56 :OLD BIKE AUSTRALASIA
TRACKS IN TIMEQUORN HALL
500 race, on his way to a 350/500/
Unlimited triple win. The 125 was won by
Don Thompson’s Bantam and Ev Sadlier
(Sadlier Special) took out the 250.
The 1956 Longford meeting was
cancelled because of a shipping strike so
a TT meeting was set down for Quorn
Hall on the 15th April. Don Thompson’s
Walsh-kitted Bantam again collared the
125, and Thompson’s little bike proved so
quick that it placed second to Ev Sadlier
in the 250 TT. BSA-mounted Dave Powell
used the 350 TT to start his run of 5 wins.
He took the 350 from Peter Thurley (348
BSA) and the 500 from Larry Eaves (497Ariel). He used the same bike to win the
Unlimited, then attached a sidecar to win
that race as well.
The November 1956 meeting was a
Quorn Hall Championship and “Clubman”
meeting. The “Clubman” class was for
non-factory racing bikes running on
standard pump fuel, and saw Peter
Thurley’s BSA win the 350, while the
500 was won by Dave Powell (BSA) from
Sam Hughes (Matchless) who also won
the 350 B grade Clubman’s. The return of
Max Stephens fired up Powell with the
two of them taking Powell’s recent lap
record of 1min 5sec down to a final 1min 3sec. The 125 went again to Don
Thompson with Ev Sadlier as usual
winning the 250. Thurley ((BSA)
defeated Dave Perry (Norton) to win the
350, while the 500 was taken out by
Powell (Norton) from Stephens (Norton)
and Peter Ricketts (Matchless). Stephens
got the better of his rival to claim the
Unlimited and the sidecar was won by
John Barrenger (Norton).
The 1957 season concluded in May at
Quorn Hall with a full program of
Clubman, Sportsman and Open classes.
The 250 provided a win for Dickie Lee
(348 Velo), while Peter Thurley (348ABOVEMax Eaves gets his
500 Norton under way
ahead of Bob Easton’s
Triumph.
ABOVE RIGHTScratch man
Max Stephens waits at
the back for the start of
a handicap event.
BELOW‘Ike’ Chenall (90),
Sam Hughes (18) and
Noel Windsor rounding
the drums in 1954. This
is the hairpin at the
bottom of the ‘J’.