8 replies to this topic

[RaceFanAdam]

Can anyone help with 2 questions I have. Need some help completing my project on British championship racing history.

 

• Individual race winners from the MCN Superbike series 71-75, I have the rest from 76 onwards
• Championship standings (top 3 at least) from 1974 only, again I have all the rest.

 

Any help would be great.

Thanks

[Paul Collins]

There is actually an old thread on here that might help you Adam, I cant get the link to post, but if you search 'MCN Superbike 1970's Race Series' in the search box at the top of the page you'll find it.

 

Edit, sorry the thread title is actually '1970's MCN Superbike Race Series'

Edited by Paul Collins, 14 December 2015 - 22:26.

[RaceFanAdam]

Hi Paul, cheers I just found it,

Does give the 1974 championship standings but not the race results from 71-75.

[subh]

A while ago I got hold of the magazine Motor Cycling 76, which has an article on this that looks at the first five years and with tables for the top ten in the championship.

In 1974 the top ten were:
1 Barry Sheene (Suzuki 750), 135
2 Stan Woods (Suzuki 750), 76
3 Paul Smart (Suzuki 750), 54
4 Pat Mahoney (Yamaha 700), 48
5 Mick Grant (Kawasaki 750), 42
6 Kork Ballington (Kawasaki 750), 39
7 Peter Williams (John Player Norton), 31
8 Barry Ditchburn (Broad Yamaha), 30
9 Percy Tait (Triumph 750), 29
10 Derek Chatterton (Yamaha 700), 26

The individual race winners were as follows:

1971
Brands - Percy Tait, Triumph 750
Mallory - Percy Tait, Triumph 750
Snetterton - Percy Tait, Triumph 750
Oulton - Ray Pickrell, BSA 750
Mallory - Ray Pickrell, BSA 750
Brands - John H Cooper, BSA 750

1972
Brands - Ray Pickrell, Triumph 750
Cadwell - John H Cooper, Triumph 750
Brands - Ray Pickrell, Triumph 750
Mallory - John H Cooper, Triumph 750
Oulton - Paul Smart, Seeley Kawasaki
Scarborough - Mick Grant, Norton
Mallory - Paul Smart, Triumph
Brands - John H Cooper, Triumph 750

1973
Brands - Paul Smart, Suzuki 750
Cadwell - Peter Williams, John Player Norton
Brands - Stan Woods, Suzuki 750
Mallory - Stan Woods, Suzuki 750
Oulton - Paul Smart, Suzuki 750
Scarborough - ???*
Mallory - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
Brands - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
* the winner of this race obviously finished outside the top ten overall, so is not given

1974
Brands - Paul Smart, Suzuki 750
Cadwell - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
Mallory - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
Brands - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
Oulton - Stan Woods, Suzuki 750
Scarborough - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
Mallory - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
Brands - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750

1975
Cadwell - Mick Grant, Kawasaki 750
Brands - Mick Grant, Kawasaki 750
Mallory - Barry Ditchburn, Kawasaki 750
Brands - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
Oulton - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
Scarborough - Mick Grant, Kawasaki 750
Mallory - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750
Brands - Barry Ditchburn, Kawasaki 750

Let me know if you need the complete top ten for 1971-73, 75, or anything else.

[Paul Collins]

A while ago I got hold of the magazine Motor Cycling 76, which has an article on this that looks at the first five years and with tables for the top ten in the championship.In 1974 the top ten were:1 Barry Sheene (Suzuki 750), 1352 Stan Woods (Suzuki 750), 763 Paul Smart (Suzuki 750), 544 Pat Mahoney (Yamaha 700), 485 Mick Grant (Kawasaki 750), 426 Kork Ballington (Kawasaki 750), 397 Peter Williams (John Player Norton), 318 Barry Ditchburn (Broad Yamaha), 309 Percy Tait (Triumph 750), 2910 Derek Chatterton (Yamaha 700), 26The individual race winners were as follows:1971Brands - Percy Tait, Triumph 750Mallory - Percy Tait, Triumph 750Snetterton - Percy Tait, Triumph 750Oulton - Ray Pickrell, BSA 750Mallory - Ray Pickrell, BSA 750Brands - John H Cooper, BSA 7501972Brands - Ray Pickrell, Triumph 750Cadwell - John H Cooper, Triumph 750Brands - Ray Pickrell, Triumph 750Mallory - John H Cooper, Triumph 750Oulton - Paul Smart, Seeley KawasakiScarborough - Mick Grant, NortonMallory - Paul Smart, TriumphBrands - John H Cooper, Triumph 7501973Brands - Paul Smart, Suzuki 750Cadwell - Peter Williams, John Player NortonBrands - Stan Woods, Suzuki 750Mallory - Stan Woods, Suzuki 750Oulton - Paul Smart, Suzuki 750Scarborough - ???*Mallory - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750Brands - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750* the winner of this race obviously finished outside the top ten overall, so is not given1974Brands - Paul Smart, Suzuki 750Cadwell - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750Mallory - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750Brands - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750Oulton - Stan Woods, Suzuki 750Scarborough - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750Mallory - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750Brands - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 7501975Cadwell - Mick Grant, Kawasaki 750Brands - Mick Grant, Kawasaki 750Mallory - Barry Ditchburn, Kawasaki 750Brands - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750Oulton - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750Scarborough - Mick Grant, Kawasaki 750Mallory - Barry Sheene, Suzuki 750Brands - Barry Ditchburn, Kawasaki 750Let me know if you need the complete top ten for 1971-73, 75, or anything else.

I'm pretty sure that Granty won again at Scarborough in 1973 on the JPS Norton, he could have been a guest rider for the team as a thank-you for his performance at the same meeting the previous year, doing only selected rounds, hence why he doesn't figure in the final top ten for the year.

[RaceFanAdam]

Thanks SUBH,

 

If you do have the top 10 from 1971-1973 that would be great, I only have the top 3.

 

Do you possibly have any info on the following?

 

• ACU British Solo championship winners/standings 1973-1975 (I have the champions but no more)
• Shellsport 500cc wines/standings 1972-1975
• ACU British 500cc/500 star champions 1973-1977,1979
• Bill Ivy silver helmet trophy winners (which ever years they were run during the 70's)

 

I've spent so long working on my project it would be great to get it finished as this is pretty much the only thing i'm missing.

[subh]

Grant winning at Scarborough in 1973 would work - points for just that one race would leave him outside the top ten and he is not one of the riders listed. I actually have the programme for that event and Mick Grant is entered riding a Triumph 750 for John Davidson. Results are not filled in.

So the top ten positions were these:

1971
1 Percy Tait (Triumph 750), 99
2 Ray Pickrell (BSA 750), 93
3 Charlie Sanby (Kuhn Norton 750), 40
4 John H Cooper (BSA 750), 30
5 Dave Nixon (Boyer Triumph 750), 28
6 Peter Butler (Boyer Triumph 750), 17
7= Martyn Ashwood (Weslake/Metisse 750), 16
7= G Nixon (Triumph 750), 16
9= Bob Heath (BSA 750), 13
9= K Redfern (Dunstall/Norton 750), 13
9= K Walley (Norton 750), 13

1972
1 John H Cooper (Triumph 750), 113
2 Ray Pickrell (Triumph 750), 84
3 Peter Williams (Norton 750), 57
4 Phil Read (Norton 750), 50
5 Tony Jefferies (Triumph 750), 46
6 Dave Potter (Kuhn Norton), 43
7 Paul Smart (Seeley Kawasaki & Triumph), 35
8 Mick Grant (Norton), 33
9 Dave Nixon (Boyer Triumph), 25
10 Dave Croxford (Seeley Norton & BSA), 23

1973
1 Barry Sheene (Suzuki 750), 85
2 Peter Williams (John Player Norton), 85
3 Paul Smart (Suzuki 750), 59
4 Stan Woods (Suzuki 750), 57
5 Percy Tait (Triumph 750), 48
6 Barry Ditchburn (Broad Yamaha), 40
7 Dave Croxford (John Player Norton), 38
8 Barrie Scully (Norton), 36
9 Pat Mahoney (Seeley Kawasaki), 23
10 Tony Jefferies (Triumph 750), 21


I also have the Champion Book of Motorcycle Road Racing Champions, which has some of what you asked for in it.

Standings in the ShellSport 500 series:

1974
1 Barry Sheene
2 Phil Read
3 Tony Rutter

1975
1 Steve Manship
2 Barry Sheene
3 Austin Hockley

1976
1 Barry Sheene
2 Steve Parrish
3 Phil Read

BP Bill Ivy Silver Helmet Championship winners:
1970 Paul Smart
1971 Barry Sheene
1972 John Cooper
1973 Barry Sheene
1974 Steve Manship
1975 Steve Parrish
1976 Neil Tuxworth

[Paul Collins]

Grant rode John Davidson's 250 & 350 Yamaha's that year, but I can't remember him riding a Triumph for him, I reckon he was on the JPS Norton again as a guest rider.

I was at the meeting and remember him on the Yamaha's, I think he was leading either the 250 or 350 race by some margin when he slipped off at Mount Hairpin (Now Drury's) and jumped back on to finish around 6th, but I'm pretty sure he won the Superbike race again on the Norton, trouble is it's all so long ago now!!

[RaceFanAdam]

Cheers for the above info, will look out for that book.

 

Do happen to have any info on the British 500cc/500 star championship from 1973-1977, 1979. I have winners from every other year. Did it run those years?

I've managed to complete lists of British star champions from all the smaller classes from the 50's through to the late 80's. Just missing those.