Thruxton Production Race 1962

I would love to have more information on the racing in the early sixties. I recently obtained some video of Kel Caruthers riding t he 250 Honda-4 at Phillip Island, however it had no sound track and was very poor quality. I was in my early twenties back then, and we knew about Thruxton production races by reading Brit bike magazines . They were a source of inspiration to those of us who loved to fang a bike.
I'm still searching for early video/film of road racing in Australia, years a go some of the guys had home movies. I know where some of it is, but I've been unable to get my hands on it. Again, I suspect it has no sound track.
 
In the early 60s Thruxton was our "local" circuit. The video of the '62 500 miler probably just preceded my first visit there, which I think would have been '63 or 64. The first meeting I went to it snowed!! The organisers called for volunteers to sweep the circuit clear. The first 500 miler I went to was the 64, I remember the Syd Lawton 650ss with Phil Read and Brian Setchell winning it. I remember seeing Peter Williams winning the 250 class on an AJS, so that would date it, I suppose. Even at that race they had to get officials sweeping a clear line past the pits, the old runway was breaking up. After the BARC (British Automobile Racing Club?) had to find a new home when Goodwood closed, they bought Thruxton and relaid the circuit and improved facilities. The 500 miler went just up the road to Castle Combe for a year, that was the race when AMC entered 3 750 Matchless hybrids, in his book Peter Williams described something like "....a motorcycle so bad that if it was a horse, they would shoot it".
The proddy races in the 60s and 70s started my love of long distance racing.
In 1969 or 1970, I did some laps round the circuit on my 1957 T100, and was suitably inspired to stick to road riding, beat a P11 and a (ratty) Commando though!!
cheers
wakeup
 
I once saw a genuine Thruxton Bonneville from the early sixties. It was a bit different from the usual. Really worth having. Unit Bonnies handled better than the Manx in my opinion. But a Manx would teach anyone to ride well. In those days, as now - if you wanted to win , you had to buy a decent bike - most of us had no money. I had friends who were top A-Graders - what they used to spend on bikes horrified me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top