Yes you are right it must be 53 because I'm fairly sure the guy at the front is Gordon Laing.

Graham ---

Another year, a famous rider, have a look at the board for his raceposition.

My eyes are not that good....Geoffrey Duke, factory Manx, Assen, '52 ? Cleverly composed photo too.

Great pic from the Continental Circus days ! Some may not know that Keith has a nephew, also named Keith (his brother George's son), who is a talented and successful classic racer in Australia : today Keith the nephew finished second on his CB350 Honda in the first of two championship races for Post-Classic 350 in the Australian classic titles at Morgan Park, Queensland, behind Glenn Hindle (Yamaha TR3) who is son of Bryan Hindle, Aussie star of the early seventies who beat Ago at Oran Park....

Yes the picture is taken at the end of practice/race as the riders enter the paddock. The chap holding the red flag (it's a bit before I did that job, I'd be 14 then) is Bill Watson, ex works panther sidecar ISTD passenger (rider/driver Fred Whittle) in the 1950's and my Uncle. The concrete triangle you see on the right of the shot originally had a scaffold pole "fence" round it, it caught a few wayward racing cars but thank God no bikes. What trivia I know but it nice to see, thank you.

A belated welcome Graham, Can we see a few of you pictures please.

Best wishes, John (Bill Ivv picture)

Hi John,

Good to see your name again, how's it going with the Landrovers? Here's a couple of photos from my collection of a guy featured on here recently. Look where he has his leg in the second one.

graham

Hi Graham , what great pics and with the autographs to match !!! good stuff

Beautiful pictures Graham. He used to leave a thin black line as he drifted down the flat out left hander Devils Elbow. 4 inch wide tyres!!!

Great shots Graham....I've never seen anyone climb out of a kneeler like Camathias in the lower pic, bloody amazing.

Does anyone have any shots of Rolf Steinhausen doing hiis thing on the Konig?

Something here I think http://www.history-routes.de/hr_leserreise...ps/steinhlr.htm

The premier thread's a bit quiet chaps...... No more luverly pics ?

Both threads seem a tad quiet Russ , I hope things buck up when I come back from hols

WWW




Hi guys, trying to start the ball rolling, at least it's a try...

Hi Renn, Tony Wakefield at the very back there and George Auerbacher looking to ride around a fellow Deutschlander at the front ..Nurburgring 1970

Hi Russ, correct so far , # 18 and #12 should be easy as well...

Ah yes, 12 is Fath but 18......looks a bit like Willie Noll Schauzu ?

Not exactly, it's Horst Owesle, hence this was probably the only race were 2 URS outfits took part. Helmut Fath retired soon afterwards afters some dispute with Friedel Münch IIRC, so we see him in his last race ?

Can anyone supply the result of that race?

If it is Nurburgring 1970 17 Siegfried Maier & Siegfried Brauning, 16 Heinz Luthringhauser & Jurgen Cusnick, 26 Richard Wegener & Adolf Heinrichs, 24 Alfred Stuttfeld & Werner Obluda
19 Gustav Pape & Franz Kellenberg 12 Helmut Fath & Josef Huber

1st Auerbacher / Hahn
2nd Luthringshauser / Cusnik
3rd Wegener / Heinrichs
4th Wakefield / Flaxman

John Flaxman was Terry Vinicombe's regular passenger until Terry's early death due to illness.

Tony Wakefield and Graham Milton campaigned a couple of years later "British Magnum" outfits. IIRC they used these mysterious Barton square four engines ? Can't find anything about these bikes in the net...wonder who knows a bit ?

Renn,
The motors that Tony and Graham used were flat 4s a bit like a Konig but turned 90 degrees to drive through a BMW (or type) gearbox.
They were very quick and I think a little less fickle than the Konig.
Another english racer called Nigel Rollason used the Barton and did very well,especially in the island.He was also a very good solo pilot.
HW

Herr, thanks for info although I've to admit that the Barton saga confuses me more and more...
if i comprehend it correctly there are 4 different Barton engines

1) 3 cylinder 500cc engine based on a Suzuki 380 or 550 crankcase
2) 3 cylinder 750cc engine based on a Suzuki 750 with own barrels or tuned standard ones ?
3) 500 cc (or more) square four engine (with no Suzuki parts) as used in the dream racer movie, but hardly ever in competition ?
4) flat four as used in the "Magnum"


Yeah, Nigel Rollason is a name common to me, IIRC he won a Senior MGP in the early seventies (on a Yam?) and later he rode a new type BSA Gold Star (B 50 ) in endurance races

Erik Buell and the Barton engine (PDF) ........ Click.

Hi Ton, very interesting that Buell was involved in the States with Barton engines. Thanks for the read

Renn,
Not 100% certain,but I don't think the Magnum flat 4 was anything to do with Barton/Hart/Dyson/Nova !! but I think you are pretty close with the other stuff,but as ever I am waiting to be 'shot down'by you guys out there.
HW

Wasn't there a problem with the Magnum having porous crankcases or premature corrosion due to the use of a magnesium alloy? Elektron?

Just edited to add that I think HW is correct, I seem to remember the Magnum as being a joint Milton/Wakefield venture also, maybe another Brit 'world-beater' that came to nowt due to lack of finance/development.

Nice read. Another flat four two stroke was the Kohler here in the USA anyone know of a connection here somewhere? Wishful thinking I expect I didn't know Erik Buell worked with the Barton. Yes the winters are cold here, my car froze solid last year WITH anti-freeze and even with a damned great parrafin blower heater my garage doesn't get above freezing, just soaks the bikes in condensation and freezes. I seem to remember some kind of connection with Alex George and the Cagiva stuff. Hermetite Golden Cagiva? He had a workshop at Snett didn't he?


David

Herr, thanks for clarification, it seems that I mixed up British Magnum and Barton Phoenix

My Hero also.


I took this at Mallory on 25-9-60, who is out hero talking to.
Were you there then Classicpics and thanks for confirming the Tommy Robb shot was taken in this paddock.
Roy

Paddy Driver and Dickie Dale ?

Absolutely right, Russ, and Dickie's still wearing his Moto Guzzi T-shirt!!

Dead right Russ, two great members of the Continental Circus.
I bought my copy of 'The Privateer' by Jon Ekerold direct fron Jon in December, 2002 and he kindly signed it. Its a great read from his early days in SA racing, then risking all coming to Europe.
It tell s the story of how he developed his own 'Yam' and finally taking the title as the Last Privateer. Yamaha tried to cash in on Jons success but he gave them short shrift. The only criticsim of the book was no photo of the title winning engine, is there anyone out there with such a picture.
Roy

It is for sure a ripping yarn, and accurately depicts the constant challenges Jon had to endure to achieve his goal, the World 350 title. But it captivated me as well through its' rare insight into the world of Helmut Fath, the brilliant but eccentric tuner who assisted Jon to keep his engines pumping out the power required to keep him near the front. Fath's workshop, and dyno,from whence the legendary Munch-URS was produced, were on an icy hillside, up a steep, snowy driveway, and it was touch and go whether his yowling three-cylinder car would make it : then, to avoid smoke pollution, they'd remove a wall or two to dispel the smoke...meanwhile, during the tuning process, Helmut would smoke incessantly, and drop all his butts into the pocket of his dust jacket while mercilessly pursuing the elusive horsepower required. What a lad he was, and could produce the goods on the track as well. Champion !!

Mick,I'm not sure about the porosity problem with the Magnum,but I do know its a major problem with Konigs.My friend Hans drains his even if he has 2 outings a couple of hours apart.
HW

Just a few pictures from todays' 'Brooklands Relived' event at Brooklands Museum.







www.brooklandsmuseum.com

Herr, I believe that one of the sources of base material for 'cases made by specials builders were scrap VW Beetle mag-alloy gearbox cases which were plentiful.

I daresay that if the metallurgy wasn't correct at the time of casting then this could lead to problems.

IIRC Barry Sheene reverted to roadster ally cases for his TR750 due to porosity in the factory mag-alloy items.

Yes, race of the year meeting, Mike winning the big cheque!

From '55 to '89 I only missed a handful of meetings at Mallory, also had a job on the scoreboards at Silverstone for all the British Grand Prix's and used to go to Brands as a guest of Chief Marshal Ken Phillips. I was also able to get tickets for Cadwell and Donnington. I stopped going to races on a regular basis after my Dad died in 89. I have been to a few recently but it's not the same for me, I can only recognise a few riders and worst of all is the entrance cost and having to stand behind a fence. I got so used to standing on the edge of the track!

Hi Classicpics,
We must have rubbed shoulders in the early 60's at Mallory.
I agree what you say about todays racing, even if it seemed expensive at times you knew you would see world class riders. I still have great interest in all classes of Motogp but then when this Mickey Mouse racing in BSB comes on, its switched off. The majority of tracks here are lethal with next to no run offs, how many times does the red flag come out, nuff said.
I have enjoyed the pictures and knowledge on this thread, long may it last.
Roy

Hi,
Great to see Dickie and Paddy, I also notice that the gent in the front is Dickie's great friend and sponsor Sam Coupland.

cheers
Peter

Hi Peter,
Glad the picture of Dickie and Paddy rang a bell. Sam Couplands face was familiar but I could not put a name to him.
I will have to see if there are any more shots in the locker.



This shot is from Ian Simpsons mystery album. We have no idea where it is and when it was taken. Ian thinks Crystal Palace, I have no idea.
Over to you gents,
Roy

Interesting shot; looks very much like Oulton Park, late fifties. The Palace start line was situated on the 'back' straight until about 1960, and behind the advertising boards were railways sleepers !

Hi Russ,
Thanks for that, I visited Oulton many times but never got to the start area, viewing opposite Cascades. My guess is 1958 as there are few dolphin fairings, which was the first year for them. Also only one 'Jet' helmet. I remember Bruce Daniels being one of the first to have a white version, alas it became the scruffyest lid in the land.
Roy

"I have enjoyed the pictures and knowledge on this thread, long may it last".

Here, here. I almost never look in at the four-wheeler threads anymore. Also, even though this era is 'my' era it never ceases to amaze me just how much knowledge you chaps have and how little I have.

Keep working at it Paul, this era will never be repeated.
Roy