Classic Racer — September — October 2017

CLASSICRACERPRE-TTCLASSIC

68 ClassicRacer

PRE-TT

CLASSIC

2017

Above: WillLoderonthe 250 ccGreevescarriedtheNovice

bibfornowbutstill managedafineseventhplaceoverall

finishintheQuine&CubbonPrintersLightweightRace.

Left: DaveMolyneuxandDanSayle (2,750cc Ya maha)

overtakeVinceBiggsandVickyCooke(23,BuschBMW)in

thelastopenSidecarraceofthemeeting.

A

b

fi

L

o

t

T

he 2017 BlackfordsPre-TT Classic

produced abattle foroverall supremacy

between twostalwarts of theclassic

scene.

Goingintothe Billown event,Yorkshire’s Bill

Swallowled the way jointly withthelong-timeretired

BobHeathon 15 winsfor theannual meetingthat

startedin 1988.

Swallow’s last win was2012so, at the age of

72, he wasn’t exactly amongthe toptipsinanear-

capacityentry formost classes.

He wasagainentered forthe Singlesrace that he

had wonfive yearsearlier,but did not makethe start

on this occasion.

Thewinnerturnedout to be Isle of Manresident

RichHawkins on thesameDucatiMk.III he last won

the race on in 2007.

Thirdonnofewer thanthreeoccasions in the

pppreviousfour years, Hawkinsenjoyedanearly dice

wwwithWelshman BobOwen.

Thelatterled into CrossFour Ways on lap one and

cccompletedthe opening4.25 mile circuiteight-tenths

ooofasecondinfront.

Hawkinsstayedgluedtothe Aermacchi’srear-

wwwheel anddid have the driveout of the slower

cccorners,whileOwen hadthe bettertop-endspeed.

MeredyddOwen, Bob’selderbrother,was up to

ttthird on lap twoahead of KeithDixon of Blackburn.

Theleading 250 wasthe CottonTelstar of Keith

SSShannonofStHelensinfifthplace, withnewcomer

WWWill Lodergoinggreatgunsonthe Greeves

SSSilverstonenot farbehind.

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