Really Bruce Beale ??

Ah...not Bruce I'm afraid. He's featured on here before and the Dennis connection is a good clue too.

Dennis would know this as he bought this blokes Thames van to go racing.

Russ , was that Richard Lester from memory ??

Or was it Richard Wyler

Minter's only indication of supposed team orders came when Reg Armstrong walked up to him less than a minute before he started and said, " Don't forget Jim is leading the world championship." Minter, bemused, muttered, "OK."
He also indicated that at no time did he receive a pit signal to slow down.

May have shot himself in the foot, but a top ride nonetheless. Does anyone have the incredibly prolific Mick Walker's recent Derek Minter book ? Maybe there's an insight in there...

I consider myself very lucky as i had the pleasure of driving for,and with Derek for about 15 years,in his haulage business,plus going with him to lots of classic race meetings,and he was quite often questioned about this race.
He always said during the conversations, "I am a racer and there is only one place for the throttle, and that is on the stop".

I have some wonderful memories of those years,and met some top racers of the 1960s.

Brian

Can anyone tell me the name of the Honda team manager in 1961-2. I think it was Nakajima and he eventually took over from Mr Honda when he retired.
Roy

Could have been Kiyoshi Kawashima.

Brian

Thats who Jim Redman names in his book ' Wheels of Fortune '

You are stars Brian and Oilman. I had his name some where but as usual is never to be found.
Thanks gents.
Roy

Yes Phil, Richard 'Dick' Wyler, the sometime Hollywood actor. I wonder if he's still around ?

Hi Oilman, great stuff - would love to hear more about Derek. If you're still in touch.....would he join us on here ?

If he is Russ , he'd be 85/6 according to google . Quite interesting , he opened one of the first coffee bars , near Streathem Ice Rink and was theman in the bath in the Imperial Leather TV ads of the '70's exactly.
I can only remember him sponsoring who ? on Tohatsu's
If he was on here he'd bring the average age down a tad...................................

Does anyone here recognise the name David Marsh, who I believe rode Nortons at about the same time as Geoff Duke?

Paul M

Yes i am still in touch with Derek,and his wife and family.Not as often as i would like,but i have known him a long time.I first knew him in the early 60s, when i worked for Blundells of Canterbury who used to sponsor him back then.It was a good few years later when he rang me and asked if i would drive his truck for him as he had injured his back. I didn't need asking twice!
I could ask if he would be willing to join us on here,but feel sure he would decline.A modest man who was always astounded by the amount of people that would ask for his autograph when we were delivering to some factory or other,many years after he retired from racing.
I spoke to his wife recently to see if it was ok to post about Derek on here,and she did say that since his accident his memory did have good and bad days.
I feel privileged to know him.

Brian

I think it was Cyril Jones who raced the Tohatsu. He was Fred Neville's pit attendant at the Manx in '61 when Fred was killed. Cryril himself was killed at Snetterton in 1972. Wyler's 7R was, I think, Fred's old bike. The shop he ran was also the same place Fred opened about six months or so before he was killed. Yeah, he also used to write a column in one of the comics - 'Coffee Bar Cowboy' was it? I noticed his age when trying to fnd out if he was still with us - so around forty in the mid sixties. He was also the Man from Interpol on the telly and I think among his film apperances was a part in The Longest Day ? I think also that I remember him writing something in a bike paper around the late seventies about his exploits when working as a motorcyle courier ?

I believe this is Derek with Percy in 1971.

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

I have a vivid memory of 'Perce' at Stars at Darley,collecting the pot with his 'whistle and flute' on,trousers tucked into his racing boots!!!
HW

Roy has kindly put up some of his pics:

Paddy Driver at Signpost Corner ?

Would the CB72 have been a factory road-learning bike for The Island ?

Continental Circus Roy has all the info on the shots, GD....Good though aye.

Certainly Paddy at signpost though....

Never seen Paddy with anything other than a pudding basin on his head, so I´m not altogether convinced. Could well be though.

Definitely the man himself, Rhodie - he reverted to the puddin basin around '62/3.

Hi Boys
Thanks Russell, The shot of Paddy Driver was taken at Signpost Corner in 1960 in the Junior TT. No trickery here, it is not a pudding basin Rhodie, he finished 14th.
The Honda Rc161 250 -4 had just finished the 250 TT ridden by Moto Kitano in 1960. Note the L/H gear change and give-away chrome pipes, they changed to the black steel versions in 1961. Tom Phillis's bike was the same but had R/H change and had TP taped on the rear seat cowl. These bikes were left unattended for all and sundry to examine in the finishing enclosure. The recent topic on Kel Carruthers bike was similar to this one.
The 1962 shot shows my CB72 with Jakeman fairing (the first in the UK in May 1961), at the Hondis (Honda Distribitors) reception the day after 'The Mint' won the250 TT
I was questioning the NGK plug rep on his plugs as the standard version fitted was to soft. Derek has the plug in his had, note the Honda works van in the background. I am wearing a Honda cap which came with the bike.
Hope you enjoyed them, more to come.
Roy

He wore a jet helmet in 1961 as well, in the few minutes he rode the 250 Suzuki twin, along with Hugh Anderson. Great pics Roy, keep 'em coming.

Doesn't The Mint look YOUNG in the plug photo !!

Yes , please Roy , look forward to seeing them and reading your tales

Yes Roy, love those period shots....more please.

Presumably, Hondis were delighted about the Mints win, even if Honda themeslves weren't overly immpressed ?

Another of Roy's......WWW ?

'72

green outfit in the front row is Chris Vincent / URS, the other one Rudi Kurth (?)
#1 Schauzu / Kalauch, #2 Enders/Engelhardt #3 Luthringshauser (?)


somewhere in the Netherlands ??

Spot-on Rennmax,
Top right is R Wegner No.3 BMW who came 4th. Klaus Enders No. 2 won the 1972 Dutch TT SC race.
I always admired Sideways Sid who came 3rd. No.12 in green is Earl Shilton's finest who came 2nd. That is only a few Km's from where I live.
Roy

Hi Roy, so it's Assen ? The building looks somehow unfamiliar...

Edit: so it was the 1st time that Chris Vincent finished a race with the URS, quite a dogged season with the reigning champ Owesle as chief-mec...

The thing that surprised me was that Rudi Kurth was on pole or 2nd and that he never scored a champiomship point in 1972-3 and then came good on 1974. He was a fantastic designer and engineer in the S/C tradition.
Roy

I will never question the big boys again
I will never question the big boys again
I will never question the big boys again
I will never question the big boys again
I will never question the big boys again
I will never question the big boys again
I will never question the big boys again
I will never question the big boys again
I will never question the big boys again
I will never question the big boys again

Hi Rhodie
This is like trying to teach your grandma to suck eggs.
Roy

Haven't been on the site for some time as I was away on vacation. I consequently missed the discussion on the nationality of Jim and Gary but thought I would add my own two pen'orth (s?).

Jim emigrated to Rhodesia in, I think, 1952 and, as far as I am aware, became a Rhodesian as soon after arriving as he possibly could. He always rode for Rhodesia and was looked upon by all Rhodesians as being a fellow countryman. Gary's family emigrated to Rhodesia when Gary was around six years old and he consequently went to school in Bulawayo and underwent his engineering training there. When the family left and went back to Wales Gary elected to stay in Rhodesia which he considered as his home. Like Jim he always rode for Rhodesia and was fiercely proud of his country. It was his wish that his remains should be buried in the country that he loved but his family had them shipped to Wales where they today rest in Christchurch cemetery in Caerleon.

On the subject of Honda 250 4 cylinder machines and Australia, the Barber museum have two which were (and maybe still are?) hidden away in the basement there. The museum director told me that they had obtained them from Kel Carruthers. If I can remember how I'll post a couple of photos of them.

Hopefully this will wirk!



I meant to mention that Jim told me that "The Mint" was never considered for the Honda works team due to the fact that he was reluctant to ride anywhere other than the British Isles.

Welcome back to the site Maridadi , what great pics BTW Derek rode in several GP's IIRC over the years

Another of Roy's great period shots. WWW?

And another....WWW?

This mystery bike too.

Derek makes no mention of team orders in his book 'Racing all my Life'.But it comes over that he was well pleased to have put one over the factory boys.He and Jim swapped the lead 5 times.He mentions hearing a noise 'down below' but the bike kept going so he pressed on.At a post race strip down it was found that the crank was broken in 3 places.
HW

Honda CL 72 or was it a 71 or 77.Doh
HW

Is number 20 Jim Redman?

Nearly right Herr Wankel, I put this on for GD66 as he asked if my CB72 was a works track learning bike. No but this Honda C72 was, which the Japanese riders used to learn the circuit. Whether they had more than on example I am not sure. The also had Honda 50's. It has 70 taped on the headlight lens. About this time (June 1960) the C72 was on sale in the UK but only with the low level exhaust system.
Yes Knickerbrook I thought our Colonial friends would have picked this on. Jim Redman was in the 350 TT in 1960 on his Norton at Signpost Corner finishing 19. He travelled with Paddy Driver and had similar dull red fairings.
More to come.
Roy

That's interesting - I wonder where the other one came from..... I suppose it could have been built from spares, or even newly made parts ? More probably the second one has no Australian connection...dunno?

I don't doubt Jim's comments on Minter but the actualite' was a bit different.

Evening Roy,
I was about to add/edit something about a 'learning' bike but you beat me to the draw (honest).Didn't they also use CB92s on the Island?
And while I'm here,did Chris (Vincent) get the gearbox fixed on his Munch/URS.I saw it 3 or 4 years ago at the Mallory sidecar fest,and it was playing up a bit!

Russ , thats the guy who later raced cars , then came out of retirement to race ' works ' Yamaha's before being killed , Bob Anderson

Thats correct fil2.8 taken at Mallory Park 1960. Bob Anderson was the complete racer, his bikes arrived at the circuit ready to race and he was never seen with dirty hands. He was one of the top British racers and a sad loss when he was killed in a racing car.
You could be right about the CB92 being used as track bikes in 1961. No I have no knowledge of the gremlins in Chris Vincents Munch URS engine. Family circumstances prevent me from getting out now but the memories live on.
Roy

Yeah, well done Phil.... I know you didn't make use of the diliberate mistake .