A RACING START
W Gordon McMinnies on the Triumph, left, and Oscar Bickford on a Vindec, right, were Oxford graduates who took part in a private race early in 1908. The Triumph rider won.
We take a look at 1908 and the introduction of motorcycle racing at Brooklands. Words: Martin Gegg Photos: Brooklands Museum Collection, Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History
P
rior to 1908, motorcycle sport in mainland Britain was restricted to timed regularity trials held on open roads as well some record breaking events at velodromes. Meanwhile, in Europe long-distance car races were being held and even after SF Edge won the Gordon Bennett race from Paris to Innsbruck, hosting the return event in 1903
was not possible on mainland Britain due to speed limits. Instead, the event was held in Ireland after an Act was passed enabling roads to be closed for racing. The Isle of Man also allowed pre-event testing to take place on a route which was later to become the TT course. In the early 1900s, various plans were being drawn up for race tracks on private land and eventually Hugh Locke King came forward to build the Circuit on his land at Weybridge. This was initially conceived as a motor car racing circuit but the 2 January, 1907 editorial
ufacturer Matchless, Harry Collier, of motorcycle man the Brooklands track ct inspe to first the of one was not perform well on in 1908, though his machine did g. its first outin
40
in The Motorcycle Magazine was already looking forward to the opening of the new Brooklands Racing Circuit where it said ‘Riders will start in positions according to their handicap and it will provide much excitement.’ Pioneer motorcycle manufacturers saw the opening of the track as an opportunity to reach high speeds in controlled conditions. By June, and a month before the opening of the Surrey Motordrome, Charlie Collier of Matchless announced that he was developing a special motorcycle with the intention of being the first to register a speed of 100mph. In the same month, it was announced that
Riding a 7-10hp Matchless, Charlie Collier passes under the Members’ Bridge on his recordbreaking run in October 1908 to set a One Hour benchmark.
BROOKLANDS BULLETIN | MAY - JUNE 2020
Brooklands May-June 2020.indd 40
17/04/2020 13:59
