RIP John Surtees

[noddy]

A true gent, and feat of 2 & 4 wheels world championship never likely to be copied.

[wombat666]

Oddly enough I never really was a fan Noddy.
I guess he mellowed in his older years, but I remember Alan Jones saying the two worst team principals he ever drove for were Graham Hill and John Surtees.
However, he was one of the last of his era and we shall be poorer for his passing.


And a PS: One of the most unforgettable races I have ever seen was at the opening of Sandown Park in 1962 and the start of the real 'Tasman Cup'.
The grid was great, Brabham, MacLaren, Moss, Surtees, a very young Jim Clark, Chuck Daigh in the Buick powered Scarab, Ron Flockhart and a bunch of British privateers plus all the top Aussie and Kiwi drivers.
Throughout the entire race the top three passed and re-passed one another, in such close company that one could literally 'throw a blanket over them'.
Brabham won by a fraction over Surtees and MacLaren, Moss couldn't get past the Scarab (not enough straight line handling), and the final places were taken after an equally furious battle by Angus Hoare(NZ)Ferrari 246 fitted with a 250TR V12 and Lex Davison(Aust)Aston Martin DBR5/F1 (I think).
The racing was the same up and down the field, and in a very unusual display on the cool down lap the crowd lined the edge of the circuit to applaud the field.
I was only a spotty 'Uni Student' at the time but I remember it very well and like to think of Surtees from way back then.

[Panther_99FS]

A Legend....

[huub vink]

On his Vincent Black Lightning. A true gentleman on a absolutely stunning machine!

[Panther_99FS]

Nice shot of him there Huub!

[wombat666]

One from the deepest and darkest archives Huub, love the hi-tech sliders, another of the 1001 uses for 100mph tape.
Rather intrepid riding on a Vincent (any Vincent), as my Dad once said, 'The Worlds Fastest 5 Barred Gate'!

[511Flyer]

That doesn't look like John Surtees to me. Not facially, and not his style of riding at all. I saw him many times at Brands Hatch, and agree that he was a great rider and a true gentleman.

Den.

[emfrat]

Great pic of John on the 500cc MV Agusta, in 1956, in this Beebstory - that's how I remember that era.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35126201

[wombat666]

That doesn't look like John Surtees to me. Not facially, and not his style of riding at all. I saw him many times at Brands Hatch, and agree that he was a great rider and a true gentleman.

Den.

I think it is a very young John Surtees, if you check out the link posted by 'emfrat' the image of him riding the MV shows very distinct facial similarities!
As for his riding style on the Vincent, that would be 1 part pure survival and 1 part terror, using his knee to stay on the bloody thing!

[huub vink]

That doesn't look like John Surtees to me. Not facially, and not his style of riding at all. I saw him many times at Brands Hatch, and agree that he was a great rider and a true gentleman.

Den.

As I don't took this picture I can't confirm its him or not, the story goes that it is him on one of his father's road Vincents. But as the picture was used in 1981 in a British magazine (The Classic Motor Cycle) in an article about a Vincent Black Shadow Cafe racer, which was tested by John Surtees, I assume the picture is genuine.
When I look at the clearance I have serious doubts whether you can put a road Vincent is a lower angle. Which is why you are nearly forced to ride it like a grass-track racer. Which was the type of racing John actually did in those days.

John Surtees made the switch from Vincent (when Vincent stopped production) to Norton already when he was 21. Which was about 3 years before I was born. By the time I was able to walk he already had made the switch to cars. By the time I just kissed my first girlfriend in 1972, he stopped racing cars. So I mainly know him from articles, interviews and (historical) images and movies. However in the above mentioned article I was stunned by his technical knowledge (and by the looks of the Vincent!).

Below a picture from John Surtees racing his Grey Flash and one more recent with a Black Shadow racer.

Cheers,
Huub