This beautifully restored VMX beast is going to make somebody very happy.
The time has come to move on from our much loved 1982 Honda XR500, which we painstakingly restored with Vintage Motorcross events in mind. The bike is 100% complete and is a fantastic performer, particularly for a 30 year old design!
The rebuild was a no-expense spared adventure, completed in 2012. The bike has only been used in three races since then. It presents incredibly well and can be used for leisure as well as pre-1985 VMX events, it can also be road registered!
The list of items replaced and refurbished is extensive. The rebuild included the following:
Full strip down
Powder coat frame, swing arm and triple clamps
All new nuts and bolts
Top end engine rebuild ( carried out by experienced workshop)
New aftermarket plastic kit (original tank – we refurbished that best we could)
Fork re-chrome and rebuild
Rear shock rebuild and new spring
New bearings all round
New front and rear brake pads
New seat foam and period correct cover
Renthal bars
Ballards levers
Custom Ducati carbon exhaust
Carby rebuild with new internals and gaskets
New clutch and brake cables
Near new tyres
New front and rear sprockets
New chain
Gearbox rebuild – first and second and third gear replaced and appropriate dog rings.
The bike has been ridden since these photos were taken, and it is showing light signs of use consistent with what you might expect – just the usual odd scuff marks. It’s a beautiful bike which sounds fantastic too, it’s race ready and eligible for pre-1985 VMX events.
Located in Sydney, transport can be arranged. Any questions, please call Rich on 0403 263 509
On an otherwise quiet day in Belgium, these maniacs tear through the hills.
When you’re driving an extremely quick, short wheel based Kart through the mountains across patchy surfaces, the buffer zone for error is extremely small. These guys do it very competitively, and they do it very well. Kart Cross is actually quite popular in many places in the world however for us it is this mountain-pass venue, and the way in which it’s drivers attack it, which blows us away the most. Buckle up.
The most thrilling wins, losses, overtakes, crashes and magic moments from the British Formula Grand Prix.
One of the most loved motor racing tracks in the world, Silverstone is celebrating its 50th Grand Prix this weekend, so all these magic moments are from the famous Northamptonshire venue.
With the 2014 British Grand Prix only hours away, take a look at our collection of killer moments.
1956 – Fangio Wins
Juan Manuel Fangio holds off championship leader Peter Collins to win the 1956 British GP. He would later become Champion for the third year running, before winning again in 1957 to complete his four-year streak.
1960 - Graham Hill roller coaster
Graham Hill stalled his BRM on the start line of the 1960 British GP, however managed to claw his way back through the pack, right up to first position. It was an incredible effort, however what happened next was unthinkable – he spun off the track just a handful of laps to go. What a heartbreaker!
1963: Clark cruises to victory
Jim Clark had a commanding lead coming into the last lap of the 1963 British Grand Prix, the problem was however the needle on his fuel gauge was showing dead empty, so he slotted his Lotus 24 into top gear and babied it around the track for the final lap, desperately trying to keep the engine alive. He ended up winning the race, but we wonder how his nerves were during those final few seconds!
1973: That massive pile-up!
Jody Scheckter spins during the first lap of the British Grand Prix and the ensuing eleven car pile-up goes down in history as one of Formula Ones biggest crashes.
1975 – Rain causes chaos
Towards the end of the 1975 British Grand Prix it started to rain – heavily. Utter chaos soon follows, with countless cars skidding off into each other lap after lap. Madness!
1977 – Hunt wins on home soil
A rocking soundtrack backs this video from 1977, in which reigning Formula 1 World Champ James Hunt steers his McLaren Ford M26 in classic Marlboro colors to victory. What an era!
1987 – Mansell’s amazing pass
Nigel Mansell pulled off one of the ballsiest overtakes in F1 history during the closing moments of the 1987 British Grand Prix. His home crowd was understandably ecstatic with the result, and when Mansells car ran out of fuel and stopped dead in front of them during the slow down lap, wild fans ran out onto the track and mobbed him – in a good way, of course.
1988 – Senna conquers all
The sheer brilliance of Ayrton Senna shines through during terrible conditions at the 1988 British Grand Prix.
1991 – Mansell gives Senna lift
Oh, how times have changed! What a fantastic moment.
1995 – Hill and Schumacher tangle
Damon Hill collects Michael Schumacher whilst attempting a rather opportunistic pass during the ’95 British GP. The pair spin off the track, opening the way for another British favourite, Johnny Herbert, to take the win.
1998 – Schumacher wins in the pit lane
Michael Schumacher serves a stop-and-go penalty at the ideal time, and takes a controversial win in 1998. The rules regarding such penalties have since been closed.
1999 – Schumacher breaks his leg
Michael Schumacher suffers a huge leg breaking shunt at the 1999 British Grand Prix. His Ferrari skids across the gravel trap, before careering head first into the barriers.
2003 – Madman invades the track
The infamous Neil Horan (Google him if you must), decided that running onto the track waving a sign reading “Read the Bible, The Bible is always right” part way through the 2003 British Grand Prix would be a fantastic idea. Luckily no one was hurt!
2010 – “Not bad for a number 2 driver”
Red Bull Racing decided to give favorite driver Sebastian Vettel the new wing at the 2010 British GP, however it was team mate Mark Webber who won the race. The press conference that followed qualifying summed up Webbers mood.
2012 – Webber snatches the win
Mark Webber pulls off a daring high-speed overtake, snatching the lead from Fernando Alonso and holding onto it just long enough to take victory. An excellent example of exciting competition during more modern Formula 1 times.
“If you can’t afford a La Ferrari – so what? Buy a cool car, work on it yourslef, enjoy it and have a great time – that’s what’s important, enjoying the ride”
Inspirational words and breathtaking visuals flow from this video, which features the garage of director, investor and car collector James Glickenhaus. In the clip, James runs us through some of the interesting stories behind particular cars, which is quite captivating thanks to his unassuming manner.
Everything you’ve ever loved about Le Mans is alive and kicking.
Three weeks after the spectacular 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans finished, the seventh Le Mans Classic commenced. The event gathered a full field of beautiful historic machines in front of 110,000 spectators for an awesome throw-back race, reminiscent of the glory days of motorsport.
The weather made things interesting this year, however it couldn’t put a damper on the drivers, nor on the record-breaking crowd. This cool video provides a quick wrap of what went down.
Throughout history, Le Mans has been the battleground on which many motorsport legends were forged, from Bentley to Porsche; Tom Kristensen to Jacky Ickx.
The most rambunctious of those legends raced in the era of Group C, and we were delivered a special treat this year, when many of them returned to the circuit to stretch their legs. Live their exploits vicariously through these mega shots from photography maestro Jayson Fong of Form & Function.
In the days before global marques dominated the racing landscape, brave and creative racers took cars with promise and turned them into the fierce race cars which created the motorsport history we celebrate today.
This Alvis 12/70, heading to auction at Silverstone Auctions’ Silverstone Classic Sale, is one such machine.
Introduced in 1937 the Alvis 12/70 came in two variants – a sports saloon and four-seater drophead coupe. Only 741 of them were made, and each featured a 1842cc overhead valve engine with aluminium alloy block and three-bearing crankshaft. These produced a monstrous 63 and a half bhp.
The Alvin’s chassis quickly gained respect for its handling and balance, which lead to a lot of the cars being re-bodied with sports racing bodies and prepared for racing. To up the oompf on this particular car it was fitted with a six-cylinder Alvis Silver Crest overhead valve 2763cc engine and wrapped in a home-designed body.
In the most recent of its eight decades of services, the car was campaigned in National hillclimbs and International races by prolific VSCC driver member Robin Everall, who designed and built its body himself, and earned the car a great reputation and successful race history.
The Alvin won at Mallory Park, Silverstone, Prescott and the two-hour sports car relay race at Donnington Park. In 2009 it received the ‘Ruth Holbert Memorial Trophy’ – the highest racing award an Alvis can hope to achieve – after accumulating a record haul of championship points, and in 2010 it received the ‘Silver Con-Rod Trophy’ for best presented car by the VSCC.
In magnificent condition, rare, exhilarating and sold complete with a monumental spares collection, exhaustive specification, comprehensive history file, photographic record and even instructions on starting and running the car specific to the type of competition, this is a magnificent vintage racer which we would love to see go to a good home and heading out to the track again soon.
With a near 90-year history lubricating the motor industy and using motorsport as its development playground, Penrite have claim to some serious retro credentials.
And they’re celebrating that history through a new range of retro Penrite merchandise, including t-shirts, jerseys and accessories.
The range of t-shirts includes the classic Penrite Wreath, along with ‘Old School’, ‘Classic Car’ and ‘High Performance’ designs, and then shifts gears to bikes with a special Manx Norton design and a Penrite Honda design which looks great as a jersey as well.
The Penrite Retro Esky/Cooler is a thing of beauty. It features Penrite’s early-t0-mid ’70s oil can design, and will keep 17 litres worth of your beverages cool. Or warm. How ever you like it.
With some classy designs and the history to back them up, Penrite’s retro collection is looking good. We just need to find a way to add that cooler to our race kit!
Martin Brundle, Johnny Herbert, Kimi Raikkonen and Anthony Davidson face off against each other – on Lawnmowers.
What happens when you stick a group of rather competitive racing drivers aboard lawnmowers and leave it to them to sort out who’s boss? It’s a little bit of light-hearted fun with a decidedly serious edge – these guys all want to win!
The story of the Silver Arrows is one of triumph and progress, earned through blood sweat and tears. What we know of it we’ve pulled from history books, wise men and women, and images and sounds captured on near-century old mediums.
The Silver Arrows Project aims to change that, and tell the Silver Arrows’ story with the technology and mediums of the future.
The Silver Arrows project hopes to tell the spectacular stories of Mercedes-Benz’ and Auto Union’s legendary silver race cars at a level of scale and detail beyond anything that could have been captured in their time.
The series of large format prints combines original digital photography with cutting-edge 3D graphics and a grand degree of artistry to produce images that are absolutely breathtaking.
Each print forms a vignette around a particular event or moment, the Silver Arrows and the machines with which they did battle.
The works were unveiled at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed and you’ll be able to check them out again at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in mid-August, and at the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart in 2015. They’re also being offered as limited-edition prints in extremely limited quantities - 51 × 18″ limited to just 80 prints, and 118 X 59″ prints limited to just five.
It’s awesome stuff, and we’d love to see other periods revisited in this style. What era would you like to see recaptured?
Head to the official Silver Arrows Project website here for more information, and hit this link if you’re interested in securing a print. And if you’d like to go behind the scenes and see how the images were achieved, check out the video below!
High definition Australian news piece takes us on a journey through the most dangerous racing event in the world.
The Isle of Man TT is like nothing else on earth – if you’re one of our readers then chances are you already knew that. This news piece was featured on an Australian television show, and tells the tale of the TT in Laymens terms – delivering a surprisingly fresh take, well worth the watch.
A sunny day, a sports car, and the Nurburgring – for many racing fans and car enthusiasts, it’s a bucket-list experience that cannot be missed. Even on a leisurely non-competitive day such as this, ‘the green hell’ offers drivers an unforgettable opportunity.
The car this pair are driving is a Honda S2000 road car, prepped by PB Motorsport for the purpose of Time Attack, which is essentially flying solo laps. Apparently, it’s a damn good car for a Sunday drive, too.
Ayrton Senna and Elio De Angelis cross the bridge during the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix.
The waves crashing against the man-made bridge below form a perfect metaphor for the battle between man and nature that was happening right above. Pouring rain and treacherous conditions put the pressure on drivers – of course history would see Alain Prost as the victor, with Senna in second and Elio in fifth. It was Alain Prost’s first win at the Monaco Grand Prix, and Ayrton Senna’s first ever Formula 1 podium. A magic moment indeed.
In this picture, Ayrton Senna was driving the Toleman TG1984. Elio De Angelis, the Lotus 95T.
This unusual machine features a chassis made out of plywood, gull wing doors and a high cockpit designed for tall drivers. It seems a bit wacky, but it was plenty competitive and was the machine that gave one Sir Jackie Stewart his first racing successes.
Marcos Sportscars was founded by BRDC member and racer Jem Marsh and engineer Frank Costlin at the close of the ’50s, and the first machine out of their workshop was the Marcos GT Xylon.
Nine Xylons were built, with this car easily the most famous. It was originally powered by an 1137cc pushrod engine and, thanks to its wooden chassis, was very light – making it a very successful racer.
After a test with Jackie Stewart at Oulton Park in 1960, Barry Filer bought this Xylon for the 1962 season and had Jackie drive it. First in Sports Cars up to 1600cc and 1st in GT Unlimited at Charterhall was followed by third at Bo’ness Hill Climb and great pace throughout the season.
It’s been resting in storage since production ceased at the Marcos factory, and is offered as is and in need of a full resto and racing preparation.
Its unusual nature and history with Jackie Stewart make it a very interesting car indeed, and we hope to see it picked up and returned to racing glory.
The car will head to auction at Silverstone Auctions’ upcoming Silverstone Classic Sale on the 26th of July, 2014. Head to the official website here for more information.
A wild Ford Escort slides full-tap across uncertain surfaces. It’s like watching a pig in mud.
Take a look at this awesome little MK1 Ford Escort, screaming through closed roads in Switzerland. The driver is Florian Gonon, with co-driver Michel Horgnies along for the ride. Just take a look at how comfortable the car is even when the weather takes a turn for the worse and Gonon decides to throw it around a bit!
For pinch-yourself moments wherever you look, Goodwood’s Festival of Speed has no equal.
The 22nd edition of motorsport’s fantasy fete lived up to the annual billing. And some. From my elevated position in the commentary box all weekend, I was privileged to witness – and eulogise about – a breathtaking array of two- and four-wheeled machines ripping up and down the hillclimb course, many with riders astride and drivers inside for whom period reputations were reappraised. Here, then, is a selection of my favourite memories from the 2014 retrofest.
Moss Marvels in Mercedes W196
Sir Stirling Moss, resplendent in period Herbert Johnson helmet and goggles, recreated that famous British Grand Prix win at Aintree in 1955 with several demos in the magnificent straight-eight Three-Pointed Star. Mr Motor Racing, now 84, was smiling all the way up the hill, joined on occasion by event host Lord March in the W196’s streamlined sister.
Ferrari champions go head-to-head
Festival debutant Kimi Raikkonen was reunited with his 2007 world-title-winning Ferrari F2007 and followed fellow Prancing Horse champion John Surtees (aboard ’64 158) in a glorious generation-dividing parade as part of the 50-year Surtees celebrations. The Finn was blown away by the event, forcing all who saw him to admit that they’d never seen him smile so much.
The ‘Mario and Ronnie’ show
It didn’t get more surreal than a brace of JPS Lotus 79s running in one-two formation, like many a scene from 1978. It was made more special by historic racers Dan Collins and Andrew Beaumont wearing replica Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson helmets respectively to recreate that Colin Chapman-run dream team.
NASCAR royalty visits West Sussex
Still festooned in stetson and shades, NASCAR legend Richard Petty grumbled up the narrow course in the 1967 Plymouth Belvedere in which he won 27 of that year’s 48 races. The King magnanimously let Emerson Fittipaldi and Kenny Brack try the V8 brute. Goodwood’s like that.
Motocross hero makes my day
A lingering-since-childhood ambition was fulfilled for me when bike-racing commentator Barry Nutley promised a surprise in the ’box on Sunday morning. On cue, Barry appeared with three-time 500cc world motocross champion Dave Thorpe for me to interview. The big man, a hero to me in the mid-80s, reminisced about his glory days with Honda. Huge tick.
Hundred-year-old heroes’ welcome
The sight of the three surviving – of five built – Mercedes Grand Prix cars that cleaned up in the 1914 French GP left everyone who saw them open-mouthed. The sophisticated machines ran in formation, with the race-winning example of pre-WW1 ace Christian Lautenschlager (28) being aired by American Festival devotee George Wingard.
Three-Pointed head turner
Sculpter Gerry Judah’s inspiration for this year’s tribute in front of Goodwood House came from Mercedes-Benz’s celebration of 120 years of motorsport success. The colossal structure arched over the top of the 17th century pile and featured a 1934 W25 and the 2013 F1 W04 racer on opposing lanes. Cue thousands of open-mouthed fans.
Mad Mike’s Mazda masterclass
With car control to throw away, Kiwi pro-drifting champion ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddet hurled his 538bhp, quad-rotor Mazda RX7 at the course – mostly at right-angles – with its tortured rear rubber filling the park with smoke. He thrilled the huge crowds with his balletic routine twice each day, leaving us all feeling impressed and inadequate.
Just what The Doctor ordered for Honda hero
The sight of 1987 500cc world champion Wayne Gardner astride Chris Wilson’s ex-Valentino Rossi Ducati GP11 MotoGP bike, popping wheelies along the way, was incongruous but infectious. The gritty Australian, a multiple Revival ’bike-race winner, had clearly lost none of his touch and relished the power of the 800cc big-banger.
British bulldog back at his best
British racing hero Damon Hill was reunited with his 1996 world-title-winning Williams FW18, the sound of the V10 Renault-powered car with Damon once again donning the London Rowing Club-liveried helmet taking mid-1990s F1 fans on a special journey back to Williams glory days. And he can still fit in the original overalls.
Loeb at the Pikes Peak of his powers
Anticipation and expectation was high: nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb was taking the 875bhp, turbo V6 Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak monster up the hill. Would he have a go at the 41.6s record that’s stood for 15 years? He tried hard, but stopped the clock exactly three seconds adrift. It was still mighty to watch.
Quattro v Delta: Group B for Bonkers
Two icons of Group B rallying graced the hillclimb course, the Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 and Lancia Delta S4. The bewinged Audi was manhandled by 1983 world champion and Quattro king Hannu Mikkola, while Delta owner Henry Pearman whistled and wooshed his way up in the Martini-liveried, dual-blown beast. Retro rallying at its very finest.
Bentley Boys’ Le Mans re-run
Three of the massive pre-war Le Mans 24 Hour endurance racers running in formation evoked memories of the British firm’s twice-round-the-clock dominance at La Sarthe in the late-1920s. Nicknamed ‘Old Numbers One, Two, and Three’, the trio of genuine steeds wreaked of provenance as they thundered past.
Lotterer’s 90 smiles per hour
Fresh from a third Le Mans win in four years with Audi, German ace Andre Lotterer tamed his paymaster’s fearsome 90 Quattro IMSA special. The tubular-chassis, plastic-bodied machine was a star of the US series in 1989, its 700-plus bhp carrying Hans Stuck to seven wins. Lotterer’s grin was as wide as the Audi’s swollen wheelarches.
Max power, NASCAR-style
Max Papis, a veteran F1, IndyCar and sportscar racer and arch enthusiast hustled the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Impala stocker to indecent times on the hill. The six-litre V8 had been tweaked specially to set as quick a time as possible. And it showed, not least when fans moved a step back from the track edge.
Emmo turns back the McLaren clock
Forty years evaporated in an instant when Emerson Fittipaldi appeared in period blue-and-red helmet and overalls and climbed back into the McLaren M23 in which he captured the British team’s maiden constructors’ title in ’74. A surreal, time-warp moment that the Brazilian hero relished as much as the fans who witnessed it.
Senna McLaren stars once more
Resplendent in full Marlboro livery, the low-line, Honda V6 turbo-powered McLaren MP4/4 in which Ayrton Senna secured the first of his three F1 titles was aired by Japanese GP2 racer Takuya Izawa. And the car in which Senna won eight races in 1988 still sounds heaps better than the current small-capacity, turbo F1 racers.
US ace Checks out an old girlfriend
American racing icon Al Unser Sr, one of only three men to triumph in the Indy 500 four times, came out to play in the First National City Checks Lola T500 in which he took his third win in 1978. Unser, now 75, is a FoS convert and smiled, posed for pics and signed autographs all day long. Which only makes him a bigger legend.
No agro for Ago
The world’s most successful motorcycle racer of all time, Giacomo Agostini, appeared on one of the sensational MV Agustas on which he was dominant in the late-1960s and early-1970s. The silver-haired, tanned and charming Italian, who won 15 – fifteen! – world titles, drew a crowd wherever he went. Must be exhausting being that cool.
Fast Freddie back at home on a Honda
American 500cc champion Freddie Spencer rode the actual bike on which he lifted his second top-class title in 1985, the factory Honda NSR500. The three-cylinder, two-stroke rocket screamed up the hill, with Spencer, in period leathers and lid, leaning it over with gusto. I was 14 and in total awe all over again.
A terrific little video gem, shot at the 1980 Australian Grand Prix.
The 1980 Australian Grand Prix took place at Calder Park in Victoria, and was held on November 16th. It was a part of the Australian Drivers Championship, and was won by would-be 1980 Formula 1 champion Alan Jones. This was the car which took him to victory on that day, as demonstrated by three-time F1 World Champion Jackie Stewart – who last competed in 1973.
Few genuine 24 Hour Races are still held today. This is the only one that remains unchanged.
Sportscar races have been a part of the Daytona International Speedway calender since 1961, and in 1968 the legendary 24 Hours of Daytona was born. More than 45 years later it’s still kicking, with the essence of what made the event such a hit.
The 2014 24 Hours of Daytona is set to be held November 12-16, it’s a classic 24 hour race dedicated to cars that have raced in Daytona endurance events of the past. It’s a full tilt, high speed track with true Sportscar monsters thundering through the night as the jostle for position atop the banks of Daytona.
Significant Sportscars from between 1961-2010 are welcome to enter. For frequently asked questions regarding the 24 Hours of Daytona click here. To learn more about the upcoming event, check out the Classic Daytona 24 Hour website.
This beautifully restored VMX beast is going to make somebody very happy.
The rebuild was a no-expense spared adventure, completed in 2012. The bike has only been used in three races since then. It presents incredibly well and can be used for leisure as well as pre-1985 VMX events, it can also be road registered!
