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.
ARCHIVE There can’t be a racetrack that’s been more photographed than the Isle of ManTT course, can there? While you can recognise pictures taken at famous corners on tracks from around the world (thinkThe Corkscrew, Eau Rouge, Craner Curves, The Parabolica) with the race stemming back to 1907, surely the Isle of Man is the ‘circuit’ with the most recognisable corners ever, in all its guises over the last century or so. This flashback to 1955 and the Senior 500 Clubman’sTT is taken on the right-handed in Onchan Village opposite the Manx Arms Hotel on the Clypse Course, used between 1954 and 1959.Triumph-mounted rider Ian Atkinson has a look of steely determination as he powers past the gathered crowd on his way to 2nd place in the race.The Bradford Club…
ARCHIVE What can be said about hard-as-nails Jim ‘Jimmy’ Aird, legendary off-roader, Scottish champion and proprietor of SCOTT Leathers? We love these shots of Jim in action. Especially the splendid Nick Nicholls shot from 1974 which shows Jim riding a KTM 360 at a Newbury ‘scramble.’ How far both have come, eh? KTM these days is a front-runner in MotoGP, probably second only to Ducati and ahead of Japanese firms that once dominated the sport, meanwhile Aird set up the very successful SCOTT Leathers company. Jimmy – originally from Kirkcaldy, Scotland, would work with Len Thwaites at TT Leathers, based in Barnard Castle, near Darlington. TT Leathers were trailblazers themselves in many ways, producing colourful bike gear, some of which was used by none other than the Royal Signals Motorcycle…
ARCHIVE The argument will always rage back and forth – who is the greatest racer of all time? Valentino Rossi could make his play for the title when he made the switch from Honda toYamaha 20 years ago in 2004. Back in the late 1990s, Honda had built the most successful two-stroke 500cc Grand Prix machine – the NSR500 V4. Mick Doohan took five straight titles on it (1994-1998) and Alex Criville took the next in 1999 when Mick retired through injury. Valentino would make the jump to the 500cc class in 2000, and take the last two-stroke 500 title in 2001.Then the four-stroke age came again with MotoGP in 2002. Honda would build the RC211V a V5 andYamaha’s four-stroke successor to its two-strokeYZR500 would be the inline four-cylinderYZR-M1. Honda…
WIN Head out and explore with total confidence. Wave 2.0 is a waterproof glove, with mcFit technology lining fixture system and touchscreen compatible digits. Find out more at www.weiseclothing.com Across 1: See 27 Down.3: German manufacturer who competed in the 1970s with an engine adapted from a marine motor. (6)6: The man who gives the orders before the race begins. (7)8: Parent company of those who make green machines. (3)9 & 32 Across: Finnish racer who founded one of the most successful teams in 21st century racing. (3,3)11: Mat, experienced bike racing journalist and author. (5)12: Came so close to winning a BSB title only to be denied by an engine breakdown in 2000. (5,6)14: Fabio, fabled designer of the amazing Ducati Bialbero. (8)16 & 17 Across: Chocolatey sponsor of…
Classic Racer, Mortons Media Group, 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 it’s about an event coming up, a motorcycle you own or you just want to let us know about something you find interesting in CR’s world. SUPER SIMMO! Dear CR I quite enjoyed the latest issue of Classic Racer, not a bad mix of old and not-so-old. Have to say my favourite read was the bio of Ian Simpson – what a racer… Thing is, we really do forget what an amazing talent he was/is. It’s not to be sniffed at that he took TWO titles in the…
Send your classic racing news to: editor@classicracer.co.uk 2024 Golden Era Lightweight Cup Last year saw the highly successful debut of the Golden Era Lightweight Cup with a 12 race series split across four meetings at the wonderful Tonfanau racetrack in Mid Wales. Promoted by Tonfanau Racing Association, the championship is run by the Historic Fifty Racing Club and caters for real classic bikes from the golden era of racing with two classes of 50cc and 125cc. 2023 saw Dave Edwards clinch the 125 championship on his Yamaha TA125, whilst the 50cc championship was eventually claimed by Mike Connell on his Angliss-built Kawasaki AR50. Despite the cancellation of the first meeting of the season, the Golden Era Lightweight Cup returns to Tonfanau and gains three more riders in the 50cc class…
