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.

Dammit • YEAR: 1978 // LOCATION: BRANDS HATCH

T-minus five minutes... • YEAR: 1987 // LOCATION: ANDERSTORP, SWEDEN // IT’S THE: 125CC GRID

RICHA TOULON 2 RIDING JACKET WORTH £296.99 • Welcome to the fourth Classic Racer crossword. Put your racing knowledge to the test and complete the puzzle to be in with a chance of winning this stunning Richa Toulon 2 riding jacket worth £296.99.

readers Write

Webster stars at Stafford

FESTIVAL OF 1000 BIKES

FAREWELL ITOH-SAN

Welcome Thank you

GOSSIP FROM THE CRMC PADDOCK • FIM Europe Vintage Road Race Championship

Sliding for charity at sidecar festival

The friendly races thank you

CRMC 40th anniversary

Insurance for racers

Winner

The madness of Millyard on show at Stafford

FILL UP MALC’S MAILBOX

Creating a great event

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES • The Racing Career of Charlie Williams

CLASSIC RACER ICONIC METAL

The Early Years of FAUSTO GRESINI • Before Gresini Racing became a world championship-winning team, Fausto Gresini was a fixture in the 125cc world championships as a rider. He won two 125cc world championships, finished runner-up three times, and third once, with 25 Grands Prix wins.

BOXING CLEVER • Last September, after more than 10 years of trying, BMW finally scored a victory at the UK’s annual Goodwood Revival.The top step of the podium came courtesy of double World Superbike champion Troy Corser and his Austrian teammate Herbert Schwab on a supercharged 1929 R57 Kompressor. Now the German manufacturer’s BMW Group Classic historic vehicle division will be trying to make it two in a row in 2019, when the race reverts to its later format for bikes built before 1967. And they will be trying to do it on this – the RS500 OL Special.

Specification BMW RS500 OL SPECIAL

Good bye, Gene • Gene Romero excelled in every aspect of motorcycle racing across a long and successful career. And he was known as ‘Burrito’.

VERY RARE-ISSIMO • DUCATI’S 1971 500GP V-TWIN DESMO

MICK DOOHAN’S LAST RIDE • It was another dodgy day at Jerez, the first day of practice for the first GP of the 1999 European season. Mick Doohan, titan of the 500 class, was having an indifferent start to the year. It was too early to start worrying about missing out on a sixth consecutive title, but it was time to stamp his authority.

JOHN WILLIAMS A PRIVATE MATTER • Despite the interest fromYamaha and Honda, it was Suzuki who John lined up with in 1976 and it saw John and wife Margaret give up the life of the privateer, replacing it with the more luxurious comforts of a factory-backed rider. He also had an eye on his future though and included a gents’ boutique amongst his business interests.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Whatever happened to? MICHAEL O’ROURKE

Getting a lesson

PRE-TT CLASSIC JAMIE’S DAY • Jamie Coward was the man of the meeting at the Pre-TT Classic, clocking up three wins as well as new outright lap and race records for the event. But it certainly wasn’t all plain sailing for the Hebden Bridge man.

Specialist spotlight LOUIGI MOTO • We’re shining a light on some of the biggest and best players in the Classic Racing world and this time we’ve been speaking to Louigi Moto’s Richard Llewellin.

WHAT’S LOUIGI MOTO?

CR: WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

WHO’S IN CHARGE?

THE BOB MAC • The SCRMC recently served up a full card of classic racing at the East Fortune circuit, for the traditional Bob Mac meeting. Against the...