport say they are there to support clubs and racers during the ever-tightening restrictions brought on by the coronavirus. The Auto-Cycle Union has released the following statement from its chairman Roy Humphrey: “For over 100 years the ACU, its committees and staff have served its members, whether they be riders, passengers, support crew and families. “It’s supported its clubs and members, event officials and their families. We’ve worked with event promoters, medical support teams, sponsors, journalists, manufacturers and the motorcycle sporting industry, insurers and legal companies, rights of way representatives and politicians, and we’ve always managed to keep motorcycle sport running in the most challenging circumstances. “At the time of writing, and as you know, the virus is spreading across the country…