A brief chat with Phil Read...

siCs 0 0 1 ass e of Cl

an example from a proUD family line

bsa QuaRteR-litRe CoNteNDeR

May 2013

al foR s

£4.10 #5

Where legends come to life

Detailing Norton’s

famous cammy PHIL READ INTERVIEW • BARBER MUSEUM • VINCENT /HRD SINGLES • BRISTOL SHOW • MOTOSACOCHE FRANCONI • RACE RETRO • WHICH OVERHEAD CAM SINGLE? • TED MELLORS ON PRE-WORLD WAR TWO RACING • EARL’S COURT 1956 • BSA C10/C11/C12 RESTO GUIDE • DON WHITBREAD PROFILE • SCRAMBLING IN SOUTH AFRICA • RACING GILERAS

Number 5,May 2013

Royal eNfielD’s two-stRoke tuRbo twiN

£4.10

small bore smoothie...

ef i r Ab t

chah... wit

Phil Read

WORDS BY ALAN TURNER/bRUcE wiLsoN PHOTOGRAPHY BY moRToNs mEdiA gRoUp

A

native of Luton, Phil Read was steeped in bikes from an early age. He began road riding on a Velocette, but this was soon exchanged for a Gold Star for his race career. Via the ex-Geoff Duke Gold Star special he soon graduated to a Norton bought from Peter Ferbrache and took his first win at Mallory Park in 1958. He started racing in the Manx Grand Prix the same year and had an enviable record of finishes, culminating in a Junior win in 1960. Taking an enormous gamble, he turned professional and justified the decision by being first past the flag in 1961’s Junior TT. In the early 1960s, rides came thick and fast. After Derek Minter was injured, he took over the Scuderia Duke Gilera.

In the new millennium he returned to the tracks, racing a replica of the original Duke Gold Star and a TZ350 Yamaha.

hoW did you get into motorcycles?

My parents both had them. In fact, my parents honeymooned on their Velocette MSS. I guess you could say I was born into a twowheeled way of life. At the age of 10, my mum inherited a farm and before long a friend of mine had dragged his old field bike down to our place. That’s how I got my first ride and I was hooked. I saved up and bought myself a 250cc Matchless for £3-10s It was the best investment I ever made.

24

Phil Read in action on the MV Agusta.

The ClassiC MoTorCyCle MAY 2013

Who Were your racing idols?

I followed racing, but at no point did I every really idolise a particular rider. I was just mad for the sport. I watch the likes of Geoff Duke and co. do their stuff and relished it. On one trip to Silverstone to watch the Hudson 100 with my dad, it hit me that I was destined to be a racer. I watched the race from Woodcote corner and I couldn’t help but think that I should be out there with them and leading the way. I guess I knew I had it in me.

do you remember your first race?

Yes. It was at Mallory Park on May 13, 1956. It was actually Mallory Park’s first ever meeting and the hype leading up to it had gone the distance. I heard about it and decided to enter, even though I didn’t own a bike. My mum decided to help me out and I bought a new 350cc Gold Star. I turned up with a tent and camped out. The next day I stripped my bike of its road gear and lined up on the grid. Unfortunately I crashed, but it didn’t put me off.

Was your 1961 tt Win a big surprise?

It was a surprise, but the year before I’d won the Manx so I was in a good place mentally. I knew the course and I knew I had a good bike underneath me, so there was nothing else left to chance. But the thing with the Island is that things are never that simple. Fate was on my side as I inherited the lead but it was a great start to my TT career.

interview – PHIL READ

tiMeline

1

1939 ......................................................................Flagged away (on January 1, no less) 1960 ........................................................................................Wins Senior Manx Grand Prix 1961 ......................................................................First TT win (350cc Junior on Norton) 1964 .........................................................................First world title for Yamaha (250cc) 1967...............Loses tie with Mike Hailwood for 250cc world championship 1968.......Disobeys team orders to win both 125cc and 250cc world titles 1971 ............................Only privateer world championship on Cheney-Yamaha 1973 ............................................................................500cc world championship for MV 1974 .................Gives MV its last world championship to date (500cc class) 1977 ................................Wins Formula 1 TT with Honda and eighth world title 1979...................................................................Awarded MBE for services to the sport 1. Read relaxes at Silverstone, not displaying the pressure of riding for MV Agusta. Former 250cc world champion Rod Gould is alongside.

2. The early days; on board a 350cc Manx Norton.

“I only ever had two focuses; my family and my racing. I wasn’t after good publicity, only results.” how DiD the yAmAhA riDe come off?

I first bumped into some blokes from Yamaha on the Isle of Man. I got nattering with them and learned of their desire to go racing. I didn’t really think too much of it. I wasn’t looking for a ride but a telegram arrived asking whether I’d take a trip over for the Japanese GP. I did so, with the intention of proving to them my worth. I was leading the race from Jim Redman when a plug fouled and I was forced to concede. But I’d done what I’d needed to do. An offer was put underneath my nose to race the bike the following year at five grands prix. I, however, wanted to compete the full season, so agreed a deal with them to stomach the cost of the other rounds myself. It turned out to be a deal worth doing as that year I won my first world championship on the 250cc Yamaha.

2

DiD you mostly trAvel Alone between rAces?

If I had to I would. Sometimes I also had my family with me, or friends or mechanics. It was quite normal back then. I’d load the bikes into my van and head out to wherever my next race was being held. As time moved on and money came in, I found myself flying to venues with my team, which simplified the job a little.

DiD you hAve to wAtch whAt you Ate?

I wasn’t out there eating 10 burgers a day and eating chocolate for dessert. But I allowed myself to eat normally. The night before a race I’d have a glass of wine and some spaghetti or something. I wasn’t on any special diet and I didn’t spend my life in a gym. Typically I’d train two-tothree times a week and slot in a bit of running here and there. You did need to be fit, that much is true, and I had to be even fitter when I was racing the MVs. The Jap bikes were catching up on technology, which meant I had to ride the MVs a lot harder physically.

how DiD you enD up riDing for mv?

In 1972 at a very wet French Grand Prix, my 500cc class machine decided to go wrong before the race. I opted to ride my 250 instead and stormed to the lead, passing Ago along the way. Post race I jested to Ago’s mechanics that if Count Agusta needed me to get Ago up to pace, he should get in touch. Which he promptly did the following week, via telegram. I was summonsed to Italy, where I met the count and tested the MV. The following week a contract arrived, which I signed, fired back and found myself a works MV rider in time for the upcoming Imola round. It was that simple.

DiD you feel the pressure from mv AgustA?

You have to remember it was like racing for Ferrari. It was such a special brand and people expected me to perform. So I really had to dig deep. I’ve never known so much pressure before or since. The Italians didn’t flower how they felt about your performance. If I did well and won, me and the family would get to borrow Count Agusta’s yacht. If I didn’t win, he took his yacht back. It was that simple.

DiD you cAre whAt people thought of you?

I only ever had two focuses; my family and my racing. If I’d have begun worrying about what people thought of me, I couldn’t have performed on the track and that would have impacted on my family life. I went out there to do a job and if people liked me for it or hated me, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t after the publicity. I was after results. ■ classicbikeshows.com

The 33RD Carole Nash

chance to Meet read: Phil Read is guest of honour at the International Classic MotorCycle show on April 27-28, held at the Stafford County Showground.

INTERNATIONAL Classic Mot orC ycle Show

Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th

The Stafford County

Presents the

APRIL 2013

Showground, Stafford , ST18

SATURDAY 9AM - 6PM SUNDAY

PHIL READ

ANNIVERSARY TOUR FEATURING YAMAHA

9AM - 5PM

0BD

MBE

CLASSIC RACE TEAM 125-4 & 250-4

PHIL P HIL R READ E AD M MBE BE WILL WILL MARK MARK THE THE START START OF OF HIS HIS ANNIVER ANNIVERSARY 33 3 3RRDD C SARY TOUR CAROLE AROLE N TOUR AT NASH ASH IINTERNA AT THE THE NTERNATTIONAL IONAL C CLASSIC LASSIC M MOTORCY OTORCYCLE CLE S SHOW. HOW.

ADVANCED TICKETS ADVANCED TICKETS AADULT DULT £ £10 10

OAP £ OAP £9 9 CHILDREN CHILDREN £ £3 3

ON THE ON THE GATE GATE AADULT DULT

£12 £ 12 O OAP AP £ £11 11 C CHILDREN HILDREN £ £4 4 FFOR OR FFURTHER URTHER IINFORMA NFORMATION TION OR OR TO TO BOOK BOOK Y YOUR OUR D DISCOUNT ISCOUNT TTICKETS ICKETS CALL C ALL 0 01507 1507 529 529 529 529 O OR RV VISIT ISIT cclassicbikesh lassicbikeshows.com ows.c

om