Tommy_Robb_(motorcyclist)

Tommy Robb (motorcyclist)

Tommy Robb (motorcyclist)

British motorcycle racer

Tommy Robb (born 14 October 1934) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Northern Ireland.

Quick Facts Nationality, Motorcycle racing career statistics ...

Robb began riding in trials and scrambles during 1950. His first event was a road time-trial riding a 197 cc James. He then competed on Irish grasstracks, winning six national titles and a 25-mile sand race between 1954 and 1956, before turning to short circuits on tarmac and road-racing. His first road race was at Lurgan Park, outside of Belfast, in 1957 riding a 197 HJH. He was noticed by Belfast sponsor Terry Hill, himself a trials rider, who provided a 173 MV and a 250 cc NSU Sportmax for 1957 and 1958 with Robb finishing third in the 1957 Ulster Grand Prix and second in the 1958 race.[1][2]

Robb was then sponsored by tuners Geoff Monty and his business partner Allen Dudley-Ward until joining the works Honda team from 1962,[1] winning his first world championship race in the 1962 250 class at the Ulster Grand Prix with two further wins at the inaugural Japanese Grand Prix in Tokyo.[1]

Robb during practice for the 1962 Dutch TT.

In the 1962 season, Robb became one of the first non-Japanese riders hired by the Honda factory racing team. He enjoyed his greatest success with Honda, finishing second to his teammate, Jim Redman, in the 1962 350 world championship.[3]

In 1973, he won the Lightweight 125 TT at the Isle of Man TT races, aboard a Yamaha.[4] He was also a five-time winner of the North West 200 race in Northern Ireland.

Towards the end of his competitive riding, Robb established a road-race school in conjunction with former Motor Cycle magazine journalist and retail motorcycle shop owner David Dixon, using Yoshimura-equipped CB250, and CB450 Hondas, with Dixon being the UK importer and distributor of Yoshimura tuning equipment.[5][6]

Trivia

In 1964, Robb's daughter Corienne won the annual Miss Pears competition - a year's modelling and a cash prize.[7]

References

  1. [1]
    Motor Cycle, 28 February 1963, p. 262 Dashing Irishman Accessed and added 2014-09-20
  2. [2]
    Motor Cycle, 3 February 1966, p. 157 Help Club Accessed and added 2015-09-04
  3. [3]
    Tommy Robb career statistics at the MotoGP Homepage
  4. [4]
    "Tommy Robb - Competitors - iomtt.com: The World's #1 TT Website". www.iomtt.com.
  5. [5]
    Bennetts, August 2013 David Dixon RIP by Ian Kerr Retrieved 2014-07-04
  6. [6]
    Motorcycle Mechanics, June 1973, p. 31 Yoshimura, Honda Speed! European and S.A. Yoshimura Distr. Dixon Racing, Wodeland Ave, Guildford, Surrey. Accessed and added 2014-07-04
  7. [7]
    Motor Cycle 28 February 1963, p. 86 Racing Line by David Dixon. "...his delightful little four-year-old daughter Corienne beat more than 100,000 entrants for the 'Miss Pears, 1964' title—and won a £500 first prize!". Accessed and added 2015-01-21
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