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 always hated the Daytona Speed Week, due to the way we Europeans were treated. The Americans often made you wait outside of the circuit for hours, whatever the weather, to sign-on in the first place: then they tried to palm us off with a mere press pass which would not actually allow you to go anywhere, so you could only work two infield corners. We photographers were also worse off as our job was very physical; yet we were not even allowed into the press room which was the only place open for the week prior to the race, so we had no access to our colleagues, the journalists, or access to timing sheets, water, information etc. Then the track itself was surrounded by very high (10/12ft) wire fences…
It’s 40 years since that legend of British racing Mick Grant won his final championship – the MCN Superstock title – in 1985. Granty is a straight-talking legend of 1970s and 80s British bike racing. With his no-nonsense Yorkshire upbringing he spoke as he found and earned his own core of fans in a time of the great Barry Sheene. During his 20-year career, Mick did it all: Grand Prix wins on 250cc two-strokes, to seven Isle of Man TT wins, riding the ill-fated Honda NR500, a Macau GP win, TT-F1 racing and winning titles on production bikes. He was (and still is) a dab-hand at trials, too! After quitting racing, he managed a string of talented racers and ran some top teams. He also described himself as a ‘poacher…
I think this was in Ibiza, maybe in 1977 or very late 1970s at least. I was over there for Honda who were holding a ‘European Press Event’ for an entire new range of trail bikes and other off-road motocross machines, and then various four-wheelers the following week. My job was to photograph them all for the various press kits that would be sent to journalists around the world. Anyway, in secret, and before the launch we were killing three birds with one stone via flying the-then multi world motocross champion over to test what would be his next year’s works bike, and also, they flew Eddy Lejeune over as they had just signed him up to contest the trials world championships for them on HRC machines. Remember, this was…
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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. FANTASTIC FLAT-TRACKER Dear CRI enjoyed the feature about Kenny Roberts’ TZ750 oval eater. I know that 100bhp may not sound like much in this day and age, but to be riding something peaky like that, on the dirt ovals with no brakes clearly takes a particular brand of bravery. So I salute the likes of Kenny and Stevie Baker. More features on American flat-…
Michelle Duff – a tribute Born Michael Alan Duff on December 13, 1939, in Toronto, Canada, Mike became fascinated by motorcycle racing at a very young age. His natural talent was obvious so, in 1960, he left for England to live his dream of racing on the British short circuits, the Isle of Man and in Grand Prix racing. His reputation was quickly won and by 1964 Phil Read recommended him as his teammate on the first official Yamaha factory team in the GPs. Duff is still the only Canadian to win a Grand Prix. He won the 1964 250cc Grand Prix in Belgium, and in 1965 won the 125cc Dutch TT and the 250cc Finnish Grand Prix, along with a total of 24 podiums. Sadly, at the end of…
