CLLAAASSICRRAAACERPEOPLE
24 ClassicRacer
“Thenyou watchthe starter. Youdon’t think
of anything in the world –not the bike, your
family, winning or losingorcrashing.Your mind
almost climbs on to thestarter’sflag you’re
watching so closely.
“Everythinggoes intoslowmotion.It’s
like beingin adifferent world.Theflag moves
very,veryslowly and youpushlikebloody
hell.All aroundyou isanexplosion of noise
fromunsilenced engines.It’slikebeingin
awar –but youdon’t hear anythingas you
would normally.
“Then, automatically,you knowexactly
when to dropthe clutch. It’sall justbyfeel
withnocomputersoranything else to help.
Youknowthe perfect timingas muchasyou
knowhow to breatheorwalk.“You knowbytouch and sense if thebike
has firedand youfeed in the clutchand swing
your legs overthe bike in onemovement
and then get your headburiedinthe tank.
It’sall onefluidmovementand yougofrom
total silencestood at the side of the bike
to 13,000rpm and tucked in with just one
smoothmotion.
“The 350 race wasstraightforward. Iled
fromthe startand wonby12seconds with
Mikesecondand Remo Venturi on the Bianchi
twin along way backinthird.
“It wasnothing specialand Iwon at the
slowest possiblespeed. Ialways aimedto
winasslowaspossible. No one pays you
extra prizemoney, or gives youbonuspoints,
forlap records.“I knew that the 250rrracewas goingtobe
alot different. It wasconnnsideredtobethe
mainrace of theday becccausethere were so
manygoodriders andsooomanyfactorybikes.
As well as me andPhil,BBBenellihad aquick
four-cylinder bikeriddenbyTarquinioProvini,
and MikeDuffandTommmmyRobb were on
Yamahas.On paper,therrrewereplentyof
potential winners but in realitytherewasonly
me on the four-cylinderHHHonda andPhilwith
thedisc-valved, two-stroookeYamaha.
“The flagdropped andddwe screamedoffthe
startline together and Ikkknewthat thiswas
goingtobeone hell of arace.
“Even thoughitwasaaapublicroad, the
Assen trackhad alot ofgggripand neitherofus
would give an inch. Wewwwerebothhardriders
andneitherofuswas frightened of anything
so we were closetobannnging into eachother
on every cornerand flatout at over 130mph.I
wasdetermined to winttthat race and nothing
wasgoing to stop me.
“The problem wasthaaatmyfour-stroke
Hondawas 10mphslowerthan Phil’s
two-strokeYamaha,so foooralot of theraceI
had toslipstreamjust to stay withhim.The
1964 Hondawas the lastttof the fours and
we weren’tsupposed to revthebbbiiikkkeeesssooovvveeerrr
13,500rpm, but Itook it to 15,000rpm in every
gear just to stay with Phil. Ihad complete
faithinHonda, in Aika San and Nobbyas
my mechanic.
“Onthe lasthalf lap,Iout-braked Phil time24 Cl iR
Above:Jim RedmanleadsssPhil Readin theWest
GermanGP in July1964.Below: No.2Phil Read (3 555 0Yamaha)leads
No.3Jim Redman(350Honda-2)at Mallory
Park on September 26, 1 999 64.022 Jim Redman_SEP.indd 24 02/08/201710:37:10