Classic Racer

Classic Racer takes you so close you can actually smell the Castrol R. With the world's finest archive, and an editorial team who live and breathe the sport, the only way you'll get closer will be to put on your leathers.

Classic Racer

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WEISE REDWOOD SHIRT • Put your racing knowledge to the test and complete the puzzle to be in with a chance of winning this great prize. Good luck!

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Paddock Gossip

Fred Clarke • In his regular column for Classic Racer, Fred Clarke – for more than 50 years the voice of British motorcycle racing – takes us back in time for some (often fun) recollections!

Whatever happend to? TOM PHILLIPS • In what would be a relatively brief racing career, Tom Phillips would nevertheless make his mark and was especially linked to Greeves machinery.

TOM HERRON PART TWO • For many, Tom Herron was the greatest motorcycle racer Ireland ever produced. Not only was he a superb road racer and TT winner, but he was also a factory Suzuki rider – and teammate to Barry Sheene – in the 500cc Grand Prix world championship at the time of his death in 1979. In Part 2 of our three-part series, Herron’s widow, Andrea Coleman, talks us through the Grand Prix years.

TROY STORY 2 • Aussie ace Troy Corser took his second World Superbike title in 2005 on this Alstare Corona Suzuki GSX-R1000 K5. Alan Cathcart tests the only Suzuki so far to win the WSB title.

Rob McElnea • Welcome to Big Mac’s Memories! Rob McElnea was a top grand prix racer, TT winner, British champion, then a successful team manager. Here he shares with Classic Racer some of his very entertaining memories.

LUCA CADALORA • Luca Cadalora: 1986 125cc World Champion, 1991-1992 250cc World Champion. 2000 Guest rider in the BMW Boxer Cup.

TOO TALL TEL! PART ONE • Terry Rymer: First Brit to win a WSB race, former British Superbike champion, European Superbike champion and double World Endurance champion. All in his own words.

1979 YAMAHA TZ750F • Before the establishment of a single unified national championship in the UK, the MCN Superbike Championship was considered the premier racing series in the UK. It ran from 1971 to 1982 and the rules were simple: anything from 351cc to 750cc could be raced. In the early days factory teams like Triumph, BSA and Norton featured heavily. By 1974 Kawasaki and Suzuki were fielding factory-backed teams with great success. One of the best privateer teams was the Ted Broad racing team. Broad ran a Yamaha motorcycle dealership in Kent and along with sponsorship from BP Motorsport was a tight, well-run outfit. For 1974 Barry Ditchburn would be their rider but he left in 1975 to join the factory Kawasaki team alongside Mick Grant. Who could they get to replace him?

THE ROTARY CLUB! • It’s been over 30 years since Ian Simpson won the British Supercup Championship on a Duckhams Norton and brought a glorious era of British racing to an end – that of the Norton rotary racing motorcycle. This is the story of the British-built machines that came, saw, conquered, and disappeared, all in the space of seven years.

SAMCO’S SUCCESS! • They’re designed and made in Britain, and they are a performance add-on for racing motorcycles and perfect replacement for your OE engine hoses. Check out Samco Sport and Racebikebitz.

ALLSPEED AHEAD! • They’re getting right into the season now… Here’s what happened at Pembrey and Snett. And what occurred with a naughty Ducati!

FOR ALAN… • The Pre-TT Classic on the Isle of Man was not without its tragedy, thanks to the loss of well-loved competitor Alan Oversby.

Randy Mamola • Randy Mamola is a legend. The Californian is a four-time 500cc championship runner-up, a 13-time...