mike hailwood accident
The problem was that whereas Surtees 1960 toe-in-the-water F1 experience had been the start of a full-scale conversion to cars in 61 (once he had finished demolishing his opposition in 500cc and 350cc bikes), Hailwood was still at the height of his game on two wheels in the mid-60s and was in no hurry to quit, rendering his four-wheel adventures more of a dabble in the unknown. [40], He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1975 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews. Renowned for his natural riding ability, Mike "The Bike" Hailwood cemented his legacy by coming out of an 11-year motorcycle racing retirement to win the 1978 Isle of Man TT on a Ducati 900. Only about two weeks ago i I established contact with Dave Davies whos in charge of the Dr Hull collection. By: Andrew van Leeuwen. 1997 M. Biaggi Mike very coolly said, I think Id rather win the race on Dunlops than get 2nd or 3rd place contingency with Goodyears.. Mike, Michelle and son David were in a Rover SD1 and were going to get fish and chips on the 21st. 2011 C. Stoner He would rush to an unconscious Regazzoni's aide, working to get him out of his fiery car, only to catch on fire himself. If you don't know the story, Hailwood made a surprise return to two-wheel racing at the 1978 Isle of Man TT. The Iso had the strongest and thickest body of any car I have ever known. But there was an itch he couldnt scratch, and in 77 he started racing bikes once more Down Under, and in 78 entered the Isle of Man TT races and won the Formula 1 class in dominant fashion on a Ducati. Gives a great insight into a great character, and his involvement with Isos. Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1? He also noticed some police cars and a few police officers. Regazzoni was knocked unconscious and his car caught fire. "He came in for a scheduled fuel stop [from third place after three hours] and it started spotting with rain," said John Horsman, the team's chief engineer. Initially, Hailwood was to focus on Formula 5000 for Surtees, and he eventually racked up four wins and finished second in the 71 championship to Frank Gardner driving a works Lola. Mike's daughter Michelle was killed, Mike and son Paul were critically injured. Hailwood, by contrast, had a more bewildering time trying to make the conversion to F1, his hopes artificially boosted by winning two out of three Formula Junior races, and his equipment at the top level of the sport certainly not on the cutting edge as Surtees had been. The Vee Two bikes are hand-made and hand-finished like a Swiss watch. World Champion nine times, he won 14 Isle of Man TT races. Can Rossi match Agostini's MotoGP winning record? Heck, Big John was still racing the other team car, so his feedback and analysis couldnt have been more up-to-date and relatable. [1][2][39][48], Few observers believed that the 38-year-old would be competitive at the TT races after such a long absence, but riding a Ducati 900SS provided by Manchester (UK) dealership Sports Motorcycles, he won the F1 race. 1956 J. Surtees Last Friday marked the 33rd anniversary of the road accident that killed Michelle and two days later took her mortally injured father too. Can This 43-Year-Old Suzuki GS 850GL Run Again? Accessed 5 April 2014. The lorry driver was to be fined 100. After signing Hailwood for 71, Surtees knew as a fellow ex-biker precisely how to interpret what Hailwood was telling him, and what questions to ask. As he left the town and hit the open road he noticed a black limo with some people standing around it including a man wearing a suit with a gold chain around his neck. [1][9] At the 'Motor Cycle' 500 race at Brands Hatch in 1966, Hailwood demonstrated a Honda CB450 Black Bomber fitted with a sports fairing. Mikes car, as shown in some of the photos, did not have wire wheels. His speed was a record for the track. 1959 J. Surtees, 1960 J. Surtees 1982 J. Tournadre Knowing that the twentieth anniversary of Hailwoods death was approaching, over the past year or so I asked some of the people who knew him to share their thoughts on SMB Hailwood. Two days later, on March 23, barely a week before his 41st birthday, one of the greatest racers of all time succumbed to his injuries. [27][28] Hailwood's son David completed a demonstration lap of the Isle of Man TT course on 3 June 2002, riding his father's Daytona 1971 BSA Rocket 3 carrying large letters 'H' instead of a race number. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time. In fact it could have done justice to the hull of a battleship, no doubt a major contributing factor to Mike and Peter having survived the huge impact. 1993 K. Schwantz To anybody that was around or knows a bit of history of motorcycling, I would think people regard him as being the best. 1998 M. Doohan 1983 C. Lavado [57] He was 40 years old. 1988 S. Pons We drove to Woolwich in the Iso and en route we caught up with a bobby on a Velocette LE (noddy bike). Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Hailwood was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding . From the beginning of 1964 I monitored the build of the 904 on a daily basis until I delivered it to Ed and Piet in February 1964. 2009 V. Rossi, 2010 J. Lorenzo Staying on at this team for 1970, he scored two more F5000 wins, a handful more top-three finishes and was fourth in the title race. 2017 F. Morbidelli Hailwood's driving suit caught fire, but after being extinguished by a fire marshal he returned to help rescue Regazzoni, an act for which he was awarded the George Medal, the second-highest gallantry award that a British civilian can be awarded. Then Mike died in 1981yes, in an accident with a lorry, as foretold by a psychic in South Africa. In February 2012 I met up with Jim Redman during the David Piper classic series at Killarney. Mike Hawthorn wins Rheims Grand Prix in France. Then he noticed two parallel black lines across the road. Ah, the major thought Mike. 1952 G. Duke I think now to win is just as hard as its ever been, but to do fairly good now its a lot easier now than it used to be because all of the equipment is so good. 1996 M. Doohan The former motorcyclist received a badly broken leg in the accident which became a career-ending injury. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle world championships from 1958 to 1967 and in Formula One between 1963 and 1974. Sure enough, at that point, it started to come together for him and aside from a couple of outings for BSA in the prestigious Daytona 200 bike race in 70 and 71, Hailwood became pretty much a car convert. He slowed, hooked second gear, got wheelspin and as he looked in the rear view mirror he saw the severed lines arcing through the air. It has been a labour of love for Brook Henry of Vee Two Australia, but the result is about as perfect a replica of Mike's Bike as you can create. 1971 G. Agostini Hailwood rushed to Regazzoni's car and tried to pull him out only for his own clothing to be set alight footage of the incident shows Hailwood frantically waving his flaming hands around. In 2002, two decades after Mike Hailwood's fatal car crash on March 23rd 1981, The Hailwood Estate commissioned Davida UK to be the first helmet manufacturer to produce their Official Hailwood Replica helmet. I told Tony to work on the Grifo in between other jobs and when he had some spare time. They drove to Cape Town from Johannesburg, a distance of about 900 miles, for the Cape Three Hours held on November 22, with the car retiring again with mechanical problems. Carrachi has a photo in his Bologna shop of himself push-starting Hailwood on the Ducati. It wasnt going well but Hailwood was glad to be back in the UK and enjoying his family. [1][65], After Hailwood's victory at the 1978 Isle of Man Formula One motorcycle race, Ducati offered a 900SS-based Mike Hailwood Replica for sale. On Saturday 21 March 1981, Hailwood set off in his Rover SD1 with his children Michelle and David to collect some fish and chips. Other stories about Mike are classified information! However, it was originally supplied on Borrani wires, clearly visible in a contemporary magazine snippet about Hailwoods new car. 1994 M. Doohan The year started off with Hailwood finishing runner-up in the Tasman F5000 championship down under. The Grand Prix racer, 40, had left his house with his two. 1950 D. Ambrosini He said there had been an accident and Mike had been seriously injured. "[18], He had two children: daughter Michelle in 1971[31] and son David. It was bought in the early 1970s and shipped back to the UK, tucked away for years and finally sold again in 2009 to the guy who had it restored in Germany. 1955 B. Lomas In 1972 Mike Hailwood had secured a fourth place at Monza . He therefore rode privately-entered Hondas occasionally in European non-championship events, but found his thoughts turning to cars once more. 1968 P. Read As I wanted to get into motor racing rather than build a long term career at Porsche and having established a good working relationship with Moss I resigned at the end of May 1964 and moved to London. 1973 P. Read How the F1 2023 competitive order is shaping up after Bahrain testing. [18], For 1968, Honda pulled out of Grand Prix racing, but paid Hailwood 50,000 (equivalent to over 870,000 at 2020 prices) not to ride for another team, in expectation of keeping him as its rider upon return to competition. He was the star of the party and he stayed and talked with us, leaving his date alone at the bar for a long time, ignoring the managers.. A commemorative motorbike run and service took place in Warwickshire on Sunday to mark the 25th anniversary of Mr Hailwood's death. He delighted in playing elaborate practical jokes. On the Friday I went to Parys to arrange for the wreck to be railed to our head office workshop thats when I took the photos. Mike's leathers from the 1978 Castrol Six Hour hang in . 1951 G. Duke However, after 11 years off a motorcycle and even some years after he wound up his F1 career, Hailwood was overlooked by the biggest teams before securing the use of a Ducati 900SS supplied by Manchester's Sports Motorcycles. After relocating to South Africa in 1967, he confirmed to Motorcycle Mechanics in 1968 that he would only be spending the same length of time there as in the previous eight years when he spent two winter months staying at the farm of racer Paddy Driver near Johannesburg. Born in April 1940, Mike Hailwood was often referred to as the greatest racing motorcyclist of all time. With Dunlops. [2], Hailwood saw his first race at age 10 with his father, and first spectated at the Isle of Man TT races in 1956.[6]. What I probably remember most was that Mike was such a cool guy. The yellow car which he crashed in South Africa was #162/D, a 67 350hp 5 speed. 1978 K. Ballington On My Car Quest there is a report with photos of what was allegedly Mikes Iso Grifo but with wire wheels. 2008 V. Rossi 1964 J. Redman Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Rated 'the greatest motorcyclist who ever lived', his feats and bravery are recalled for a new generation, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile, Mike Hailwood lies alongside his daughter, Michelle, in the churchyard of St Mary Magdalene in the Warwickshire village of Tanworth-in-Arden. It was also the car that John Bolster tested in the Oct 13 1967 issue of Autosport. [8] He lost the chance at winning a fourth race when his 350 AJS failed with a broken gudgeon pin whilst leading. Unfortunately, he didnt fare as well and it marked the end of his decorated racing career. Mike Hailwood, MBE, GM, who won 10 world motor cycle championships, died yesterday at the age of 40, as a result of injuries he had sustained in a car accident on March 21. There was an experimental animal farm on the left and it transpired that some half-wit had left the gate open. However, a truck made an illegal turn and both collided. It was the 80th birthday of Mike Hailwood, regarded by many as the greatest rider of all time, killed together with his daughter Michelle in a road accident in 1981. In that final Isle of Man appearance, he rode a two-stroke Suzuki RG 500 to victory in the Senior TT. The next step, in terms of building his confidence in powerful open-wheel racecars, was coming under the tutelage of Surtees, who had set up Team Surtees back in 66, won the Can-Am championship as an owner/driver and had also found success with his own cars in Formula 5000. 2021 R. Gardner [1][17], After suffering breakdowns in 1967, Hailwood had intended to re-sign for Honda provided the 1968 machinery was to his satisfaction, and had relocated to South Africa where he started a building business with former motorcycle Grand Prix rider Frank Perris, completing their first house in October 1967, also selling one to ex-racer Jim Redman. His father, Stanley, served as the director of Kings Motor Ltd. and was a leading motorcycle and car racer in his day. Martini back TT Mikeand it's works Yamahas for Hailwood's return. After his motorcycle racing career concluded, he went on to compete in Formula One and other classes of car racing, becoming one of the few men to compete at Grand Prix level in both motorcycle and car racing. Of four points finishes, Monza was the highlight as Hailwood again finished runner-up to Fittipaldi although he hated the revamped track which he felt had been ruined by chicanes. Advertisement Latest Headlines 1971 G. Agostini Other three hour races were at Killarney in Cape Town, Lourenco Marques, Roy Hesketh in Pietermaritzburg and Bulawayo in the then Rhodesia. For 64, Parnell mated the Lotus 25 with a BRM V8 and Hailwood scored sixth at Monaco after qualifying 16th albeit a mere 0.3sec slower than the underrated Innes Ireland in a similar car. 1966 M. Hailwood Hi Andre, 1973 G. Agostini Hailwood, best remembered for his incredible ability to quickly take any type of machine to its absolute limits, was tragically killed in a road traffic accident in 1981. While we commemorate his tragic death, we also remember what made Mike the Bike one of the greatest motorcycle riders of all time. You have corrected this article This article has been corrected by You and other Voluntroves This article has been corrected by Voluntroves $ Close Captcha. 2006 J. Lorenzo Legend has it Hailwood taught Hunt how to party. If you placed in the top 3 on Goodyears there was some extra money posted, but none with Dunlop. But Mike the Bike would also find himself thrust into the limelight in his very first F1 Grand Prix for Surtees Monza 1971, when he claimed fourth in that Hollywood-unbelievable finish. 1961 G. Hocking 1989 E. Lawson, 1990 W. Rainey When the year 2000 rolled around, and some were asked to name the best riders of the 20th century, Hailwood topped many of the lists I noticed, even some put together by non-Brits. Up until a couple of years ago he was the workshop doorman/caretaker type guy up at the Yamaha workshop in Amsterdam and I kind of met him at the door and he was pretty upset and he told me then., Carruthers believes it ironic that Hailwood lived through a dual racing career when safety standards were shockingly bad, then to die in a street car crash after he had retired. The collision. LONDON -- Mike Hailwood, the former world motorcycling champion, was critically ill in a hospital in Birmingham Sunday after an auto accident in the English Midlands. Mike Hailwood's Crashed Iso Grifo Fortunately the poor animal was killed instantly. Hailwood was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding ability on bikes with a range of engine capacities. Hailwood was busy trying to make a go of a motorcycle dealership in the UK, owned with racer and friend Rod Gould. 1976 W. Villa Because of this connection my dad obtained grandstand seats at Kyalami race track and we watched Gary Hocking race his last race there. A 100mph crash brought his car career to an end at the Nurburgring circuit in 1974. . Our foreman, Tony dos Santos, and I had a close look at the car and believed that it could be rebuilt over a lengthy period of time. South African Motor Racing The Early Years, http://hamley.blogspot.se/p/remembering-gary-hocking-1937-1962.html, Ferrari Art, already framed - 11" x 17" - $100 - write for list of prints: malibucarart@gmail.com, Aggressive Off Road Truck Ad Banned In Australia, Disclosure, Privacy Policies, Comment Rules And Disclaimer. It took me a day or so to get up the guts to talk to him, but he immediately made me feel comfortable. How F1's comeback merchant can make a lasting impression at Haas. Hennen's new record had lasted only four days when Mick Grant produced a brilliant display in the six-lap Classic. Mike recognised the estate and we flashed lights at each other. 500cc/MotoGP world. [7] He teamed with Dan Shorey to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race and finished in four classes of TT race with one podium. 1999 . Crivill, 2000 K. Roberts Jr. Mike had a flat at Heston in Middlesex and Jim said he once accompanied Mike on a trip to central London along the Great West Road as I recall. 1978 K. Ballington A race marshal aimed a fire extinguisher at Hailwood, whereupon he went straight back to Regazzoni, whose car remained engulfed in flames. A major player in an international . 1977 B. Sheene The son of a wealthy Oxford motorcycle dealer, Stan Hailwood, he began racing motorcycles competitively in 1957. He plans to play the lead role of Hailwood and co-direct the film alongside friend Robert Connolly. He won the 1972 Formula Two European title and earned a podium finish at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans. The rookies looking to make their mark on F1 in 2023, The key factors behind F1s Premier League-style managerial revolving door, The key factors behind F1s Premier League-style managerial revolving door Magnificent sight it was! He then moved to Honda in 1966 and won four more World Championships in the 250 and 350cc classes. [1] In 1958 he won ACU Stars at 125cc, 250cc, and 350cc classes, earning him the Pinhard Prize,[6] an accolade awarded yearly to a young motorcyclist under 21, who is adjudged to have made the most meritorious achievement in motorcycle sport during the preceding year. I wanted to talk to them about either supplying paint or entering into an under-license deal with a South African paint manufacturer yet to be discovered. A company by the name of British Domolac in Woolwich manufactured the quick drying acrylic for Paint-a-Car. Hailwood then went on to win the GP race, which carried World Championship points, in the afternoon of the same day. 1973 D. Braun Mike's unassuming, fun-loving personality won him numerous friends and fans. 1953 F. Anderson Already got a Trove account. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. After having the flames put out by a fire extinguisher, Hailwood went back again to try again. Two humorous anecdotes about the Iso. 1958 J. Surtees On the outskirts to the south of the town the rain was so heavy with visibility down to virtually zero that I stopped under some large blue gum trees. In the photo below the rear of the Iso can just be seen in the factory yard. Hailwood rushed to Regazzoni's car and tried to pull him out only for his own. Just four years later, the 21-year-old raced the Isle of Man TT for an up-and-coming Japanese manufacturer by the name of Honda. I was just twenty and had followed his career in GPs for many years. $80.21 with shipping. I mean I dont think people realize how difficult things like that 500 Honda and the big MVs and that would have been to ride. 1957 C. Sandford He led the race but again broke down. Mike and Peter were lucky to have escaped with minor glass cuts across their foreheads. [14] It was unable to compete in the 500cc category, the Fdration Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) deeming that it was not classified as a production machine as it had two overhead camshafts. The bobby kept his cool and pretended he didnt notice. The company sold respray and light body repair centres throughout the UK on a franchise basis. 1996 M. Biaggi F1- 1973- 03 Kyalami- Mike Hailwood Tries To Help Clay Regazzoni on fire. Leclerc reveals reason for late F1 Bahrain GP Q3 absence, F1 qualifying results: Verstappen takes Bahrain GP pole, F1 qualifying results: Verstappen takes Bahrain GP pole "Asked if he wanted intermediates fitted, Mike declined. Mike Hailwood at the 1978 Isle of Man TT where he finished as race winner (Getty), Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in, Please refresh your browser to be logged in, The tragic story of Mike Hailwood told in new documentary, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off and extra perks with Booking.com Genius membership, $5 off a $20+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK February 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this February, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. I stuck with the Goodyears, as did Castro and everyone else on the team except Dick Mann. 2014 T. Rabat I told Gill that in my humble opinion Harold Wilson and his merry men were going to run the UK into the ground with their unrealistic policies, economic and other, and by the same token the Apartheid system back home was in for a big hiding. 2016 is the 35th anniversary of Mike Hailwood's death. 2002 M. Melandri It was a wonderful enclave with Coys and the Queens Arms part of the furniture. Hailwood was born at Langsmeade House, Great Milton in Oxfordshire, the only son and elder child of Stanley William Bailey Hailwood, a millionaire businessman and managing director of a motorcar sales company[5] as well as successful motorcycle dealer. 1965 J. Redman Letter from Mike Hailwood to Andre Loubser. 1951 B. Ruffo Pay with PayPal - you don't need an account. Must be more than 40 odd years back. The majority of the Hailwood memorabilia to be sold by Bonhams was purchased by the vendor from the Mike Hailwood Collection sale in November 1997. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. As they had done the year before, BSA lured Hailwood out of retirement to come over from England for a Daytona-only appearance. In an F1 car, Hailwoods efforts were solid rather than startling, driving for Reg Parnell Racing in a year-old Lotus 24-Climax, then a Lola Mk 4, in a handful of championship and non-championship F1 races in 1963. He returned to motorcycle racing at the age of 38, taking victory at the 1978 Isle of Man TT. Unfortunately, a car crash claimed Hailwoods life on March 23, 1981, and forty years after his passing, we take a look at what made him a once-in-a-generation talent. His fortunes werent as abundant in the race series, however, with only 2 podiums and 1 fastest lap over a 50-race career. He was sharing a house with Frank Perris a former Suzuki works rider. 02 victoria warehouse manchester. [29], Coming from a prosperous background, during his early career Hailwood had enjoyed a privileged lifestyle and even before his move from MV to Honda in 1966 was the world's highest-paid rider. Operated by the Mike Hailwood Foundation, an Isle of Man-based charity, it is staffed by volunteers and also promotes the races together with supporting new competitors. It happened in 1973 at the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. 1969 G. Agostini, 1970 G. Agostini It was twenty years ago this month that Mike Hailwood died. The resultant collision left David slightly injured, killed Michelle instantly and left Mike himself clinging onto life. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He lived a playboy lifestyle as a jet-setter covering 30,000 road miles and 160,000 air miles in a year travelling to circuits around the world whilst based in his bachelor-flat at Heston, West London, where he kept his high-powered sports cars. He used to come in my motor home and my wife would make him a cup of tea and all that sort of stuff, says the 1969 250 World Champ. It was a policeman. According to Walker, Mike Hailwood is the "greatest motorcycle rider who ever lived". Fortunately the poor animal was killed instantly. [11] The 'Hutch' was a main production race of the season along with the Thruxton 500, so it was very important for manufacturers to establish the racing potential of their recent models. The ensuing. Mike "The Bike" won 9 Grand Prix World Championships including four consecutive 500cc World Championships (1962 - 1965). 2021 F. Quartararo At this point, Hailwood decided to retire from racing, aged 34, and move to New Zealand. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Log in --- Copyright Michael Gulett 2010 - 2023, Random Memories Of Mike Hailwood And His Iso Grifo In South Africa. He was killed in a road accident in 1981. Nine time world champion Hailwood was 41 and was officially retired when he and his daughter were killed in a car accident in England on March 23, 1981. As I passed through Parys about seventy miles south of Johannesburg the heavens opened up. Find out how to get it through Domain Backorder. He finished on the podium twice, as he did once at Le Mans, making a decent fist of driving for lesser teams, believed Jackie Stewart. Ranking the top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2021, Mike Hailwood movie in the works Leading the Formula 2 field at Rouen-les-Essarts, in 1972, the year he would clinch the championship. My reckoning is the bikes were a lot harder to ride in those days, in my opinion. The couple returned to their hotel and it was only the following morning when she saw the newspapers that she discovered he had saved a man's life at potential cost of his own. In fact his standout moment came outside the cockpit pulling Clay Regazzoni from his burning BRM after the pair collided at Kyalami, an act of bravery for which Hailwood received the UKs prestigious George Medal. Stirling had endorsed the Stirling Moss Paint-a-Car System, founded by a Canadian and his American partner. I would love to get in contact with Mr. Andre Loubser regarding the borneo green 904, the color recipe, the ICI codes or and if the color was provided by Valentine Varnish and Lacquer Co. Upload Attachment(Allowed file types: jpg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, ppt, pptx, xls, xlsx, mp3, m4a, ogg, wav, wma, mp4, m4v, mov, wmv, avi, mpg, maximum file size: 50MB. Growing up in Oxford, England, Hailwood was fortunate enough to have a custom mini bike at the age of seven. One funny conversation that Ill never forget was a night at the bar at the old Plaza Hotel on the beach (its still there, but under a different name which escapes me now). In 1966, Mike the Bike returned to Honda and nabbed four more championship crowns in 1966 and 1967 (250cc and 350cc). He returned to South Africa and co-founded the Mike Hailwood Autospray System in Johannesburg in early 1969. CONS: No rider assist tech for riders who THINK they can take this to 9-10/10's and crash an irreplaceable machine. On the second lap, Hailwood and Clay Regazzoni collided. There he suffered a bad leg injury in the German GP, and retired from Auto racing. Selected Originals - Sportsmen Honour Mike Hawthorn. An annual "Mike Hailwood Memorial Run" takes place in March every year. Hailwood was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding ability on motorcycles with a range of engine capacities.[3][4]. It sure took me back, not only to these episodes with Mike the Bike and the Springbok Series etc but also to the brief overlap we had with Racecourse Motors, Yamaha & Killarney. . Whilst placed at the head of the field the machine soon failed due to overheating. Mike stuck the nose of the Iso to within inches of the bikes rear number plate roaring with laughter all the way. The storm lasted for about 15 minutes and suddenly cleared which is typical of that region including the Johannesburg area. Auto Racing. On the open roads there was no speed limit at the time which made driving in South Africa a pleasure.
