John Newbold | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Nationality | British | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Jacksdale | 14 December 1952||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 15 May 1982 29) Coleraine, Northern Ireland | (aged||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Newbold (14 December 1952 - 15 May 1982) was an English professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. [1]
Newbold was born in Jacksdale, where his parents ran a butchers shop, and was brought up in South Normanton. [2] He began riding motorcycles on grass when he was 15. [2] He progressed from riding at Darley Moor on a bike loaned to him by John Cooper, to performing in front of 50,000 crowds at Silverstone Circuit. [2]
His best season was in 1976 when he finished in fifth place in the 500cc world championship riding a Suzuki motorcycle. [3] Newbold won his only world championship race in 1976 at the 500cc Czechoslovakian Grand Prix. [4] He was a teammate of Barry Sheene and Mick Grant at Suzuki. [2]
Newbold won the 1978 North West 200 race in Northern Ireland. [5] He made his debut at the Isle of Man TT in 1981, finishing fourth and third. [6] Also in 1981, Newbold was the top points scorer for Great Britain in the Transatlantic Trophy competition between British and American riders of the day. [7] Newbold was killed after colliding with Mick Grant at the 1982 North West 200 in Coleraine. [2] [8]
Barry Steven Frank Sheene was a British professional motorcycle racer and television sports presenter. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing between 1971 and 1984, most prominently as a member of the Suzuki factory racing team where he won two consecutive 500cc World Championships in 1976 and 1977. Sheene's 1977 title remained as Britain's last solo motorcycle world championship until Danny Kent won the 2015 Moto3 championship. However, Sheene is still the last British champion in the premier class.
Alan Shepherd was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His best seasons were in 1962 and 1963, when he rode a Matchless to finish in second place in the 500cc world championship, both times to Mike Hailwood. Shepherd was a three-time winner of the North West 200 race in Northern Ireland and finished on the podium twice at the Isle of Man TT.
Jarno Karl Keimo Saarinen was a Finnish professional Motorcycle racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1968 to 1971 as Yamaha privateer, before receiving the Yamaha factory's full support in 1972 and 1973. In the early 1970s, he was considered one of the most promising and talented motorcycle road racers of his era until he was killed during the 1973 Nations Grand Prix in Italy. Saarinen's death led to increased demands for better safety conditions for motorcycle racers competing in the world championships. He remains the only Finn to have won a solo motorcycle road racing world championship. Saarinen was inducted into the F.I.M. MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2009.
Allan David Jefferies was an English professional motorcycle racer. He died after crashing during practice for the 2003 Isle of Man TT races.
Franco Uncini is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racing. He was 1982 FIM Road Racing World Champion with Suzuki. He was inducted into the F.I.M. MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2016.
The 1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 30th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
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Arthur James Bell was a British motorcycle road racer who became known for his short post-World War II Isle of Man TT career that came to notice with his second-place finish in the 1947 Isle of Man TT on a second-hand 500cc Norton he bought himself on which he led for three of the seven laps.
Dave Simmonds was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed in the Grand Prix world championships from 1963 to 1972. Simmonds is notable for winning the 1969 125 cc FIM road racing world championship.
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Keith Turner is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from New Zealand. He competed in the FIM motorcycle Grand Prix world championships from 1967 to 1972. He had his best season in 1971 when he finished the year in second place in the 500cc world championship, behind the defending champion, Giacomo Agostini.
Derek Chatterton is a British former professional motorcycle road racer.
Brian Reid is a former motorcycle road racer and World Formula Two Champion from Northern Ireland.
John Milns West, was a Grand Prix motorcycle racer from Great Britain.
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