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 #36170  by muddytalker
 
Last weekend's International Historic Motorsports Show Race Retro held at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry attracted one of the biggest collections of motorcycle sprinting and drag racing history seen anywhere for quite sometime, thanks to the efforts of NSA's Dave Massam and Phil Steele, Show Manager David Alderson, and Shakespeare County Raceway.
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Visitors to the centre aisle of Hall 3 were greeted with the three famous Peril sprints machines, Yellow Peril, Scarlet Peril and Blue Peril, belonging to the late Bill Bragg. Now in the hands of Tony Huck and Bob Anderson of Maitland Racing, all three bikes were well presented and attracted lots of interest close too, particularly Yellow Peril!
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Next in line was one of Pip Higham's black and silver Village Bike Shop Kosman Suzuki Comp Bikes now in the hands of Superbike racer Nick Crocker. Motorcycle fans were treated to the sounds of this amazing machine being fired up in the live action paddock between the halls along with a fantastic collection of circuit based machines.
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The National Motorcycle Museum near Solihull kindly provided two of George Brown's classic sprint bikes, Nero and Super Nero. It was amazing how many people looking on remember reading about these famous machines in the motorcycle press to resounding success on such legendary sprint courses as nearby Long Marston and Wellesbourne Mount airfields. The display also gave enthusiasts of all generations a chance to get up close and personal with two of the former Vincent development riders' machines of the mid sixties.
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Seventies drag bike legend Brian Chapman brought along his eight-second Mighty Mouse and the all-conquering double blown Vincent Super Mouse, both motivated by the iconic British Vincent engine. Having notched up best figures of 8.81 with Mighty Mouse, Brian soon succumbed to the temptation of a double blown 500cc Vincent engine which took him to an all time best of 8.2 at 169 mph in the early 1980s. Still in Brian's ownership, both bikes are still in working order but now only see life at displays such as Race Retro.
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Rounding out the display, flanked by SCR's Portatree, were Martin Wilmott's nine second 750cc Triumph, the Mk IV Threshing Machine and Rouge et Noir 2 belonging to Phil Steele which, in its heyday, was made famous by British drag racing's first European rider into the eights: Keith Parnell and the McCoy Dynamics team led by Angus McPhail. Although the engine was nearly totalled at Dragstalgia two years ago, the 750cc machine is well on the way to seeing track action again. Phil is also embarking on another project by taking Keith's other bike, the Parney Express ZX12 Kawasaki, out to Bonneville to break a few records later this year. Martin and Phil will also be celebrating forty years of active competition this year since their first competitive event at the 1974 Easter Internationals at Santa Pod.
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The display celebrating fifty years of drag bike racing in the UK was very well received by the visiting public and a credit to everyone involved.
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Opposite the display was the Straightliners/UK Timing Association stand headed up by Trevor Duckworth and his team. With three machines on display, two record holding cyclecars and Trevor's record-holding Brighouse Yamaha drag bike from the eighties, the association chose the show to launch its Old Skool Drag Classes as well as to promote their Top Speed events held annually at Elvington and the Woodbridge Mile, and the Straightliners Championship.
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Photos by Jerry Cookson (SCR)
 #36171  by ukdrn
 
Thank you Jerry for that report and pictures, very nice.
What a fine gathering of motorcycles, I wish I would have made an effort to go after seeing this.
 #36172  by jaytee
 
Jerry great photo's, Brian Chapman's Super Mouse Vincent looks real impressive
 #36177  by ahensman
 
Rounding out the display, flanked by SCR's Portatree, were Martin Wilmott's nine second 750cc Triumph, the Mk IV Threshing Machine

Ah, Martin Wilmott, the World's fastest roof thatcher, hence the "Threshing Machine" name of his bike.
Martin started racing a year or so before I did and like me, is a local to Santa Pod having hailed from Stagsden in north Bedfordshire.
I grew up in Felmersham and within earshot of the Pod. Ironically, I played cricket against Martin's dad in the North Beds League, I think he played wicketkeeper for Stagsden while I bowled or kept wicket for Felmersham. Not at the same time of course otherwise that would have impressed many a spectator!

Anyhow, Martin and his Dad were some of the most helpful and sincere folks in the pits. As a raw rookie, who didn't even know how to remove the head of my first Triumph, they were always ready to help or give advice.

If I remember correctly, Martin started off on a 500 Norton which was quite a rarity amongst the waves of Triumphs. Next, I believe he replaced the Norton with a 500 Trumpet, but followed that by acquiring Peter Woods Triumph bike. Now he's advanced to a very neat looking 750. Good to see he's still pounding the black-top.

Unfortunately, living in Colorado, I don't get to see the quantity or quality of Nitro-burning bikes that are at most meets in Europe, but there are a lot of gassers, super stockers and the like, including the 6-second brigade of Pro-stockers that comes to town everyJ uly for the NHRA meet. Now I have to watch the European Top Fuel bikes via You Tube.
 #36182  by ukdrn
 
Who's this then?
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Dave Derry pic
 #36525  by muddytalker
 
Norman Hyde versus Keith Parnell at Santa Pod.
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Photo courtesy of Paul Jackson.
 #36536  by muddytalker
 
Another classic from Long Marston in the late seventies; John Charlton (near lane) versus Chris Richards.
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Photo courtesy of Paul Jackson
 #36540  by muddytalker
 
Not sure who this is but I think its Jeff Byne?
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Terry Sidebottom at SPR in 1980.
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Photos by Keith Simmons & courtesy of Paul Jackson
 #36541  by SydMac
 
It shoud be Jeff Byne, that's what written on the bike and the leg of his leathers.
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