11 replies to this topic

[SnowyTupwood]

Hello folks. I currently race with Bemsee's Yamaha Past Masters which is a bit of a throw back to the golden days of 250 and 350 production racing, it's actually a hard series to win and involves TZR250's, YPVS 350's, LC350's and the odd TDR250, the racing is as fast and furious as it always was

Anyway being the wrong side of 40 I remember the UK Pro-am and later Marlboro series but I'm really sketchy on dates and in which order it all came in. I'd like to put together some kind of history line ending up with us that we could possibly incorporate into our website www.ypmrc.co.uk


So:
Any pics, video, stories etc. would be more than welcome but where I need to start is the time line:


Production 250/350
ProAm
Wrangler Which bike?
Marlboro?
TZRcup
KRC/Bemsee?

I'm lost to what came where. We also have a lad who's dad bought a new TZR to race in the Pro-Am series, he's adament that it was ProAm, could that be correct?Also could anybody point me in the direction of where I can find results from this era?


In another post on here somebody asked what happened to the 350 Shield that had Mike Hailwoods name on it, well it's alive and well living with Bemsee, current holder is Pat Herron who won it and the 2009 YPM championship on his Taymar 350F2 YPVS


Many thanks for any help

ST

Edited by SnowyTupwood, 02 June 2010 - 01:38.

[picblanc]

Hello folks. I currently race with Bemsee's Yamaha Past Masters which is a bit of a throw back to the golden days of 250 and 350 production racing, it's actually a hard series to win and involves TZR250's, YPVS 350's, LC350's and the odd TDR250, the racing is as fast and furious as it always was

Anyway being the wrong side of 40 I remember the UK Pro-am and later Marlboro series but I'm really sketchy on dates and in which order it all came in. I'd like to put together some kind of history line ending up with us that we could possibly incorporate into our website www.ypmrc.co.uk


So:
Any pics, video, stories etc. would be more than welcome but where I need to start is the time line:


Production 250/350
ProAm
Wrangler Which bike?
Marlboro?
TZRcup
KRC/Bemsee?

I'm lost to what came where. We also have a lad who's dad bought a new TZR to race in the Pro-Am series, he's adament that it was ProAm, could that be correct?Also could anybody point me in the direction of where I can find results from this era?


In another post on here somebody asked what happened to the 350 Shield that had Mike Hailwoods name on it, well it's alive and well living with Bemsee, current holder is Pat Herron who won it and the 2009 YPM championship on his Taymar 350F2 YPVS


Many thanks for any help

ST

The first pro-am series was on the original LC350 when ever that came out 81? they used those until the Power Valve (YPVS) model came out part way through 1983, it was then called the Wrangler Jeans Which-Bike? series in 1983, before that it was just YAMAHA RD350 Pro-Am series.
Dont remember the TZR in a Pro-Am series?

I have a DVD that I put together from my VHS tapes of 1983 racing and used to sell on fleabay about 4 years a go still available.

This is from Brands Hatch 1982.

Photo Copyrighted to Graham Etheridge, racebikepics.

[LamboNZ]

Hi Snowy. and welcome to the forum.

I can't give you too much information on this, other than the order you have looks about right, apart from the Marlboro clubmans was should be second on the list, and ran through to about 1985?, which was the before and the same time as the Pro-Am.

The Pro-Am was for LCs, The Wrangler/Which bike was the 350YPVS, and then the TZR cup was a national series , which qualified for some Euro races.


Would like to see a picture of the Bemsee 350 sheild if you could get a close up, as my dad won it in 1982 or 1983 (Len Lambourne)


Nigel

[LamboNZ]

I have a DVD that I put together from my VHS tapes of 1983 racing and used to sell on fleabay about 4 years a go still available.

Is this not an infringement of copyright Graham, as the BBC, or ITV, or whoever filmed it originally would own it, and not for re-production!!!


Nigel

[fil2.8]

Is this not an infringement of copyright Graham, as the BBC, or ITV, or whoever filmed it originally would own it, and not for re-production!!!


Nigel

It's gone very quiet , Nige

[picblanc]

Is this not an infringement of copyright Graham, as the BBC, or ITV, or whoever filmed it originally would own it, and not for re-production!!!


Nigel

Thats probably why it eventually got taken off fleabay!

[GD66]

Yeah BUT, they'd never have kept it, and certainly wouldn't chase through their archives and release it for sale, so open season I reckon, chances are it'll be on dodgy, knackered VHS tape anyway, so get it out there under the 25-year Freedom of Information act I reckon...

[mikecapon]

Hi, There's a few of the ProAm Guys on here. I rode in a few in 81 and 82. Steve Chambers was a quick Pro Am rider. I think he's Suzuka? on here.

It was a great series which everyone wanted to get a ride in. They paid start money And the prize money was very good. Also the races were nearly all televised which at the time was a rare thing.

One thing that sticks in my mind from the Pro Am was the session they held at the begining of 82 at Oulton to take press photos and run in the new bikes. We were all told to behave ourselves and to take care of the new bikes. About three laps into the running there was a huge accident at Cascades when Niall Mackenzie destroyed his new bike.

Nice thing was the organisers were pretty cool if you did trash a bike. You just got another one!! Here's me trying Chris Carter's patience at Mallory.

A case of "Blimey I'm in front. Gonna have to try Devils Elbow without shutting off. Doh."

Oh and by coincidence I was the guy looking for a photo of the BMCRC 350 shield. Please, if you can I'd love a snap of that.

Cheers,

Mike

[SADBATCCM]

Hi, There's a few of the ProAm Guys on here. I rode in a few in 81 and 82. Steve Chambers was a quick Pro Am rider. I think he's Suzuka? on here.

It was a great series which everyone wanted to get a ride in. They paid start money And the prize money was very good. Also the races were nearly all televised which at the time was a rare thing.

One thing that sticks in my mind from the Pro Am was the session they held at the begining of 82 at Oulton to take press photos and run in the new bikes. We were all told to behave ourselves and to take care of the new bikes. About three laps into the running there was a huge accident at Cascades when Niall Mackenzie destroyed his new bike.

Nice thing was the organisers were pretty cool if you did trash a bike. You just got another one!! Here's me trying Chris Carter's patience at Mallory.

A case of "Blimey I'm in front. Gonna have to try Devils Elbow without shutting off. Doh."

Oh and by coincidence I was the guy looking for a photo of the BMCRC 350 shield. Please, if you can I'd love a snap of that.

Cheers,

Mike

Seem to remember at a meeting at Donny Park late 1982 when there was 34 crashes in the pro am practice that Barry Sheen had to have a chat with you all

[picblanc]

Yeah BUT, they'd never have kept it, and certainly wouldn't chase through their archives and release it for sale, so open season I reckon, chances are it'll be on dodgy, knackered VHS tape anyway, so get it out there under the 25-year Freedom of Information act I reckon...

You always cheer me up Glenn!!

[SnowyTupwood]

Many, many thanks for the replys so far folks

I'll have to have a look at that DVD

Great bit of footage Mike, crash well these LC's don't they I'm with you though, if you're out in front I guess you just have to go for it!


Wasn't it the ProAm commentary that got Barry into trouble for swearing on the TV?

So am I right with this timeline?

Production 250/350 ??? to 1980 Since the '60s?
Marlboro Clubmans 1981 > 1985 4 years
ProAm 1981 > 1982 1 year
Wrangler/Which bike 1983 > 1985 2 years
TZRcup 1986 > 1988 2 years
KRC/Bemsee Back to 250/350 production 1989 > 1999 10 years

Then what became the YPM began


I've searched the web but I can't find any results for this era, I know Bemsee lost a load of stuff in their move from Lydden to Essex, I'll have to have a word with Tracey and see what's available, could anybody point me in the right direction or help out with any results sheets?

It's not so bad with the 1990 era as quite a lot of the riders are still racing, quite a few still on 250 Yamahas with us


350 shield - No problem, I'll have to contact Pat , he's taking a year off racing this year- I think he has it in his possession, if not I'll ask Mike at Bemsee if I can take a pic of it. I'm assuming it's the right trophy, it certainly has Mike Hailwoods name on it, I was hoping to be in with a chance of winning it this year, but that don't look like happening I guess we get to fight for it as our class is the only one still running 350's

I've been a little vain and shown a pic of me at Druids on the retro Loctite painted LC with a powervalve engine




Pic - Racing Line Photography

Cheers

ST

Edited by SnowyTupwood, 02 June 2010 - 22:17.

[Paul Collins]

Hi, There's a few of the ProAm Guys on here. I rode in a few in 81 and 82. Steve Chambers was a quick Pro Am rider. I think he's Suzuka? on here.

It was a great series which everyone wanted to get a ride in. They paid start money And the prize money was very good. Also the races were nearly all televised which at the time was a rare thing.

One thing that sticks in my mind from the Pro Am was the session they held at the begining of 82 at Oulton to take press photos and run in the new bikes. We were all told to behave ourselves and to take care of the new bikes. About three laps into the running there was a huge accident at Cascades when Niall Mackenzie destroyed his new bike.

Nice thing was the organisers were pretty cool if you did trash a bike. You just got another one!! Here's me trying Chris Carter's patience at Mallory.

A case of "Blimey I'm in front. Gonna have to try Devils Elbow without shutting off. Doh."

Oh and by coincidence I was the guy looking for a photo of the BMCRC 350 shield. Please, if you can I'd love a snap of that.

Cheers,
Mike

Hi Mike, I remember parking next to you at Knockhill in 1982 when you were doing the Pro Am, the reason I remember is that you had driven up from somewhere around Luton in a 3 litre Capri but had taken about 2 hours less than us although we'd set off from about 90 miles further north!! I remember my mechanic saying afterwards 'bloody hell I wouldnt want to hitch a lift with that bloke, he's ideal for Pro Am'