16 replies to this topic

[flatlandsman]

I was very lucky as a kid as my Dad liked cars and bikes, we lived near Cadwell and Donington so I was lucky enough to go to both a couple of times as a kid.

 

I saw Gardner on the Moriwaki i recall!

 

But the one that gets me is 84 at Donington.

Now I have seen footage of it, i recall some bits, Spencer falling off, Crosby basically pulling stunts all race

 

NBut in the footage I have I have not seen him in a race, he was sadly at the back with I think Dave Aldana on a ratty old 500!  

 

AS a kid you dont remember the winners, you remember Croz whee lying all race! Did anyone know if he retired or something?

 

Would love to see a program or something too

[tonyed]

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://daveriley.we...2_23apr1984.pdf

 

Daves programs, a mine of information - https://daveriley.weebly.com/

[flatlandsman]

Bloody hell it's right there, Rainey crossed out and Dave Aldana added in lol

 

Thanks man

[brands77]

I can remember clearly the 1980 races at Brands. I went with my dad and brother and we were watching out on the full circuit up at Hawthorns Hill - up country so to speak. On the second lap, I think, if not the second, it was really early in the race and Spencer came through on the silver Yamaha he was riding and was absolutely miles ahead of everyone - Roberts on the works Yamaha and Sheene on the Akai Yamaha (I never knew if that was a works machine or not) included.

 

I had heard of him from Daytona the month before, he qualified second for the 200. So I knew he was quick but I thought he would be another one of the Americans who were quick in the states, like Skip Aksland or Dale Singleton, but would come over and be really good riders but not world beaters. I think even Pat Hennen and Randy Mamola took time to be up at the front when they first came over. Spencer came over and was ahead challenging for and leading from the first lap he turned in the uk. As I recall the bigger news that year was Gina Boivard coming over and riding a TZ500 in the meeting! Spencer took us by surprise, he was phenomenally quick.

 

I never saw Cal Rayborn race, but I guess he must have made a similar impact. What I do remember was a tv program that Annie Nightingale presented on the Transatlantic trophy, featuring Cal and Ray Pickerell. I can definitely trace my love of bike racing starting with that program, which was probably 1973 or 4. It took another couple of years before I actually went to a meet, but I remember that was the 1977 Brands Powerbike meeting at the end of the season.

[Michael Ferner]

You guys have the memories, I have the results: Croz was 13th in the first race, crashed on the first lap of the second and then finished 8th, 10th, 10th and 8th in the other four. Overall he was 9th in points, tied with Roger Marshall.

[Robin127]

Bloody hell it's right there, Rainey crossed out and Dave Aldana added in lol

 

Thanks man

Dave Aldana raced in the very first Transatlantic Match Races in 1971.  A fourteen year old me sat in the grandstand on the startline at Brands for that event.  In July 2021 I was in a demo race at Barber Motorsports Park here in the US, next to me on the grid was Dave Aldana.

[kevins]

Roberts on the works Yamaha and Sheene on the Akai Yamaha (I never knew if that was a works machine or not) included.

 

I'm open to correction on this, but IIRC he started out in '80 on TZ500's/750's that anyone could buy, but soon started to get help from Mitsui (UK importers), who got what they could from Japan. He also got Harris to develop a frame for him (the 500, not sure about the 750). This might have been after Easter.  He was fully works in '82 of course but I can't remember if '81 was fully works, or a transition year, semi works from Japan.

[Michael Ferner]

Essentially correct I think, and the way I remember it. He was a works rider in both '81 and '82, but always a step behind Roberts: still ran the in-line OW53 when Kenny already had the square four OW54, and then the OW54 against Kenny's OW60 development, and finally the OW60 when Roberts had the V4 OW 61. Sheene got his own OW61 for the British GP, but we all know how that ended  . Still, Barry made only 2 (two!) World Championship points less than 'King Kenny' over those two years. 

[flatlandsman]

However he did spend most of the rest of his career moaning about how rubbish his bikes were! Then after his racing career he spent the rest of it promoting Amercian and Australian riders, yet we all apparently think he was the greatest ever, sorry not me!

[Michael Ferner]

The greatest ever? Nahhh. But he was a fun guy, easy to like and very handy on a motor bike. Besides, Kenny needed someone to trim his excessive hubris, he was barely bearable in the seventies. Did his personality tons of good to find out he was made of flesh and blood, after all.

[flatlandsman]

Sorry but to me Sheene doesn't hold a candle to Kenny, he is the greatest of that era by far. For all sorts of reasons and Sheene did not do much winning once he turned up, says it all to me.

 

Roberts was no angel and not a serial winner, Uncini's and Luckys titles prove that. Franco in particular who was sublime that year. Lucky was exactly that and did little else apart from later on Ducati's

[Michael Ferner]

Yet Roberts spent most of his career moaning about how rubbish his bikes were, then after his racing career he spent the rest of it promoting Amercian and Australian riders   

[kevins]

Essentially correct I think, and the way I remember it. He was a works rider in both '81 and '82, but always a step behind Roberts: still ran the in-line OW53 when Kenny already had the square four OW54, and then the OW54 against Kenny's OW60 development, and finally the OW60 when Roberts had the V4 OW 61. Sheene got his own OW61 for the British GP, but we all know how that ended  . Still, Barry made only 2 (two!) World Championship points less than 'King Kenny' over those two years. 

Epic memory Michael

 

I do remember he was finally on par bike wise with Kenny at Silverstone. I think Kenny was taken out in the race and sidelined for a bit as a result, so not a good meeting the the Yamaha works team.

 

Wow, only 2 points, I never released that at the time. I actually have seen a few races from '82 on youtube recently and indeed Barry was always at the sharp end. I recall Barry always complaining that he was one step behind Kenny, and Kenny countered by saying he always had to sort out the experiments from Japan, and by the time Barry got the bike it was sorted.

[tonyed]

Barry 'always complaining', when wasn't he?

In 1982 they both finished on 68 points.

Both only finished 6 races each.

Crosby out scored both on a YZR500.

Ear defenders were invented to cut out the danger of hearing loss through Sheens constant wingeing throughout his career. 

[tonyed]

Good piece on the Suzuki Grand Prix Team in this months Classic racer, normally the Wazzas fan mag, with 'team leach, sorry leader' Bazza 'Splash it it on Brut' Sheene shown for what he was.

Even the arch toady Parrish seems to be under no illusion that he was Sheens' underling. can't say I blame Stav too much, a good opportunity shouldn't go begging. 

Sheene was a horrible little dictator, whose who found 'popularism' amongst the 'lowest common denominator' of Sun readers, along with his 'mate' Henery (sic).

When found out by KR he had little answer except 'it ain't fair'          

Edited by tonyed, 24 October 2023 - 12:45.

[Rodaknee]

AS a kid you dont remember the winners, you remember Croz whee lying all race! Did anyone know if he retired or something?

 

 

According to Wiki, he became an airline pilot and wrote an autobiography in 2010

 

"CROZ – Larrikin Biker"

[LittleChris]

Not sure about the airline pilot bit but very good autobiography