70 ClassicRacer
CLASSICRACERPRE-TTCLASSIC
Above: SteveFergusonleadsBarryDavidsonin
horribleconditionsduringtheGreystonesLLC
50 0ccSenior.Theywentontofinishfirstand
secondrespectively.Below:RichHawkins(5, 349 DucatiMk.III)holds
offBobOwen(39, 350Aermacchi)intherunto
BallabergatBillown.Bottomright:MikeHosegetsasmuchtyre
downashedareonthe 250 ArielArrowinthe
LightweightRace.70 ClassicRacer
Retired Holmfirthschool teacher Bill
Swallowtookadvantage of thesteadily
dryingroadsto win arecord16th
Pre-TTClassic.
Takingthe 850cc race, thefirstonthe
cardfor the final afternoon of the three-day
meeting,heedgedone aheadofold rival
BobHeath andWirral’sMikeHose whohad
wonthe wet250cc event three-and-a-half
hoursearlier.
Pole-setter AlanOversbygrabbed the
reins at thestart, butfor the secondtime in
one daythe classlap recordholdersuffered
fromwater in the electrics of the Davies
Motorsport500Honda.
Swallow had leap-froggedintothe leadover
Steve Fergusonby the end of thefirst circuit,
enjoyinganarrowthreetenthsofasecond
advantagggeonGleve Racinggg’s MotoPaton.With Jamie Coward also retiring after
acouple of laps,the advantage between
Swallowand Fergusonon theGreenhall
Honda-4hovered between halfasecond and
2.5seconds forthe remainder of the race.
At the closeitwas 2.202s, with Swallow’s
final lap of 83.874mphthe bestofthe race.
“It’s only the second timeI’veridden the
Paton in the wet,”headmitted. “I triedto
keep it in ahighergear and rode it likearoad
circuit –niceand smooth.
“It’s abit quicker than the Honda down the
straights. It needs to be, I’m an old man.”
Fergusonsaid that he hadshowed
Swallowawheel on afew occasions, but
emphasised:“Bill’sthe master. He’s braver
than me into Stadium,Iwas happytosettle
forasafesecondplace. It wasawesometo
ride behindhim.”
068 PreTTclassic_SEP.indd 70 27/07/201713:05:22