UKDRN

Although not strictly drag bikes, here are some galleries courtesy of ESA Photos from 2012-2017 taken at various sprints including the Brighton Speed Trials.

The Brighton Speed Trials is organised by The Brighton and Hove Motor Club, who kindly invite the VMCC Sprint Section to sort out the motorcycle side of things.

Thorney Island was a VMCC Sprint Section event, and the Sprint Section also sorted the bikes for the demo runs at the VMCC’s Festival of 1000 bikes.

http://esaphotos.photoshelter.com/galle ... Eq75IxKn44

Links to the VMCC Sprint Section
https://www.facebook.com/vmccsprint/
http://vmccsprint.co.uk/vintage_classic ... lcome.html

Here are a few photos I snapped from the Brighton Speed Trials (2016 and 2017), where it’s not uncommon to see some historic/nostalgia drag bikes be exercised along the famous Madeira Drive.

In-the-wings are a couple of Triumphs, both running 4” slicks, which it’s hoped will at Brighton in 2018.
One’s a 'new build', blown, reverse-head Triumph 750 (the big-brother to the 500 Morado Triumph in the photos).
The other’s a restored blown 650 Triumph (from early/mid 70’s) which had been languishing for many a year.

Those are nice.

Denis Jenkinson rode his NorBSA at the 1964 Dragfest, and reported on this new fangled sport/event in the November 1964 edition of Motor Sport magazine (which can make for an interesting read).

The front cover of April 1965's Drag Racing Magazine include a photo of Jenks on his NorBSA.

I became the castodian of the fuel tank from the NorBSA back in '97, but alas, not the rest of the bike.......

Back at the 1964 Dragfest, Denis Jenkinson was fortunate to have a drive in an Allard Dragon 4-wheeler, as well as riding his own NorBSA (a 500cc single cylinder motorcycle).

I think he was the only person to run both two and four wheels. (please correct me if I'm mistaken)

He went on to build a Triumph powered drag bike for 1965’ dragfest.(see page 31).

Jenks’ NorBSA carried one of the NSA club’s stickers, as the NSA (National Sprint Association) ran straight line motorcycle sprints over various distances well before drag racing came to our shores (and incidentally, they still run sprints).

I’ve dug out some cuttings from around 1959/60 that Jenks had put in his scrapbook, which I was fortunate to become the custodian of.
One is of Bill Bragg’s double-engined Triumph as featured Charlie Rous’ Motorcycle News, July 29 1959 article..
Is anyone aware if this is Britain’s first double-engined sprint bike?

A friend donated some old issues of Motorcycle Sport, some of which had photos of Sprint / Drag bikes, either on the cover or within.

Here’s a selection ranging from August 1964 through to December 1969

Motorcycle Sport 1964 August Ian Ashwell, Church Lawford, Satan supercharged Vincent

Motorcycle Sport 1965 December Alf Hagon, supercharged 1150cc J.A.P. Elvington

Motorcycle Sport 1965 November. Drag City, Satan, Drag-Waye, DG Harman Velo, Fred Wells Blackbushe

Motorcycle Sport 1967 December Des Heckle 250cc Villiers Starmaker

In general, the Motorcycle Sport photographs identified the rider, however, October 1967’s front cover only told the readership that the photo was of a sprint bike taken at Ramsgate.

Help was sought from friend Juan Manzano (son of the late Phil Manzano), who furnished me with ‘paperwork’ relating to two Sprints run at Ramsgate in 1967, and from this the identity of the unidentified rider was revealed as John McKiernan.

Juan also supplied another photo showing John’s blown Triumph featured a twin-plug head.

Motorcycle Sport 1967 October Jim McKiernan, blown Triumph, Ramsgate, April 1967.