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.
I took the first-ever shot of Mike racing back in 1957 and knew him better than most. He just liked to be one of the boys and was never really happy amongst the car racing types. I took him to Daytona, possibly during his ‘retirement’ in the mid-1970s, and it seemed no one knew who he was in America which suited Mike just fine. I will never forget this. We were wandering around the paddock and a lad aged about seven or eight came up to us and asked him for his autograph. We were unsure if he actually knew who Mike was and Mike was a bit awkward about it and went as red as a beetroot; he was actually flustered! Anyway, Mike said something along the lines of:…
We’ve marvelled at many legends over the decades: Ago, Hailwood, Roberts, Rainey, Rossi, Marquez – but for many, Frederick Burdette Spencer was the most naturally gifted of them all. ‘Fast Freddie’ from the Louisiana Bible Belt was from a family of racers. At just 10 years of age, Freddie was a state title holder in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi and his home state. He turned pro at 16 with a decade of race experience already and was signed up by the Honda factory aged just 18. Ever the faithful Honda man early in his career, he suffered the ignominy of the oval-pistoned NR500 and even flat-tracked a bike derived from the CX500, but it was on Honda’s NS500 triple that finally he took Honda’s first 500cc title in 1983, battling…
…like son. Yvon DuHamel’s boy Miguel was a stalwart of stateside racing who became a multiple American champion. He would take the 1995 AMA Superbike title (the first Canadian to do so) on a bike many felt was troubled and recalcitrant at best: Honda’s V4 RC45. While the Michelin-shod Castrol Hondas seemed to have issues in World Superbikes, Miguel and the Dunlopshod ‘Smokin’ Joe’s/Camel Honda RC45 cleaned up with six victories and the title. Miguel was already a veteran by then. He started racing professionally in 1988 and took his first of 32 AMA wins in 1990, becoming the ‘Rookie of the Year. He’d win the first of five Daytona 200s in 1991, making him equally the most successful Daytona 200 winner with Scott ‘Mr. Daytona’ Russell. He would also…
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Classic Racer, Kelsey Media, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs, LN9 6JR. @ CRletters@mortons.co.uk facebook.com/ClassicRacerMag/ If you want to get in touch… Then 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 just want to let us know about something you find interesting in Classic Racer’s world. Star letter I’M NO VANDAL! Dear CR I loved the latest issue though still got to read the Neil Pope article, who, incidentally, I knew. And I still have a signed copy of his book. Something which might interest your readers: Noel revisited the UK in the 1960s to see old friends including Teddy (I think) Comerford who had sponsored his record attempts,…
Send your classic racing news to: editor@classicracer.co.uk Joey’s bikes auctioned Joey Dunlop’s iconic race-winning Hondas achieved a combined total of £224,250 at the Bonhams Autumn Stafford Sale. The auction – held in tandem with the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show – achieved a remarkable sell-through rate of 98 per cent across 207 lots, with strong demand across all genres and areas of collecting. Competitive bidding was seen throughout, culminating in an overall total of £2,637,585. Of course, the Joey bikes were the highlight for many. The bikes were his 1988 Isle of Man TT-winning Honda RC30 and his 1999 Ulster Grand Prix-winning Honda RC45. Long cherished by the Dunlop family and displayed in Joey’s Bar, Ballymoney, these historic machines marked the final chapter of Joey’s extraordinary career. The bikes drew intense…
