Ulster Road Racing In Focus

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Issue 53 Winter 2014

Ulster Grand Prix - Sunflower - Moto Guzzi - Adelaide Masters - Road Racing

KING’S HALL, PAVILION BELFAST For information, stand bookings, travel and accommodation call: NUTT TRAVEL on 028 7035 1199 or visit: www.NuttTravel.com

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Ulster Road Racing in Focus is produced by Ulster Speed Promotions, 6 Parkland Avenue, Lisburn E: ulsterspeed@btinternet.com Tel: 028 9266 4336

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The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or the publishers. Whilst every care is taken to ensure that information published is accurate and reliable, the publishers cannot be held responsible or accept liability for any errors or omissions in this pubication. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the owner. No liability is accepted for the safe custody of unsolicited materials and manuscripts. Publication of accepted articles is not always guaranteed and the publishers will not be held liable for any manuscripts, photographs or other materials lost or damaged while in their possession, although every care will be taken. The editor reserves the right to amend any such articles as necessary.

Comment

SUPER DUPER !!!

I

t is always good to finish the season on a high note with an excellent Sunflower meeting to cap a year with the Ulster Grand Prix and North West 200 back on song again. The sport of Motorcycle tarmac racing is still held in high regard, no matter what our local media think.

Our top riders are still making waves throughout the world in other championships away from Ireland, especially in the Moto GP, World Superbikes, BSB Championships and the Isle of Man. The main problem with racing here at home is the lack of variety in race meetings as everything is now SUPER - Bikes Sport - Stock - Twins - the list is endless. It is only the bike manufacturers who have added this name to ordinary road going motorcycles to add a bit of psychology in their sales pitch. I am sure you remember Reggie Perrin who worked with two crawlers in an office in a series called “The Rise and Fall of Reggie Perrin”. When they wanted to impress CJ, the boss, they always responded with “Super” to everything he said. Is this the same for bike manufacturers?

After another good year in the World Superbikes Eugene Laverty returns to the Moto GP series, along with brother Michael. The very successful Mar-Train Team will not be back at the BSB championship next year as they will be concentrating their efforts in the Road Racing scene in 2015.

Our top Road Racing events here, the UGP and NW200, continue to grow and will do so in the future due in no small

way to the excellent teams running the events. With most statuary safety requirements now in place every situation has been inspected to keep the competitors and spectators as safe as possible. However human error raised its ugly head again this year and serious accidents did occur at both meetings.

The Short Circuit scene was short changed again this year with fewer race meetings and our three circuits still underused. Jim O’Brien deserves great credit for providing the best circuit in the country, Bishopscourt, while Kirkistown continues to be a problem with lying water and flooding.

Nutts Corner was a beaten docket this year as it was not used for any meetings even though the Mid Antrim Club had booked it twice at the beginning of the season - maybe for the same reason they cancelled the Mid Antrim Road Race this year.

As mentioned earlier motorcycle racing, like every sport, has to cope with problems continually and this year unfortunately we had to say goodbye to two of our regular and well loved riders - Stephen “Jack” McIlvenna at the Manx and Simon Andrews at the NW. We offer sincere condolences to all those connected with both riders and a get-well card to those who were injured or sidelined for any reason.

To all marshals, 1st Aid, Riders, Officials and Club Members who make the big Motorcycle thing happen we would like to send sincere thanks for a good job well done and hope to see you all back in 2015 for another Super Duper year!!

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Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

For details please contact Bill on 02890 600027

THE RALPH BRYANS STORY PART - 1 : THE GENESIS YEARS

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ince its creation as a separate legal entity in 1921 Northern Ireland has produced a magnificent and colourful array of World Champions in a variety of sporting challenges superb for such a small area with only around 1.8 million people. Boxing, bowls, motorsport and snooker are just a few but we have only had one Motorcycle Grand Prix World Champion - Ralph Bryans from Belfast who unfortunately passed away in August of this year.

Ralph’s parents both heralded from Irelands beautiful Lakeland district; his father William Robert Bryans from Clones, where a memorial plaque commemorating his bravery in the 2nd World War still proudly hangs in the local Clones church, while his mother Eliza Jane (Jean) Hawthorn came from Ballyjamesduff.

Ralph Bryans was born in turbulent times on 7th March 1941.

The Second World War was not yet two years old and his native Belfast was soon to be under siege. On 15th April 1941, Easter Tuesday, 200 bombers attacked Belfast resulting in the death of 900 people with another 1500 injured. Tragedy struck the family on 10th July 1943 when Ralph’s father Bill, a flight engineer in the Royal Air Force, was killed when his aircraft was shot down over Germany. He was 21 years of age.

The Bryans rise to motorcycling fame began with a five year apprenticeship with W.J.Chambers. Located in An early picture of Ralph with his 197cc Triumph on which he won the first of his 200cc Championships.

Belfast’s Donegall Pass the firm was a magnet for motorcycle enthusiasts as an importer of Norton, B.S.A. and A.J.S. machines. Herbie and Jackie Chambers were avid racing enthusiasts. Herbie was a product of the Roaring Twenties and competed successfully in the Ulster Grand Prix and local races. He was killed in 1925 while racing an A.J.S. on the sands at Portmarnock near Dublin.

Jackie also competed in the 1930s with great success : he finished third in the 350cc class of the 1936 Ulster Grand Prix on a Norton. He was also a competent car racer but in this same year when racing in the ARDS TT he lost control of his Riley coming into Newtownards beneath

A rare picture of Joe Ryan with his famous 500cc Ryan Norton.

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Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

Ralph visits his father’s grave in Reichswald in Germany.

Memorial graveyard in Reichswald where his father is remembered. Inscription on the memorial headstone from his father’s grave.

the railway bridge and crashed into a group of spectators, killing eight and injuring another fifteen. This was the demise of this historic event.

It was Jackie who took a shine to what,even at that early stage, he regarded as a budding racing star. At his insistence Ralph found himself on day release from work studying at Belfast College of Technology. The result was City and Guilds Certificates for mechanical engineering and motor vehicle technology.

Ralphs first venture into road racing was the 1959 Tandragee 100, well remembered for the atrocious weather conditions on race day. His mount was a 197cc Villiers-engined Ambassador knocked into semblance of a racing motorcycle. Having forged his own mother’s signature on the race entry form he took advantage of the downpour and a generous handicap allowance to record his first victory. When news

broke of the result his mother vowed never to watch him race - and never did. For the remainder of the 1959 season, and 1960 he rode a Special, cobbled together from a Triumph engine and a B.S.A. Bantam frame. to victory in the 1960 Irish 200cc championship.

In 1961 he rode a friend’s 500cc B.S.A. Gold Star in the Tandragee 100, stepping off on a slow corner when in the lead. Already his determination and style of riding had raised eyebrows among the racing fraternity. His first sponsor, Jimmy Wilson, provided a 350cc Manx Norton with which he diced with the local stars, Tommy Robb, Ray Spence and George Purvis, gaining valuable experience with each outing. In the next few years Ralph garnered a horde of wins in local events.

In 1962 Ralph rode in the Isle of Man TT races with forgettable results. After clocking an over 90mph

Memorial plaque for Ralph’s dad in Clones church.

lap on the Wilson Norton the engine blew up in spectacular fashion. An after-race inquest into the cause revealed that a gudgeon pin retaining cir-clip had not been replaced when the engine was rebuilt. In the 50cc class he rode a Benelli supplied by Shrewsbury dealer Fron Purslow. This single cylinder, two-stroke had a mopedtype twist -grip gear change and Ralph struggled to bring it home in fifteenth place at the lowly speed of 59.8 mph - “it wasn’t much fun to ride” was his summing up.

The 1963 season saw the alliance of Ralph and Joe Ryan. Joe, who was in the fireplace business, was a master at preparing Norton racing engines. With an already super fast 500cc machine Joe and Ralph concentrated on developing the 350cc bike. After much work and testing Ralph reckoned it was the fastest ever 350cc Norton. Ralph recalls the only occasion he and Joe

Ralph with Ronnie Conn and Ian McGregor who was racing the Ryan Norton.

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Ralph’s half brother John Colligan and his wife May who live in Bangor, Co Down.

nearly had a fallout was over cleaning the machines, something which Joe would never countenance.

Unfortunately circumstances decreed that Ralph never got to race the legendary Nortons in the Isle of Man. Fortunately Fron Purslow stepped into the breach and provided one of the new Honda CR93 125cc Twins, and an ex-works 250cc Benelli. Ralph brought the Honda home in ninth place, the first non-works rider home. The Benelli behaved impeccably during practicing but broke a piston early in the race.

The 1963 Ulster Grand Prix was the pivotal point in Ralph Bryan’s career.

He took full advantage of the pace of the Ryan 350cc Norton and had the temerity to pass Luigi Taveri on the “works” Honda twin to hold third place behind Jim Redman and Mike Hailwood on factory Honda and MV Agusta Fours. Disaster followed when the gear lever on the Norton grounded and broke off when rounding Leathemstown. On the 500cc Norton he finished in fifth position behind a gaggle of Fours ridden by Mike Hailwood, John Hartle, and Derek Minter, and Alan Shepherd riding Reg Kirby’s G50 Matchless.

First to react to these bravura performances was Harry Lindsay, Dublin’s importer of Spanish Bultaco motorcycles. Harry arranged a visit to the factory in Spain and the offer of “works” bikes to contest end of 8

true to say that the Bryan’s talents season Spanish races. In Madrid were to add a new dimension to Ralph finished fifth on a 196cc bike Grand Prix racing worldwide over in a 250cc race. In the final meeting the next three years. at Zaragoza he finished second to Thanks to Ralph’s half brother team-mate Ramon Torres and ahead John, his wife May and Raymond of Bultaco specialist Kiwi Ginger Mills and George Knight for their Molloy. Francesco Bulto, the help. enthusiastic owner of Bultaco, was most impressed and offered the 22 year old Ulsterman a contract to race Part 2 of The Ralph Bryans story will be in our next issue No 54 for the “works” Bultacos in 1964. Ralph, 2015 North West 200 - The Honda while appreciating that Bultaco Glory Days. machines were never going to be world class contenders, signed on the dotted line.

Imagine his chagrin when, within weeks, a telegram arrived from Jim Redman offering him a place in the Honda Team riding the 250cc four cylinder and 500cc twin machines in 1964.

Between a rock and a hard place would be an apt description of Ralph’s predicament.

Luckily the benevolent Señor Bulto agreed to Honda buying out Ralph was an avid all-round sportsman seen here with team his contract. It is mates Luigi Taveri and Jim Redman enjoying a round of golf.

Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

Memorial cards from the celebration service of his life.

Seen here enjoying shark fishing at the Deep Sea Angling Centre in County Cork.

He was a great enthusiast for rare and classic vehicles seen here on board his Army Pig with younger brother Bobby.

Another of his many sporting interests was shooting with his local Gun Club.

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ULSTER GRAND PRIX AMAZING ANSTEY

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wo good UGPs in a row shows the staging Dundrod & District Motorcycle Club must be doing something right as the crowds were back in spite of the variable weather conditions, including a selection of the wet stuff. The safety regulations were obeyed to the letter with the races red flagged immediately in the interests of rider and spectator safety.

With demand greater than ever before to race in the World’sFastest Road Race over 30 Newcomers lined up to face this new and exciting challenge.

New and impressive names included Peter Hickman, Daley Matheson, James Cowton, Russ Mountford and Steve Mercer, who came to take on the established line-up of Bruce Anstey on the Pagett’s Hondas, William Dunlop and Guy Martin on the Tyco Suzukis, Lee Johnston on the Pirtex Honda, up and coming road racer Dan Kneen from the Isle of Man and Dean Harrison on the Mar-Train Yamaha.

After all the pre-race hype the sooth sayers got it wrong when vintage legend Bruce Anstey carried off the Man of the Meeting award after he won the first Supersport race and then added the feature blue riband Metzeler UGP Superbike A race to his impressive collection.

In the opening Superstock race it was

Dan Kneen who set the crowd alight when he won by 1000th of a second from Mar-Train’s rising star, Dean Harrison, and Anstey in the closest finish for many years.. Antrim’s Stephen Thompson and Peter Hickman, both on BMWs, filled the next two places in that order.

Unfortunately the cat jumped into the pigeon loft in the 1st Supersport race when it had to be red flagged early after top riders Kneen, Harrison and Keith Amor crashed as a group in a spectacular accident exiting Irelands.

This race was rescheduled mid programme and it also came to a dramatic conclusion. Throughout the race the front contest was between William Dunlop and Bruce Anstey, just like in 2013, with Dunlop just holding the lead through Leathemstown on the last lap. Eventually, heading for home at the back of the circuit, Dunlop’s Tyco Suzuki blew in a big way leaving Anstey to peer his way through an oily visor to the flag, followed by Lee Johnston, Guy Martin and Ivan Lintin.

Anstey was top of the pile again in the feature Metzeler Superbike race when he outfoxed Martin on the final lap at Tornagrough and held the lead to the flag by just 0.26 sec from Martin with Johnston and Michael Dunlop in 3rd and 4th - this was Dunlop’s only finish of the day.

James Cowton took the Lightweight win while Matheson just piped Christian

Elkin for the 125cc title. Ivan Lintin made up for his NW mistake and took the honours in the Supertwins race.

The final race was shelved and the meeting was brought to a premature close when Anstey had a high-speed crash at the top of the Deer’s Leap which also involved Michael Sweeney, Steve Mercer and Ian Hutchinson. All riders were extremely fortunate to walk away from this crash with nothing more than a few bruises.

Looking back, the programme went off the boil when Kneen, Harrison and Amor were sidelined and did not compete after crashing out.Then the Deer’s Leap incident brought the day’s racing to a close. Perhaps longer races with pit stops would stop the red mist hyped-up 5 lap dashes, with one race for each class, bringing positional changes throughout the entire races. Uncertain weather conditions are always a major problem both with racing and underfoot conditions so it is good to know the Dundrod & District Club have plans in progress to improve all aspects of their promotion of the World’s Fastest Road Race, including the security staff’s attitude towards the public. This part leaves a lot to be desired, especially the one who was “in charge” of the podium for the media - his well rehearsed version of a Gestapo Officer was spot on - this may work in his position at the NW but his Adolph impression has no place at the UGP. Good will goes a long way!!

Steve Mercer (24), Michael Sweeney (65), Derek Shiels (15) and Christian Elkin (51) form a freight train out of Leathemstown in the re-run first Supersport race.

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UGP FACES

UGP FACES

Ryan Kneen (90) leads the group through the trees at Cochranstown.

Daley Mathiston (35) shadowed Christian Elkin (25) to take the Moto 3 win on the last lap.

James Cowton leads Russ Mountford (52) and Daley Mathison (40) in the Support race at Leathemstown.

Nuno Caetano (27), Paul Jordan (19), Paul Cranston (33) and Neil Gregory (41) blast off in the final race of the day.

Ian Morrell who was 3rd in the Lightweight race.

Man of the Meeting Bruce Anstey.

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Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

Lisburn’s Lord Mayor, Andrew Ewing congratulates the podium group in the Lightweight race including James Cowton 1st, John Ella 2nd and Ian Morrell 3rd.

Lee Johnston leads Michael Dunlop out of Leathemstown.

Mar-Trains Dean Harrison was sidelined after his crash at Irelands.

A happy group who raised ÂŁ4802 for the MS Society at the UGP.

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he 3rd time in three years proved lucky for the popular Sunflower Trophy meeting after a couple of years of cancellations and last years abandoned race meeting. Jim O’Brien has to be congratulated for his preparation of an exceptional Bishopscourt Circuit and also the hard working Hillsborough Club for their top planning which saw the biggest crowd at Ulster Short Circuit racing this year.

The BSB Series had been wrapped up last week at Brands Hatch which freed up many teams to finish the season having a blast with no pressure. Teams included Gearlink Kawasaki , MarTrain, MWR Racing, Seadrift Offshore Kawasaki, Tsingtao WK, Milwaukee

Yamaha, etc. Ben Wilson, Danny Buchan, James Egan, Luke Jones had all taken the gloves off to duel with the best of our short circuit men which included Glen Irwin, Andy Reid, Alistair Seeley, Nikki Coates, Nico Mawhinney and Jamie Patterson.

The promised head to head between Glen Irwin and Alistair Seeley didn’t materialised as Irwin was in a class of his own and lifted the honours in both Supersport races as well as both Supertwins to lift the Man of the Meeting award. In the first Supersport race he resumed his great rivalry with partner in crime Alistair Seeley and at the end he took a comfortable victory over his BSB associate with his Gearlink partner Ben Wilson in 3rd and then locals Nikki Coates and Carl Phillips in 4th and 5th respectively.

The second outing had Wilson

changing places with Seeley , and Coates again in 4th and the promising Jamie Patterson in 5th.

Visitor Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Champion Danny Buchan showed his class in the Superbike races with a brilliant double over BSB Superbike competitor Ben Wilson before he served up the same again in the feature Sunflower race. This prestigious Trophy has remained the property of our local riders since 2008 when Michael Rutter carried it back to England. Newtownabbey’s Andy Reid is greatly improved since he extended his campaign to England and claimed two Superbike 3rd places including the Sunflower, South African James Egan notched up four excellent 4th places with the Sunflower result taking pride of place as he was the first 1000cc Superstock bike home.

Alan Kenny (114) and Kevin Keyes (5) had a great dice throughout the Sunflower Trophy race.

Start of the Trophy race sees Nikki Coates (65), Ben Wilson (15), James Egan (81) and Andy Reid in pursuit of leaders Danny Buchan, Glen Irwin and Alistair Seeley.

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Paul and Pat Gaffney on their 1000cc LCR Suzuki.

Angela Kernohan on the Team Zebra Honda.

Andy Reid from Newtownabbey.

Alistair Seeley cranked well over for the final corner.

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Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

Bishopscourt owner Jim O’Brien acknowledges Leslie Kirk on his retirement after sixty years with the MCUI.

Nico Mawhinney from Castledawson.

2014 Junior Mini Moto World Champion John Campbell from Lisburn did two laps in the Parade.

Gearlink Kawasaki Team - Rider Ben Wilson with Team owners Michael and Norma de Bidaph and David the mechanic.

Andrew Irwin

Nico with his dad before the Sunflower Trophy race.

Sunflower Trophy winner Danny Buchann heads Andy Reid and Nico Mawhinney at the front.

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SHORT CIRCUIT

J

immy Walker’s ISN blog in June 1981, above, is a direct deja vu of todays scene so problems must go in waves. Unfortunately our short circuit racing finds itself in the same predicament as car racing where there seems to be more competitors than spectators except at our International events, the UGP, North West 200 and Sunflower.

If the media are to be believed it has become a minority sport with even bowls and indoor tennis getting more coverage than the bikes.

The start of the season was full of promise with Keith Amor, Jeremy McWilliams, Ryan Farquhar, Mark Hanna and Jamie Hamilton taking part in early season racing but with a mixture of injury, lack of funds and a poorly structured championship programme the public seems to have lost interest.

Even though we never see our best racers in the flesh any more due to their overseas commitments the racing here has been as good as any year with full grids and close exciting racing.

Biggest classes are without doubt the most affordable, which is a sign of the times, and these include the PreInjection, Stock Classes as well as the Supersport and Superbike Cup Classes.

As last season David Haire, Cody Nally, Jason Lynn, Carl Phillips, Nikki Coates, Jamie Patterson, Mark Conlin, Christain 20

Elkin and ‘Visitor’ Marshall Neill are the frontrunners in the competitive Supersport and Superbike classes.

Then Alvin and Mervyn Griffin, Steven Titterington, Stephen McKeown, James Chawke and Michael Rea lead the charge in the Stock and Pre Injection outings.

The McGreevy brothers have shown big bike promise since moving from the dying Moto 3 races while the GP 250 cc racing has died a death with a maximum of only four riders competing.

During its relatively short history the

Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

Adelaide Masters Series has become firmly established as Ireland’s biggest motorcycle championship, consisting of fourteen races over five events, sponsored by Adelaide Insurance Services. Adelaide founder Sam Geddis has promoted this Series for four years now, four rounds at Mondello Park

and one at Bishopscourt. The main focus of the championship remains on the Superbike and Supersport classes. In 2013 Brian McCormack won the Superbike championship but this year he had to settle for second behind fellow countryman Cody Nally and in front of Marshall Neill who only took part in a few races. Lisburn star Carl Phillips took the Supersport honours ahead of Jason Lynn and Jamie Patterson while another Lisburn man, Declan Hoey, sealed the Superbike Cup Series ahead of Raymond Casey and Thomas O’Grady. It was Kevin Keys all the way in the Supersport Cup ahead of Ross Patterson and Eoghan Delaney.

At present not all riders have a pile big enough to stick their racing flag in to race abroad but many others look on it as having a bit of fun among their mates and this is what they want - good on them.

People who win races do so because they have access to the most amount of money around and not necessarily because they have more talent than the rest.

One thing for sure is I won’t be needing a large box to store this years short circuit programmes in.

Start of the Adelaide Masters race with Marshall Neill (3), Cody Nally (57), David Haire (4) and Gerard Kinghan (18) at the start.

(Right) Marshall Neill lifts the Norman Brown Memorial Cup at the Adelaide Masters meeting at Bishopscourt.

Chris Hillis (80) leads the Production Twins group round the chichane at Kirkistown.

Caolan Irwin on the D&G 125cc Honda.

The Adelaide Masters Superbike race saw Marshall take the win with Cody Nally 2nd and David Haire 3rd.

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Mark Murphy (21) leads Declan Hoey (80) and Raymond Clarke (58) at Bishopscourt.

(Left) Carl Phillips won the 2014 Adelaide Masters Supersport Championship.

(Below Left) Alan Graham (110) and Matt Donaldson (46) in a Pre Injection mid-field dice.

(Below) Ex-125cc champion Mark Lunney giving advice to new 125cc runner Caolan Irwin.

Bottom Left - Darryl Tweed.

Bottom Right- Ross Patterson.

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Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

Steven Titterington lifted his title again this year.

Marshall Neill

Johnny Aiken had another good year in the Pre Injection Class.

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Paul Shoesmith (111) and Davy Morgan peel off into Wheelers in the Dundrod 150 Superbike race.

ROAD RACING T

he Road Racing programme in 2014 hit another log jam due to unpredictable problems both on and off the tracks. Firstly, before the season started, the popular Mid Antrim races were shelved for a year due mainly to internal problems within the promoting club but it is hoped they will continue in 2015.

To follow this, the hard working North Armagh Club was set for another good year with the Tandragee 100, but unfortunately Noel Murphy was involved in a fatal crash in the Junior Support Race in the second race of the day. This resulted in a depleted field, with shortened races, when most of the top riders decided to call it a day.

Next the Bush Races were lacking in both spectators and competitors alike which proved a lack lustre meeting for the public. The saving graces for this discipline were the Armoy and Dundrod 150 meetings, both used by the riders as a warm-up for the Ulster Grand Prix. With top riders Guy Martin, Dan Kneen, Keith Amor, William and Michael Dunlop all involved it led to great racing in every class. ROI riders Derek Shiels, Derek McGee, Michael Sweeney and James Kelly came into their own with excellent results showing how their concentration on ROI road races has improved their performances.

Pure Road Racing certainly sets the adrenalin racing but each year seems to see our beloved riders paying the price.

We wish any rider who has been injured over the year a speedy and full recovery and look forward to seeing them back in 2015.

Patricia Fernandes from USA.

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Gareth Keys from Lisburn.

Maria Costello MBE.

Guy Martin confuses the judges with two numbers at Armoy.

Lee Johnston (13) leads Glen Irwin (13) and Michal Dokoupil (78) into the fast right-hander in the Dundrod Supertwins race.

Derek Shiels at Armoy Junior Support race at Tandragee sees Tommy Henry (74), Melvin Hollingsworth (103), Sean Conolly (62) and Neil Kernohan (109) in close contention.

Glen Irwin 28

Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

Second wave at the start of the Dundrod 150 National race sees William Hara (53), Johnny McCay (54), Paddy Woodside (30), Darren Cooper (80) and Joseph Loughlin (33) ready for the off.

Ian Morrell (57), Neil Kernohan (23), Peter Fletcher (102), John Elle (73) and Pierre Favre (22) at the off in the Lightweight race. The Frenchman Favre unfortunately crashed shortly after the start.

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Ulster Abroad

Eugene Laverty

Glen Irwin and Alistair Seeley on the podium at Brands after taking a 1-2 in the Supersport race.

T

he cream of riders at the top of Ulster’s racing bottle have been selling their ability on the best tracks throughout the world with exceptional results. Michael Laverty from Randalstown is the top by chalking up credible performances in the Moto GP’s which is regarded as the blue ribband class of World motorcycle racing. He finished the season in the points with a great 13th place. Second in line is the World Superbike Series and here again we have two impressive local racers proving Ulster can still produce riders as good as anywhere else in the world. They are Eugene Laverty, brother of Michael, and Jonathan Rea, whose family have been steeped in motorcycle racing for generations. Both Eugene and Andy Reid and team who took runner-up spot in the Superstock 1000cc Jonathan have proven that winning is not a championship. dream but a reality.

The British BSB Championship has now grown to what the Grand Prix status was several years ago with around two hundred and fifty top riders from all over the world taking part in a high class Series. It has become probably the best National Championship in the World. To compete in this Championship is good but to be challenging for top honours is as good as it gets, improving riders ability on a regular basis. Alistair Seeley, Glen Irwin, Andy Reid, Marshall Neill, Marty Nutt and Andrew Irwin have all stepped on the podium this year in their own individual classes, a record we should all be proud of in this small country of ours.

Unfortunately Alistair Seeley just missed out on the top step of the British Supersport Championship by four points as did Andy Reid in the 1000cc Superstock title. As Mar-Train are taking a year out The happy Mar-Train team after Alistair Seeley took next year Seeley should have no problem in second place in the BSB Supersport championship. getting snatched up by another top team.

32

Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

Andrew Irwin had a good start to his BSB experience.

HOLESHOT RACING J

ack Frost may be cool but there is nothing cold about Dromore’s Holeshot mechanical and competition supremo.

Not only is he a genius mechanical and electrical engineer but he transfers his theory into real practical action by continually attempting to better the motorcycle World Landspeed record on his Suzuki Hayabusas. Jack is a top Dyno expert and engineering doctor for many special competition cars and bikes worldwide.

Long experienced in competition racing all forms of motorcycles and also cars,Jack has been turbocharging bikes since 1987 and turbo’d his first Hayabusas when they were introduced in 1999 A year later on this machine breaking the land speed world record on it at 228mph and then going faster as the years and bikes progressed to current speed of 261mph for the standing start mile and 271mph for the flying mile Running two Hayabusa bikes for speed, one race one road legal and a newly built Kawasaki ZX10R turbo.

Both Hayabusa bikes are1300cc fitted with Carrillo rods, custom CP turbo pistons, knifeedged cranks, Billet gearbox shafts and shift shafts with undercut gears, billet clutches with drag race style lock up clutches fitted to take the power and torque. Heavy duty valve springs and titanium retainers, Kent custom turbo cams, gasflowed cylinder heads, ½” diameter extra HD cylinder bolts, and also HD crankcase studs. Outrigger bearings are added to both frames to strengthen the

gearbox further. All internals supefinished and nanotech coated. Both bikes are using Holeshot charge cooled plenums with secondary rads and water pumps, Borg Warner EFR91-80 turbos built custom into V band housings to allow them to be made more compact to allow such large turbos to be fitted to the bikes. Turbosmart waste gates were fitted and1500cc injectors (over 5 times bigger than standard), 450litre fuel pumps.

Chassis are braced, running Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes and magnesium Dymag and PVM wheels with Dunlop tyres, using EK drag chains. Life racing / Syvecs S8 engine management is now fitted instead of Motec that was used before, as it has more inputs needed for some of the additional sensors used and running traction control, boost control, gearbox control, wideband lambda and knock control. The road legal bike is 640hp and 285 ft/lbs torque and the race one is 708hp and 347ft/lbs torque at the tyre..

The ZX10R is running Carrillo rods, CP custom pistons, HD studs, HD clutch, full new wiring harness and again Syvecs S8 engine management. Garret GT30-76 turbo, Turbosmart 40mm wastegate. Holeshot charge cooled plenum which is currently running over 400hp at the tyre and when the new custom clutch is made it will be capable of going to near 500hp In August this year he took both bikes to Elvington to have another attempt at the land speed record. This was a standing mile event running many consistent runs in high 250’s Achieving a best of 261mph on his No 1

bike and 256mph on his road legal Busa. This was the first time out on Busa No1 since fitting a new Borg Warner EFR 91-80 turbo so he was really pleased and with some more set up and good conditions will do well over 270mph For further aerodynamic mods to come later he has fitted the turbos the opposite way around to conventional kits.

At Elvington Jack was joined by Cecil “Bubba” Myers and his friend Brock O Lee who had made the trip from the USA. They were over to run the world speed wheelie record. As Jack was putting all efforts into top speed it worked out well to let Bubba ride the ZX10R for speed wheelies. It was his first ever time on a turbo bike and took a while to get used to it doing a187mph wheelie but just put it down a couple of feet before the final speed trap. Brock rode the other Busa and started to get used to the bike running a 231mph on the mile. This was an excellent performance as he had never done a speed event before nor ridden a turbo bike He is a man mountain of a guy and could not get tucked in at all.

The wheelie record was smashed again this year by Egbert Von Popta at 199mph for the kilometre while Cork’s Ted Brady posted 197mph on a Holeshot GSXR1000 turbo for second, and last years winner Paddy O’Sullivan posted186mph, again on a Holeshot GSXR 1000 turbo for third. To cap a great event Tom Swales took fifth and the fastest Yamaha R1 in the world record at 173mph which was running normally aspirated on a Holeshot tuned R1.

Jack Frost at Elvington with his two Suzuki Hayabusas.

Ulster Road Racing in Focus

Issue 53

33

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Stephen "Jack" McIlvenna

Jack with the twinkle in his eye before practice at the 2013 UGP.

W

hen Eddie asked me to pen a few words about Jack I felt very privileged, but also a little bit worried,yes I knew Jack well and we shared many of great times together but my memories of him are probably a lot different to someone else.

Jack meant so many things to so many people, Son, Brother, friend, fellow competitor, partner, drinking companion, I could go on but the thing everyone will remember most is his happy manner, his very dry sense of humor and his smile.

He was a painter and decorator but

36

that wasn't his profession,it was only a way to pay for his real passion in life, motorcycles, notice I didn't say motorcycle racing because although this was a massive part of his life if he wasn't racing he was reading about them, watching them, talking about them or thinking about them.

Jack liked to do things "Old Style" as well called it, financially relying on no-one but himself, only letting a few trusted people work on his bike and of course working out of the back of his trusty transit van, he once said, "if it was good enough for Joey, it's good enough for us." No corporate hospitality or motor home for him in fact once recently at the

Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

NW 200 George McCann was commentating and remarked that no one came to this race any more and worked out of the back of a van and there we were doing that very thing our way, Jack loved the irony in that and it brought a big smile to his face.

There is a saying, Racing is life, every thing else is just waiting, and this best describes how he felt, he loved the sportsmanship and the craic in the paddock, probably because was going to racing all his life and now he was competing becoming part of the show. Saturday mornings at half five and sometimes even earlier you would regularly find him walking the roads of

Stephen with his close team on the grid at the NW 200.

Rounding the Clough Hairpin on the Moira MCC in the Mid Antrim.

In relaxed form before the NW 200.

Randalstown,with his wee dog Tara, because he couldn't sleep, just so excited and buzzing about the days racing ahead.

Jack always has a special glint in his eye when it came to the UGP Bike Week,there "was just something about that place" he often said, he also felt the same way about the Isle of Man, his greatest achievement winning the Junior Manx Grand Prix in 2009. When you were on "the Island" he said it felt like being a full time racer, wake up, work at the bike, race, sleep, repeat, nowhere was he more at home and although he got to race at the TT in 2010 I think his heart was always at the

With trusty friend Alwyn Evans on the grid at the Tandragee 100.

Manx Grand Prix, it suited more to his style, laid back, low key, no fuss.

He also enjoyed the smaller local races always competing hard, normally with his great friend and rival Dennis Booth in close formation, sometimes in front of him sometimes behind,always trying to beat one another but always fairly and always a looking for each other after the race was over to talk it all over and have a laugh.

Jacks greatest influence was his father, James, who used to race grass track scrambles and trials when he was younger and that's where he got his great passion for bikes and bike racing from and also his great dry

sense of humour. This is where his loss is felt more than anywhere else, at home with James and Jack's sister Julie and although so many many people called at the house, sent cards, and telephoned the say how sorry they were for the family's loss each and every person had a great and lasting memory of Jack, and to me that's the greatest legacy of all.

Personally I have so many great memories of him that I could fill an entire magazine with them but part of me is still waiting on him to finish that final lap and sadly that's the worst memory of all.

Gone but NEVER forgotten.

Alwyn Evans

Ulster Road Racing in Focus

Issue 53

37

JAWA Czechoslovakia’s Grand Prix Challenger

L

ike BSA in England and FN in Belgium, JAWA of Czechoslovakia was initially a producer of ordnance, turned motorcycle manufacturer. The Prague factory founded by Frantisek Janacek in 1928 started production of motorcycles in 1929 and built a machine under licence from Wanderer in Germany. The pressed steel frame had a novel leaf spring front suspension layout and housed a 498cc four-stroke, single cylinder engine with shaft drive to the rear wheel. The machine proved expensive to produce, only 1,000 were manufactured and Janacek (who had combined the first two letters of his own name with those of Wanderer for his machine) was forced to think again as to his position as a manufacturer of motorcycles.

In the interim, however, the first JAWA after shrugging off various teething troubles, proved its worth in competitions. Long distance trials were its forte and several Czech riders, including Antonin Vitvar, came into province using JAWA machines.

What Janacek required was a simple and inexpensive machine with which to gain a foothold in the commercial market. To

achieve this he imported George Patchett from England and his design incorporating a 175cc Villiers engine and a three speed Albion gearbox was just what the doctor ordered. A 250cc version followed and when the company’s cash flow situation improved Patchett was asked to design an out and out road racing machine. Initially this was a 500cc push-rod engined single but a change was made to the shaft and bevel overhead camshaft layout. Patchett himself rode the machine in Grand Prix events but the best performance was by Englishman Ginger Wood when he finished eighth in the 1933 IOM Senior TT.

Thereafter little was seen of the road racing JAWA and competition successes were restricted to trials.

After the Second World War Patchett had returned to England and JAWA and CZ were amalgamated in 1949. A 500cc vertical twin racer was used in national events and in the early fifties JAWA made sporadic appearances in international races with 250cc and 350cc vertical twins. Then the factory withdrew from racing for a period of extensive work returning only in 1960 with a 350cc double knocker vertical twin. Nowadays it is fashionable to castigate the vertical twin racing engine but no one who saw (and

Isle of Man TT 1963 Frank Stastny.

Frank Stastny accelerates out of the Hairpin in the 1964 UGP. 38

Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

heard) the JAWA twin can ever support that school of thought.

As the years pass it is the machines like JAWA and riders with the ability of Frantisek Stastny that flash upon the inward eye rather than the blurred images left by the Honda and MV Agusta bolides Frank Stastny was one of the great characters of grand prix racing. Much addicted to fast motor cars and stereophonic jazz music his devil-may-care attitude to life, coupled with a general friendliness and sincerity and a natural aptitude for motorcycle racing, made him one of the most popular men on the racing circuits. He and his beautiful wife Jarmila were both in the top flight of speed ice skaters and Frank also laid claim to fame as an ice hockey player and a member of the Czech national cycling team. He began motorcycle racing in 1947 using an old Norton

built from scrap. After army national service he bought a KSS Velocette and then another Norton. His efforts soon bore fruit and the JAWA factory invited him to join their team in 1953. He learned his craft on a variety of machines, most of which had the common attribute of atrocious handling.

But the 350cc twin of 1960 was a very different kettle of fish. The double overhead camshaft layout was unique in that the vertical shaft to the inlet camshaft lay to the rear between the cylinders, the drive to the exhaust cam then being carried across the top of the engine by a horizontal shaft.

Each cylinder head had two valves with twin plugs sparked by four batteryoperated coils.Power output with a six speed gearbox

was just short of 50 bhp at 10300 rpm. Impressions of machines from behind the Iron Curtain are rare but David Dixon, of the Motor Cycle magazine, tried the JAWA in 1961. Capable of 135 mph on Isle of Man gearing the machine endeared itself with impeccable road manners.

Racing honours were hard to come by in the heyday of the four cylinder MV Agusta and Stastny startled the racing world when he split the Italian fours of Gary Hocking and John Surtees in the firstClassic of 1960 in France. And he repeated the dose by finishing second in the final Classic at Monza.

Ninety sixty one was even better. Frank won at Hockenheim in Germany and at Kristianstad in Sweden with team mate

UGP 1961 ‘Works’ 350 Jawa Twin.

Jawa Transporter at the 1961 Ulster Grand Prix. the increase in revs. The Gustav Havel second on answer probably lay in each occasion. In addition converting the engine to a Stastny was placed fifth in four but the factory had the Isle of Man, second in limited resources and Stastny East Germany and third in had to persevere with the Ulster, to claim second place new design with Havel in the World Championship providing back-up on the ratings to Hocking. Indeed slower but more reliable it was not until halfway four valve machine. through the season that Stastny’s outing was third in ‘Socks’ went ahead in the the Isle of Man. Then he points tally.

But 1962 saw the entrance crashed heavily in Jicin in Czechoslovakia and of Honda into 350cc classic shattered his right leg. racing and the JAWA’s He made a comeback in inadequacies became 1964 but during practice at manifest. Even the pairing Solitude in Germany he of Mike Hailwood and MV broke the same leg in six Agusta had to bow to the places and the plate superiority of Jim Redman inserted after the 1963 and the Tokyo-built four. accident. Nineteen sixty five Stastny had to be content saw the swan song of the with a few placings and vertical twin four stroke second in the Ulster was his JAWA. But it bowed out in best outing. Incidentally fine style when Stastny Frank was twice invited to scored a very popular win in join the Honda factory team the Ulster Grand Prix. but he refused to leave his native country. This decision Engine capacity was elevated him to the status of stretched to 440cc and Frank won on it in the 1966 a national sporting hero, an East German Grand Prix. honour he shared with The factory concentrated its Olympic track star Emil efforts on the development Zatopek.

If 1962 had been a lean of a two stroke, V4 - 350cc. year for JAWA 1963 was Stastny rode it for two even worse. The Prague seasons without much factory responded to the success and the machines challenge of the fours from main claim to fame was that Italy and Japan by adopting it killed Bill Ivy when it paired valves (as on the seized during practice for Honda). An eight valve head the 1969 East German was fitted to an over square Grand Prix. Stastny engine (62 x 58mm) which continued racing in spite of still sported the unique bevel suffering severe spinal drive. Peak revs rose to injuries in a crash in 1970 11400 but inevitably but his talent faded as the problems occurred in the JAWA challenge wained. bottom half of the engine He passed away in the year wherein the big end 2000. bearings could not cope with BARRY SEWELL Ulster Road Racing in Focus

Issue 53

39

BLACK SHEEP FROM MANDELLO The 1953 in-line, 4 cylinder Moto Guzzi

i

onIn 1951 Moto Guzzi realised the limitations of their long-lived single cylinder and V-twin racing machines, and the problem of how to get a jump ahead of the opposition. There were no hard and fast rules regarding the design of a Guzzi racing motorcycle, the only criteria being that the end product should combine mechanical excellence with race winning potential.

Transverse fours were much in vogue but their bulkiness and indifferent aerodynamic qualities, coupled with the fact that they were being raced by arch rivals Gilera and MV Agusta was cause to look elsewhere for a solution.

The task fell not to Guilio Carcano, the head of the racing development at

Mandello, but to Carlo Gianni who was based in Rome. The eventual choice of an in-line four may have seemed odd but in reality Gianni had no option than to explore this configuration of a multiplicity of cylinders. Extremely little was known of this type of power unit under racing conditions and the last attempt had been with the Belgian FN in pre-WW2 days.

Logic decreed that the crankshaft in-line with the frame would adversely effect handling and that the engine cooling would also be a problem. Whether the four had redeeming features to outweigh these disadvantages was for Gianni to discover.

After many rumours about its existence the machine was shown to the public at Monza in September 1952. The four was never a handsome machine as cosmetics played

Enrico Lorenzetti takes the in-line four to victory at Hockenheim.

40

Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

no part in the Guzzi quest for dominance in the racing world. Apart from the in-line configuration the engine differed only in detail from conventional fours. The over square cylinders had a bore and stroke of 56mm by 50mm respectively, the two valves in each being actuated by geardriven twin overhead camshafts. Magneto ignition, water cooling and shaft drive from a 4-speed gearbox completed the vital statistics.

The upper half of the crankcase, the cylinder block and the cylinder head were combined in a one-piece aluminium alloy casting ; the lower half of the crankcase was retained by ten long studs. The crankshaft was rigidly supported in five bearings and the connecting rods were one piece steel forgings with roller bearing big ends. Oil was carried in

the crankcase sump and a gear-type pump provided a pressure feed to vital areas of the engine, including the bearings, valve gear, the gearbox and clutch thrust mechanism. Water was circulated from a frontmounted radiator by thermo-syphon assisted by an impeller mounted on the front of the camshaft.

What really set the machine apart was the carburettor system. Side mounted carburettors would have added unduly to the width of the machine and instead Gianni employed a patented system known as the forced atomisation mechanical carburettor, certain features which dated back to prewar days. Basically this comprised a gearbox-driven Roots-type blower which supplied air to four atomiser units, one in each induction tract. The inlet

camshaft also carried additional cams that operated plunger-type air valves. These were timed to open in synchronism with the inlet valves so that, at the required time, air from the blower was released across the fuel jets to atomise the fuel. A gear-type pump, driven from the camshaft,delivered fuel directly to the jets. The flow of mixture through the inlet tracts was controlled in the normal manner by twist-grip operated butterfly valves.

The frame of the four was built up of small diameter tubes in typical Guzzi fashion, Suspension and the rear subframe was similar to that used on the single cylinder machines and drum brakes were fitted. Partial streamlining took the form of side panels around the upper half of the engine and enclosing the steering head to form a number plate. Power output was 55bhp at 9000rpm.

The racing career of the Guzzi in-line four was brief. mechanical failure marred its racing debut at Siracusa in 1953. Ironically its next outing at Hockenheim was an unprecedented success. Two machines competed against a star-studded field including Les Graham (MV4), and a gaggle of factory BMWs and Nortons. Enrico Lorenzetti stormed to victory at an

average speed of 107.5mph and Fergus Anderson posted fastest lap at 113mph to set the racing world buzzing. Many pronounced the machine a world beater but doubtless Gianni recognised the Hockenheim race for what it was - a flat out blind in which machine handling played little part.

With the machine still at development stage the Isle of Man races were given a miss and the four’s next outing was the Dutch TT. Lorenzetti and Anderson again rode but the latter retired with fuel pump trouble and the former battled to reach seventh place on the twisting circuit before retiring. The fours should have been more suited to the very fast Francorchamps circuit in Belgium which hosted the fastest GP on the classic calendar. But

Lorenzetti again retired and Anderson finished a lowly seventh. In addition to persistent trouble with the fuel system and handling problems brought about by the torque reaction of the inline crankshaft, another source of bother, proved to be the engine speed clutch which made positive gear selection difficult.

With Carcano deciding to resurrect the single cylinder machines the fours were relegated to the race shop for modification. At Monza only one was ridden by Anderson.

A new fuel tank was fitted and the streamlining now shredded the front wheel.

The machine performed well but again the fuel injection system proved its Achilles Heel and it retired from fourth place. Little was heard over the winter months but

the four was raced at Hockenheim alongside Ken Kavanagh on a Guzzi single, presumably for purposes of comparison. Anderson and the Aussie diced furiously during the early laps, then Ferguson retired. Kavanagh won the race and the fate of the four was sealed. The last appearance of the machine was during practice for the IOM-TT in 1954 before it was wheeled into the Guzzi museum.

Thereafter it was back to the drawing board for Carcano. His revamped 350 machine was to prove invincible, and using the knowledge gained with the in-line engine his next multicylinder proved to be the most fabulous of all - the 500 V8 !!

Ulster Road Racing in Focus

BARRY SEWELL

Issue 53

41

HONDA’S OPENING GAMBIT

I

n the not-too-distant past the label ,”Made in Japan”, was sufficient to identify an article as a shoddy imitation produced under sweat shop conditions in the teeming Orient. And nowhere was this more true than in the Japanese motorcycle industry which churned out a motley collection of pseudo - BSA and BMW machines.

So barefaced was the extent to which the Japanese copied foreign designs that European manufacturers turned a somewhat amused and forgiving eye on the situation. The appearance of a team of double overhead camshaft 125cc vertical twin Honda machines in the 1959 Isle of Man TT races did not, then, cause much concern among the big guns of the racing world. Indeed with the memory of World War 2 still vivid, the only mild apprehension evident was caused by the appearance of the first Oriental riders since Kenzo Tada finished fifteenth in the 1930 Junior TT on a KTT Velocette. Not even the fact that Honda won the 1959 125cc Manufacturers Team Prize when Taniguchi, Suzuki and Tanaka finished in sixth, seventh and eighth places gave cause for concern as this success was almost by default due to the failure of the MV and Ducati teams to finish intact.

However, had anyone bothered to scratch below the surface to that first 42

tentative Japanese foray into Classic racing they would have found evidence of serious intent.

Admittedly, with their curved spine frames, four valves per cylinder, flat throttle slides, obviously wrong steering geometry and left hand camshaft drive and somewhat extravagant performance figures, the Honda machines looked positively quaint in comparison to their svelte rivals. On the other side of the coin, however, the knowledge that the machines were meticulously prepared and that the whole entourage had been flown from Tokyo specifically for one race, should have given the clue that Honda Motors really meant business.

Actually the plot had been hatched five years previously when Sochiro Honda visited the TT races.

By all accounts he was shocked to see the high

standard of European racing and only in 1959 did he consider that his machines were anything like race worthy - but the Japanese proved to be quick learners. Not three months after the TT races came the news of sweeping Honda successes in the National Championships held on the Asama Volcano circuit (more chuckles in Europe), and not only in the eighth litre category, but also in the 250cc Class in which five transverse four cylinder machines had been entered. These were obviously a double-up of the 125cc Twins. The same dubious front fork was fitted and separate ignition coils and flat-sided Keihin carburettors were provided for each pot. To cope with the rough and dusty circuit were mesh air cleaners and also knobbly tyres which did little to enhance the machines claim to be a serious

contender in road racing.

On the credit side the camshaft drive was now on the “right” side of the engine. Power output was given as 35 bhp at 14,000 rpm but this figure was regarded with some scepticism in the West. The news that fours would contest in the 1960 Isle of Man TT was, somewhat justifiably, looked on more as a promise than a threat.

The Honda machines which arrived on the Island in 1960 gave the final hint of things to come. The 125cc model showed signs of the original design, including the front forks, but it was the 250cc that drew the attention of the technical experts. Designed

by Shizuoka University graduate Kawashima, the fours now sported a geardriven camshaft drive located between the middle cylinders. The sixteen valve engine was reputed to give 38 bhp at 13,000 rpm and with the

Taniguchi weighs in the 125cc Vertical Twin at the 1959 Isle of Man TT.

Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

detailed refinements, including a wellproportioned tank and exhaust system, the machine had now the stamp of a classic. Aussies Tom Phillis and Bob Brown had been added to strengthen the all Japanese team of Suzuki, Tanaka, Taniguchi and Shimazali.

In the smaller capacity race the Honda demonstrated utter reliability filling sixth to tenth places but as yet they were not fast enough to harry the work’s MVs and MZs. The result was much the same in the 250cc race with Brown heading a Honda 4 - 5 - 6 finish behind two MVs and a Morini.

There were no victories for Honda in the European Classics they contested during 1960, a season totally dominated by Carlo Ubbiali and his brace of MV Agustas. The team suffered a setback when Bob Brown crashed fatally on his 250cc four during practice for the German Grand Prix at Solitude - a pity as the likeable Aussie

Jim Redman on a slippery Leathemstown Bridge.

was an asset to Honda having had prior experience of multi cylinder machines when he rode for Gilera in 1957. But already drafted into the Honda team was the man who, more than any other, was to shape Honda’s racing fortunes in the coming years - Jim Redman. Ex-Londoner turned Rhodesian, Redman eventually became team

Belfast’s Tommy Robb took to the Honda like a duck to water.

leader and racing manager for the Japanese factory. In the process he proved himself to be a very shrewd racing motorcyclist.

Never one to take an unnecessary chance or to go faster than the occasion demanded he was, in the least derogatory sense of the word, the first of the mercenaries in the motorcycle world. He made no bones whatever

that his considerable talent was for sale, whether it be to Sochiro Honda or to race organisers the world over.

In the course of his career Redman rubbed many people up the wrong way and frequently met head-on with governing bodies of the sport - but he delivered the goods. In winning forty five Classic Grand Prix races he was World Champion six times and carried off the 250cc and 350cc Isle of Man TTs in 1963 -1964 and 1965.

And he knew when to retire !!

In 1966 Honda produced the notorious 500cc four with which to contest the half litre class with Giacomo Agostini and his MV. Redman won in Germany and Holland but he was never happy with the machine and finally when the brute shrugged him off at a high rate of knots in the Belgian Grand Prix he was happy to let the master craftsman, Mike Hailwood, take on the big Honda - which he did to good effect.

Ulster Road Racing in Focus

Issue 53

43

Ulster Grand Prix 1960. The first appearance at Dundrod of the Honda 250cc Fours.

But to return to the 1960 season - This was in effect only a testing time for Honda and at the end of their European tour they returned to Tokyo to digest their experiences.

What a pity that MV Agusra chose 1961 as a time to curtail their racing activities in the 125cc and 250cc classes. This was largely due to the retirement of Carlo Ubbiali and we shall never know how he and his team mate Gary Hocking would have fared against the challenge from Honda.

Hocking won the first 250cc race of the season in Spain from Phillis but thereafter he concentrated on the 350cc and 500cc events.

With only Ernst Degner providing anything like stiff opposition on his East German MZ, Honda machines powered their way to success in the two lightweight world championships.The four cylinder two fifties had been revitalised by the adoption of conventional carburettors and an energy 44

transfer ignition system, a combination which effectively cured the tendency of the engine to loose 1000 rpm periodically during the course of the race. Power output rose during the season from 42 to 45 bhp and coupled with refinements to the streamlining, judicious weight saving and lowering the engine in the frame, the model was

capable of 155 mph at an all-up weight of 230 pounds.

Total domination would not be too strong a description of Honda’s perforation in the 1961 Isle of Man TT races. In the 250cc race Bob McIntyre came within a whisper of recording the first 100 mph lap. From a standing start he sliced an unbelievable 48. 4 secs off Ubbiali’s record and was

The Vertical Twin 125cc Honda 1959.

Ulster Road Racing in Focus Issue 53

nearly half a minute ahead of Hocking on the MV Agusta. Mac’s last lap was at 99.58 mph and bettered even John Surtee’s lap record in the 350cc class.

But by then McIntyre’s furious pace had boiled most of the Honda’s engine oil out of the tank and, halfway round on the final lap, the four ground to a halt, thus ending an epic performance.

Nineteen sixty one saw the turning point for Honda with Phillis taking the 125cc World Title, albeit after a nail-biting tussle with Degner whose defection from East Germany ruled out his participation in the deciding event in Argentina. Mike Hailwood in winning the 250cc title scored the first of his fistful of world honours.

Then the floodgates opened. Until they retired from Grand Prix racing at the end of 1967 Tokyo built machines blazed a winning trail across the world thus relegating the “Made in Japan” stigma to history.

BARRY SEWELL

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