classic racing Archives

Backwards Glance: The Manx Grand Prix

17th June 2020 RowenaH Features, From the Archive

RealClassic reader Brian Sussex recently uncovered some wonderful photos, handed down through his neighbour’s family. Arthur’s uncle George, it seems, was a clubman racer who ventured to the Isle of Man in 1934 to participate in the premier amateur event of the year, the Manx Grand Prix… The Manx GP began in 1923 when there were suggestions that the TT…

Classic Italians in action

24th May 2020 RowenaH Features, From the Archive

RC Regular Stu loves his old Italian tiddlers. When he recently discovered an old book, A Million Miles Of Racing, part of ‘The Racing Year’ series, one story in particular grabbed his attention… The book outlines the Ulster grand prix in 1950, and in particular the ultra-lightweight 125cc race which was the first time the little Italian bikes had competed.…

RealClassic Reading

18th March 2020 RowenaH Reviews

‘And The Wheels Went Round’ by John Chisnall and Anthony Davis was published last year. Roy Workman is a sidecar rider so the two racing outfits on the front cover prompted him to buy it… John, the passenger, was the main contributor to the stories with Tony, the rider, adding his thoughts. What a great read! The motorcycling part of…

Triumph Racing Champions

15th October 2018 RowenaH Events, Features

To kick off a special exhibition dedicated to their racing champions, the Triumph factory visitor experience put on an exclusive event hosted by Steve (Stavros) Parrish which featured collector / restorer Dick Shepherd and two-times TT winner and 675 pilot Gary Johnson among members of the company’s factory staff. Amazingly, we had a secret agent on the scene… ‘Aches and…

Ride Of My Life

23rd November 2017 RowenaH Reviews

In Ride of My Life, racer and writer Frank Melling tells of a few of the bikes and experiences, bad and good, that he has encountered during a lifetime of motorcycling. Frank always tells it as he sees it in his own honest, fascinating and often humorous manner, and in a way that every motorcyclist can relate to. The subjects…

A Racing Read

25th October 2017 RowenaH Reviews

For British motorcycle road racing fans of the mid-1960s to mid-1970s there was no better racer than Peter Williams. Usually riding underpowered bikes, Peter embodied the spirit of the British underdog at a time when most fans were still intensely patriotic and yearned for British success. This book, ‘Designed To Race’, charts Peter’s early life, moves on to cover his…