Classic Racer January/February 2015

INSIDE: PHIL MELLOR

153

THE PEOPLE’S CHAMPION #171

www.classicracer.com where legends live on...

The TT Boycott The true story

Fast orange - The Ogier Laverda | Roy Toyne - Lincolnshire Charger | Frankie goes to Stafford | Sport Down Under | Bruno Leoni - Crew Chief to Legends And all the regulars

www.classicracer.com

OFFICIAL PARTNER

WHAT’S INSIDE CLASSIC RACER REGULARS _006

Archive Shot

_008

Paddock Gossip

_016

Readers Write

_018

Subscribe

CCLASSIC LASSIC RACER RACER PPEOPLE EOPLE

MAKING HISTORY

After seven cold and windy laps, Rennleiter Kurth Bosch raised the chequered flag for Jarno. A historic win!

IN THE EIFEL

MOUNTAINS

Feelings run high

JarnoSaarinen–Nurburgring1972

The day that Jarno Saarinen beat Giacomo Agostini on the mighty 350 MV was the beginning of a new era.

Words and Photography: Jan and Hetty Burgers

Classic news

You have your say

Why wouldn’t you?

CLASSIC RACER PEOPLE _022

Jarno Saarinen Making history

_030

Bruno Leoni

_058

Phil Mellor

_066

Roy Toyne

_072

Kel Carruthers

_080

Jack Ahearn

Legendary crew chief

People’s champion

Lincolnshire charger

Out of Australia

Happy Birthday

2222 C ClassicRacer lassicRacer

ClassicRacer C lassicRacer 2233

Saarinen left an indelible mark on road racing history. Jan Burgers _22 Jarno marks a milestone.

CCLASSIC LASSIC RACER RACER PPEOPLE EOPLE

BRUNO

LEONI Right-hand man to Legends Words: Norm DeWitt Photography: Norm DeWitt and Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com

CLASSIC RACER HISTORY _038

It would not be an exaggeration to consider Bruno Leoni to be the Nobby Clark of the contemporary pitlane. The riders he has worked with would include many of the most memorable of any era, Tardozzi, Falappa, Corser, Kocinski, Hodgson, Fogarty, Bayliss, Gibernau, Stoner, Hayden, and Marquez.

Norm DeWitt tells his story.

TT boycott

“HIS DUCATI PANTAH POWERED MACHINE HAD ENABLED TARDOZZI TO WIN THE ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE 600 CLASS FOR 1982.”

The real story

CLASSIC RACER MACHINES _048

Ogier Laverda Fast Orange

CLASSIC RACER EVENTS _014

Classic Mechanics Show

_082

Sport down under

Chilling with Frankie

3300 C ClassicRacer lassicRacer

ClassicRacer ClassicRacer 3311

DeWitt charts the career of Bruno Leoni who helped many riders to _30 Norm racing success.

CCLASSIC LASSIC RACER RACER PPEOPLE EOPLE

A packed programme

CLASSIC RACER SPORT _088

CRMC Snetterton

Thetruestory

Season finale

ISLE OF MAN TT

BOYCOTT After the death of rising Italian star Gilberto Parlotti in a storm-lashed 1972 race that really should never have been started, three World Champions and a number of other top riders sensationally announced that they would never again compete in the Isle of ManTT. Bruce Cox tells the story.

Words: Bruce Cox Photographs: Rod Gould Collection and Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com

ON THE COVER The leader of the TT boycott, Giacomo Agostini.

For the first time the real story is told.

Gilberto Parlotti rounds Parliament Square, Ramsey in the pouring rain while racing for the lead in the 1972 125cc Isle of ManTT. Little more than five minutes later he lost his life when he crashed on one of the series of high-speed bends on the Mountain section of the course.

3388 C ClassicRacer lassicRacer

ClassicRacer C lassicRacer 3399

Cox tells the real story behind one of TT racing’s most talked about _38 Bruce moments, the TT boycott.

CCLASSIC LASSIC RACER RACER MACHINE MACHINE

FAST ORANGE

Ogier Laverda 600 TT2 Twenty-fourteen marked a personal milestone; it was the 30th anniversary of one of my most satisfying international race victories, on a bike whose quixotic creation and improbable success was made all the more satisfying by the fact it was achieved on such a minimal budget, writes Alan Cathcart.

Words: Alan Cathcart Photography: Phil Masters & Bill Petro

January/February 2015 Issue 171 EDITOR

Maurice Ogier with his creation at Daytona.

Malc Wheeler mwheeler@mortons.co.uk Dan Savage dsavage@mortons.co.uk

PUBLISHER

CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE Jan Burgers, Chris Carter, Hamish Cooper, Bruce Cox, Dave Craggs, Norm DeWitt, Joe Dick, Darryl Flack, Jack Harrison, Graham Lawlor, Russ Lee, Phil Wain and Julie Wheeler DESIGNER REPROGRAPHICS

Holly Munro Simon Duncan

GROUP PRODUCTION EDITOR

48 ClassicRacer 48 ClassicRacer

ClassicRacer C lassicRacer 4499

Racer’s Alan Cathcart get misty eyed as he remembers his time _48 Classic racing the Ogier Laverda.

CCLASSIC LASSIC RACER RACER PPEOPLE EOPLE

PHIL MELLOR

Tim Hartley thartley@mortons.co.uk

David England DIVISIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER dengland@mortons.co.uk 01507 529438 Lee Buxton ADVERTISING lbuxton@mortons.co.uk 01507 529453 Paul Deacon SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Steven O’Hara CIRCULATION MANAGER MARKETING MANAGER Charlotte Park PRODUCTION MANAGER Craig Lamb PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Dan Savage COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Nigel Hole ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Malc Wheeler EDITORIAL ADDRESS Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR UK WEBSITE www.classicracer.com GENERAL QUERIES AND BACK ISSUES 01507 529529 24hr answerphone Email: help@classicmagazines.co.uk Web: www.classicmagazines.co.uk ARCHIVE ENQUIRIES Jane Skayman, 01507 529423 jskayman@mortons.co.uk

Phil in a pair of Mick Grant’s old leathers aboard the Superstock Suzuki at Mallory Park.

SUBSCRIPTION Full subscription rates (but see page 18 for offer): (12 months 6 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £25.80. Export rates are also available – see page 18 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value AddedTax.

Thepeople’s champion Phil ‘Mez’ Mellor was one of the most versatile riders the UK produced in the 1970s and 80s; whether it was a 125 Honda or a 750 Suzuki, the Huddersfield rider was always at the sharp end. Phil Wain charts the career of the people’s champion.

Words: Phil Wain Photography: Phil Wain and Mortons Archive-Nick Nicholls Collection www.mortonsarchive.com

5588 C ClassicRacer lassicRacer

ClassicRacer C lassicRacer 5599

Few racers have fitted the people champion label better than Phil Mellor. _58 Phil Wain tells his story.

KEL

CCLASSIC LASSIC RACER RACER PPEOPLE EOPLE

CARRUTHERS OutofAustralia

USA SUBSCRIPTIONS CLASSIC RACER (USPS:706-150) is published bi-monthly by Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ UK . USA subscriptions are $30 per year from Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. Periodical Postage is paid at Bancroft, WI and additional entries. Postmaster: Send address changes to CLASSIC RACER, c/o Motorsport Publications LLC, 7164 Cty Rd N #441, Bancroft WI 54921. 715-572-4595 chris@classicbikebooks.com Printed by William Gibbons & Sons,Wolverhampton ISSN No 1470-4463

Kel Carruthers was more than just one of the wave of road racers from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa who gave up everything back home to seek their fame and fortune in Europe in the 1950s and 60s. Chris Carter tells his fascinating story.

© Mortons Motorcycle Media, a division of Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Words: Chris Carter Photography: Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive

C

arruthers, with his complete family, arrived in the UK at the beginning of 1966 and within six short years had won the 350cc road racing world championship, two 250ccTT races and the international 250cc event at Daytona in 1970 and 71.

He had more success in the USA, but in 1973 retired from racing. But that was far from the end of his career in the sport. He was the manager ofYamaha’s GP team with Kenny Roberts as rider, winning three world titles in the Seventies, then on to the AgostiniYamaha team tuning for three of Eddie Lawson’s world championships.

He also worked with Freddie Spencer in the frustrating 1989 season. From there he went from one manufacturer and rider to the next, including Carlos Cardus on the Honda, Doug Chandler on the Cagiva and Doriano Romboni back on the Honda. After that Kel returned to the USA, working for a sea craft company and then a top motocross team.

DISTRIBUTION COMAG,Tavistock Road,West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE Telephone 01895 433600

Classic real roads racing as Kel Carruthers tails Kent Andersson in the Ulster Grand Prix.

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

Why not Just Ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month?

“IN 1961 HONDA SENT A NEW RC161 FOUR-CYLINDER 250 TO THE AUSTRALIAN IMPORTERS, WHICH WAS GIVEN TO KEL IN RECOGNITION OF HIS RESULTS.”

7722 C ClassicRacer lassicRacer

Carruthers circumnavigated the globe in the pursuit of success. _72 Kel Chris Carter explains.

Member of the Professional Publishers’ Association ClassicRacer C lassicRacer 7733

Independent publisher since 1885

CLASSIC RACER PEOPLE

After seven cold and windy laps, Rennleiter Kurth Bosch raised the chequered flag for Jarno. A historic win!

22 ClassicRacer

MAKING HISTORY

IN THE EIFEL

MOUNTAINS JarnoSaarinen–Nurburgring1972 The day that Jarno Saarinen beat Giacomo Agostini on the mighty 350 MV was the beginning of a new era.

Words and Photography: Jan and Hetty Burgers

ClassicRacer 23

CLASSIC RACER PEOPLE

38 ClassicRacer

Thetruestory

ISLE OF MAN TT

BOYCOTT After the death of rising Italian star Gilberto Parlotti in a storm-lashed 1972 race that really should never have been started, three World Champions and a number of other top riders sensationally announced that they would never again compete in the Isle of ManTT. Bruce Cox tells the story.

Words: Bruce Cox Photographs: Rod Gould Collection and Mortons Archive www.mortonsarchive.com

Gilberto Parlotti rounds Parliament Square, Ramsey, in the pouring rain while racing for the lead in the 1972 125cc Isle of ManTT. Little more than five minutes later he lost his life when he crashed on one of the series of high-speed bends on the Mountain section of the course.

ClassicRacer 39

CLASSIC RACER MACHINE

FAST ORANGE

48 ClassicRacer

Ogier Laverda 600 TT2 Twenty-fourteen marked a personal milestone; it was the 30th anniversary of one of my most satisfying international race victories, on a bike whose quixotic creation and improbable success was made all the more satisfying by the fact it was achieved on such a minimal budget, writes Alan Cathcart.

Words: Alan Cathcart Photography: Phil Masters & Bill Petro

Maurice Ogier with his creation at Daytona.

ClassicRacer 49

NEXTISSUE ISSUE 172 /// ON SALE February 19 IIN N S ID I D E : S TA N D IIB BBEN

N O PA S S E N G 15 1 53 E R S IIN N T H IS IS GAME #17 #1 72 2

www. ww w.cl clas assic sicra race cer.c r.com om wh wher ere le lege gend nds liv liv

e on on... ...

ww www. w ww.classi ww classiccrace racerr.com .com

O OFFI FFICIAL CIAL PART PARTNER N ER

The Tornado Blows out Colin E dwards reflects

Trriiu T umph ph T10 100 - T Thhe ta tale le ooff a T Tiige ger | P th the bo boys Peeggggy Hyyd ys at at th theeiir oow de - B wn ggaame | Kim Beeaattiin ng im New C Chhaam e w mppiion co combe on | Bri b e rid K dgges iw i w esto i Pe Peop tone o ne - T p le les Thhe TT TT T Teeaam m tthhaatt n neevveer waass |

No. No. 172 172 Mar March/A ch/April pril 201 2015

UK£4.25 UK£ 4.25

Mar/Apr issue on sale at all good newsagents from February 19 or get your copy early and save money, call 01507 529529 Ad Deadline January 29 ClassicRacer 98