MADE AT THE MANX: 1970s

As part of celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Manx Grand Prix, a special ‘Made at the Manx Grand Prix’ lap will tell the story of the most successful racers to have graced the ‘Manx’ and who went on to reach great heights in the world of motorcycle racing.

World Champions and road racing greats who all made their mark at the Manx Grand Prix will take part or be represented in a spectacular story-telling parade scheduled to take place at 15:00 on Saturday 26 August.

Three riders will represent the 1970s era of the Manx Grand Prix on three spectacular 2-stroke machines:

CHARLIE WILLIAMS

Cheshire-born Williams was a Manx Grand Prix debutante in 1970, finishing fifth in the Lightweight Race, and a year later he took victory in the same race in record time and with a winning margin of over three minutes.

At a time when competitors could compete in both the TT and the Manx Grand Prix, Williams had already finished second in the 1971 Production 250cc TT Race and, seen by many as a 250cc and 350cc specialist, further TT podiums were taken in 1972 before his first victory came in the 1973 Production 250cc Race. He also won the Lightweight 250cc Race that year and would go on to win the class on a further four occasions.

Williams will take part in the parade himself, riding his own Yamaha TZ350.

By the time of his final TT in 1984, Charlie had taken 9 victories and 21 podiums around the Mountain Course. He is still very much part of the TT team, joining the radio broadcast for a number of years and now as the host of proceedings in the TT Mercury Club.

Williams will take part in the parade himself, riding his own Yamaha TZ350.

BRIAN REID

Brian Reid made his first appearance at the Manx Grand Prix in 1978, stepping on to the podium for the first time in the 1980 Senior Manx Grand Prix when he finished in second.

The Northern Irishman moved up to the TT the following year, and over the next 13 years he stood on the top step on 5 occasions on a range of 250, 350, 400 and 600cc machinery. It would have been 7 victories had it not been for retirements from the 1985 Formula Two and Junior Races – the latter with less than two miles to go after setting a new lap record earlier in the race.

His racing career was cut short due to injury in 1994, but by then he had amassed his 5 TT victories, 10 podiums, a North West 200 victory, 9 Ulster Grand Prix victories, and 2 consecutive Formula 2 World Championship titles.

Brian will be onboard a Loctite-liveried Yamaha TZ250, kindly loaned from John McGuinness MBE.

Brian will take part in the ‘Made at the Manx’ parade himself onboard a Loctite-liveried Yamaha TZ250, kindly loaned from John McGuinness’s personal collection!

ROB MCELNEA

Making his Manx Grand Prix debut in 1979 and securing a second-place finish in the Newcomers Junior Race, Rob McElnea went on to have a highly successful career across a range of categories and championships.

McElnea moved up to the TT for 1982 and in a brief Mountain Course career that ran until 1984, he was able to claim an impressive hat-trick of victories. His first victory came in the 1983 Senior Classic Race, followed by Classic and Senior TT titles in 1984 – the latter of particular note as both he and Joey Dunlop repeatedly smashed the outright lap record.

Perhaps most impressively from McElnea’s short and sweet Mountain Course career, is that he finished on the podium in every Manx Grand Prix and TT race that he finished!

The Grand Prix scene came calling for McElnea, riding for the factory Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda teams in the 500cc World Championship between 1984 and 1989. He won the 750cc British Championship in 1990 and also competed in the World Superbike Championship, before moving into team management with great success.