Sam Hewitt

  • BHR Cadwell Moore has it

    BHR Cadwell Moore has it

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    Close finishes, a dominating performance and something of a find in the ‘chairs’ added to the memorable BHR meeting for round two of the championship in Lincolnshire. Read more News and Features in the September/October issue of Classic Racer – on sale now

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  • Breathing life back into Clara

    Breathing life back into Clara

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    Initially, the cammy Velocette was anonymous. The bike came about as the result of a discussion between two of the company’s top engineers. It was based on a standard, 350cc overhead camshaft KTT engine but among many others of that ilk the supercharger made this one a unique example. Designer Phil Irving and technical director…

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  • Commentator Maurice Mawdsley retires

    Commentator Maurice Mawdsley retires

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    Long-time anchorman of the race commentaries at the Southern 100 International Road Races, Maurice Mawdsley, has decided to hang-up his microphone, having been ‘the voice of the friendly races’ for 28 years.  Maurice took up the hot seat from Peter Kneale in 1988, the year the Pre-TT Classic Races were first run, with the Steam…

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  • Mallory’s brilliant Bonanza

    Mallory’s brilliant Bonanza

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    With all the elements for a great weekend of motorcycling nostalgia, the sun-kissed Mallory Bonanza ticked all the boxes for the large crowd of enthusiasts that made the journey to the friendly Midlands track. Saturday saw the quieter road machines on track, and there was no shortage of people wanting to enjoy the short, but…

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  • My memory of Mike Hailwood

    My memory of Mike Hailwood

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      Dear CR A sunny morning practice at a very full Braddan Bridge in 1967, it was just like a race day, with everyone waiting for Mike and the Honda. Then that fantastic howl came from Quarter Bridge to Braddan, in round the left-hander into the dip and everyone stood up to look at their…

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  • Mechanical  Marvel – Moto Guzzi’s 500 V8

    Mechanical Marvel – Moto Guzzi’s 500 V8

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    Moto Guzzi built a total of six complete 500cc V8 motorcycles, and while these differed slightly in design, they all had the same incredibly compact dry-sump water-cooled engine architecture, measuring 44 x 41mm for a capacity of 498.73cc (interestingly, Honda adopted the same dimensions for its 250 four the following decade). The two banks of…

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  • Latest issue

    Latest issue

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    006 From the Classic Racer archive Two great moments from racing’s past that typify what we’re about. Both iconic moments captured by two of the world’s best motorcycle racing photographers. Each image is a snapshot of a much bigger story that shaped the racing world to come. 010 Readers Write Another instalment of your thoughts…

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  • Excited (and excitable)

    Excited (and excitable)

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      The past few weeks have seen me attend several meetings with some major players in the racing world . You may be surprised to hear not much of what was discussed centred around modern, flashy racing. What was the hot topic of conversation was how ‘modern’ classic racing could be used more and expanded…

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  • Thanks to generous IOMSPC travellers

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    Collections on board sailings to the Isle of Man during the 2017 TT Festival raised a record £19,465 for the Rob Vine Fund. Since the Steam Packet Company first instigated the collection, a total in excess of £255,000 has been donated to the fund, which was established in memory of Rob Vine, a competitor who…

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  • Jim Redman Assen 1964. The best ever

    Jim Redman Assen 1964. The best ever

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    Agostini – 15 times world champion and racing on public roads? Mike Hailwood – able to win anything, in any conditions and against any opposition? Rossi – beating the toughest racers on the planet and on equal machinery must be the greatest of the modern era – but Vale has never won a TT? But…

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