Classic Racer

Classic Racer takes you so close you can actually smell the Castrol R. With the world's finest archive, and an editorial team who live and breathe the sport, the only way you'll get closer will be to put on your leathers.

Classic Racer

Surtees legend

Best of British!

Nicky…

WEISE MALMO GLOVES WORTH £79.99 • Put your racing knowledge to the test and complete the puzzle to be in with a chance of winning this great prize. Good luck!

readers write

Paddock Gossip

Cool 2026 events! • We thought we’d bring together a few of the biggest calendars in 2026, including the MotoGP championship, World Superbikes and others. If you’re in a club and have stuff going on, send it to: bertie.simmonds@kelsey.co.uk

Whatever happened to? ALAN SHEPHERD • A three-time North West 200 winner, twice on the podium at the Isle of Man TT and runner-up twice to the great Mike Hailwood in the 1962 and 1963 500cc world championships, Alan Shepherd was some rider.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD! • Last issue, Randy talked about how his race career began and how, despite never having won the 500cc world title, he always felt ‘on top of the world’. In part 2 he continues through his career and into retirement and his continuing charity work.

SUPER, STOCK, SUPREME! • Just over 40 years ago the world was stunned by the light and powerful Suzuki GSX-R750F. As the marketing blurb said, here was a bike ‘born on the circuit’ which would also return to the circuit, giving one legendary British racer a swansong year!

BARRY SHEENE • It is now 50 years since Bazza took the first of his two world titles.

COMBE CALLING! • What do you do when your racing season is at an end? That’s right… take someone up on the offer of racing their bike around the bumpy and challenging Castle Combe!

1974 MV AGUSTA 500 FOUR • The 1974 Grand Prix season would prove to be the end of an era in motorcycle racing. A run starting in 1958 with John Surtees winning MV’s first 500cc World title ended with their last 16 years later with Phil Read in 1974. MV’s famous three-cylinder racer had been struggling against the new two-strokes in 1972, so for 1973 the Italian firm took a 350cc four-cylinder racer and bored it out to 433cc and this led to a 497cc version which would race in 1974 and take the legendary marque’s final world title.

WORLD-BEATING BRITS! • For 1983 and 1984 one little-known racer would help put the Armstrong factory and the Britishbuilt racer on the map. That rider was future BSB champ and 500cc GP racer Niall Mackenzie.

LOOKING AFTER JOEY • Bob McMillan was Joey Dunlop’s right-hand man and got to know him better than most. He also pulled out all the stops to help Joey achieve his greatest ever victory. The former Honda UK boss tells Classic Racer what the legendary Northen Irishman was really like.

THE JONES BOY • In the first of two tribute features, Classic Racer looks back upon the brief but brilliant career of the late Craig Jones, as remembered by his parents, Steve and Yvonne.

Fred Clarke • In his regular column for Classic Racer, Fred Clarke – for more than 50 years the voice of British motorcycle racing – takes us back in time for some (often fun) recollections

DAVE DEGENS: 28 July, 1939 – 19 January, 2026

Back in the Day • Welcome to ‘Back in the Day’ where we want to see all your old photographs from way back when. They could be of you racing, or perhaps you meeting your racing idol – or maybe just snaps you’ve taken at a race event from yesteryear: do be mindful of copyright! There’s a prize for the best! Send them to: bertie.simmonds@kelsey.co.uk