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Click on any image to get the bigger picture |
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A classic example of a British drag bike of the 1960s and early 1970s, Duncan Hocking's ARE Triumph-powered bike seen in the pits at Santa Pod. Ex-MCN Drag Racing Correspondent Jim Reynolds has kindly provided quite a bit of valuable information for this page including the fact that Duncan Hocking has returned from the USA and is building a replica of this bike to ride in classic sprints. |
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Harley twins might be all the rage now but they were a very rare sight in the 1970s when this picture was taken of, appropriately enough, The Rebel. Andy Barrack has done some research on this bike and finds that it was variously credited to A, C and T Bartram. Jim Reynolds confirms that they were indeed brothers. The engine featured a sidevalve Harley bottom end with Matchless 500cc barrels and heads grafted on top which was quite some feat of engineering. |
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The old adversaries in stage at Santa Pod. In the near lane is John Hobbs on board his double Weslake The Hobbit, in the far lane is Ian Messenger on the double Norton-powered Pegasus machine. I can't tell you who won this particular race but my money would be on The Hobbit. |
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An unusual bike this - no supercharger and two Benelli engines - it is Rob Janssen's Double Spaghetti. |
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Time for a bit of action as Mick Carter performs a static burn out at Santa Pod. My thanks to Jim Broome for 'reminding' me of the rider's name. |
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If it's smoke you want Chris Russell was your man. Here he does a fierce static burn out on his Piper Honda at Snetterton. |
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Thanks again to Andy Barrack for identifying the rider of Tempest as B Webster. He is pictured here leaving the line at an NDRC meeting at Silverstone. Jeff Byne had an orange bike called Hurricane and Jim Reynolds confirms that they were both good friends and came from the Slough area. |
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A rare shot of both Brian Chapman's highly individualistic (and rapid) Vincent-powered bikes. In the foreground is his original 500cc Comet-powered Mighty Mouse, behind is the 1000cc V-twin Super Mouse. |
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This is how most bikes were delivered to the line at one time having completed their static burn out against the safety fence. This is Phil Drake and his Phantom machine approaching the Santa Pod start line. |
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Time for a bit more action, one wheeled action actually. Phil Drake again aboard Phantom getting a little airborne at Santa Pod. Phil was nicknamed 'the flying fag end' in the pits because of his sponsorship from French cigarette company Gitanes. |
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Santa Pod used to be an airfield during the World War II so perhaps that's why all these bikes are trying to take off. This is Swede Tommy Jansson on board his 1080cc Honda gasser at the 1977 September meeting at Santa Pod. My thanks to super-sleuth Andy Barrack for coming up with the ID on this rider. |
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And finally the highest wheelstand of the lot being performed by Tony Porter. Russell Brown, who was the team's mechanic, tells me that although Anthony was Tony's correct name, he was called Nigel by everybody. |
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Terry Revill approaches the line at Snetterton on The Assassin. The rather deserted grandstand leads me to believe that the prices must have been a bit steep that weekend! |
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We have become accustomed to female bike riders in recent years but this lady was way ahead of the pack. Danielle Dieudonne won Senior bike on La Licorne at the 3rd Transatlantic Bike Race held at Long Marston. This picture of her was taken then on 29 June 1984. |
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This is Dutchman Henk Vink's double blown Kawasaki Big Spender 4 pictured in the pits at Santa Pod with long time spannerman Jos Smit kneeling at the front of the bike. |
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Big Spender 4 is back at Santa Pod again but now it has grown a rear wing. |
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Henk Vink puts his gloves on prior to being towed round to the start line at Long Marston while his wife Christine polishes the rear bodywork of the bike. |
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Henk Vink again but the venue has changed to Santa Pod. He looks on calmly as the crew prepare to fire up another of his Big Spender machines. |
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For those of you who think that rocket-powered bikes are a modern phenomenon - think on! This picture of Big Spender R was taken on its first appearance in the UK at Santa Pod Raceway on 28 August 1983. Unfortunately it did not run on that day. |
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The aerodynamic bodywork on Stephan Reisten's Shark Magic Yamaha is emphasised in this shot of the bike. That engine looks remarkably stock, from the outside at least, yet the bike was a regular 7 second runner. |
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And finally, this is US Top Fuel champion Bo O'Brochta's Terminal Van Lines-sponsored machine in the pits at Long Marston. Compare this monster to Duncan Hocking's bike at the top of the page. Jim Broome has confirmed my belief that Bo is in the brown shirt and shades, he also says that the chap on the left is none other than funny car pilot Gary Page. Herb Andrews tells me that Bo's bike is in Don Garlits' drag racing museum in Florida if anyone is over that way. |
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All material on this site is copyright |
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