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.
For the 1967 SeniorTT, Mike Hailwood faced a bit of a challenge in his bid to score his second hat-trick of wins around the Isle of Man course – but lady luck was smiling… This was the diamond jubilee week for the event and Giacomo Agostini had lapped in practice at 106.56mph, and the crowd had been wowed by the Italian’s opening lap in the race of 108.38mph – a new absolute lap record. As he was leading Hailwood by 11.8 seconds, surely the Briton couldn’t respond? As Mike streaked across the line, fans could see him giving a ‘thumbs down’ to the pit-wall… Ago and Mike had left the others trailing – this was going to be a battle between two greats. Mike dug deep and set a new…
Back in 1981 I knew I had a chance, and was confident of an Isle of ManTT victory when I lined up for the start of the Formula One race. Graeme Crosby had a chain problem so wasn’t allowed to set off at his allocated time slot: instead he was made to start from way down the field.To me, that meant it was down to Joey Dunlop and myself. In the race, Joey had to change a tyre at the pit stop but I was flying. Only the bike I was on could beat me now, so I backed off a little bit. Finally I passed the flag and doubled back up the slip-road to celebrate. Ann was there and hugged me.The mechanics were all slapping my back: in all…
Did anyone really think that even with the combination of Steve Hislop’s amazing talent and the sheer speed of the Norton NRS588 that they would win the 1992 Senior TT? The Formula 1 saw Hizzy take a 2nd place behind Honda’s Phillip McCallen, and ready for the Senior at the end of the week, along with some modifications – most notably, the removal of the front mudguard to aid the Rotary’s cooling. One man who did realise what was coming – eventually – was Carl Fogarty, who was racing the LoctiteYamaha OW-01 in the Formula 1 and Senior TTs. In the final race of the week, Foggy was wondering who was chasing him hard, he said: “I was trying to pull as much time as I could – and then…
HAILWOOD’S HAT! Dear CR, In 1979 (as usual), I was at the TT. I watched the ClassicTT from the park on Glencrutchery Road and after the race I wandered back through the paddock to go back into Douglas. There were two youngsters in the paddock, one on a BMX-style bike, and as I approached them I became aware of Mike Hailwood himself following me! I was absolutely gobsmacked and didn’t dare speak to him! He nodded to me as he passed, took the Castrol baseball cap he was wearing off his head and slapped it on the head of the youngster on the bike, who obviously didn’t know who he was. The other youngster had his arms full of fork leg stickers and said he would give the lad all…
GEOFF THE GREAT! Dear CR, It was a superb piece on Geoff Duke in March/April Classic Racer. Articles such as this really typify the excellence of your magazine. I was fortunate enough to watch Geoff at his peak during his Gilera days. There is no doubt that he, along with many others, were unfairly treated by the FIM following the riders’ dispute at the 1955 Dutch TT. This almost certainly resulted in a major setback to his subsequent career. But it is unfortunate that some of Geoff’s comments regarding the superiority of the MV Agusta appear to diminish the achievements of his great rival, John Surtees, who won seven IoM TT races and seven World Championships, not to mention going on to win the 1964 Formula One World Championship. It…
RAINEY’S RETURN! Wayne Rainey, the three-time 500cc world champion, will ride his iconic 1992 title-winning Yamaha YZR500 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year, marking 30 years since the Californian won his final Grand Prix title. Wayne, whose amazing battles with fellow American Kevin Schwantz were the stuff of legend (see page 62), was 500cc champion in 1990, 91 and 92 – the last title proving a tough one, battling Mick Doohan’s ‘big-bang’ Honda NSR500. He would only take the title after Doohan’s awful Assen accident, with the American playing catch-up while the Aussie took time to recuperate from a badly broken leg. Sadly, Wayne himself would suffer a life-changing injury at Misano the following season (1993) while wrestling Schwantz for the title. He was left paralysed from the…
