Geoff Duke wins the German Grand Prix enroute to his sixth consecutive GP World Championship.
Geoff Duke dominated motorcycle racing in the 1950s, winning six World Championships and six Isle of Man TT races. After winning the 1949 Senior Clubmans TT and the Senior Manx Grand Prix 'The Duke' become the very first post-war motorcycling 'superstar'. Riding for the Norton works team for the 1950 TT, he finished second in the Junior TT and then broke both lap and race records in the Senior TT.
Still hungry after winning three World Championships for Norton, (1951-350cc & 500cc, 1952-350cc), he moved to Italy and won three consecutive 500 cc World Championships for Gilera. His support for a riders' strike demanding more start money led the FIM to suspend him for six months, dashing any hopes for a fourth consecutive title.
In 1955 he was declared the first rider to lap the Isle of Man TT course at 100 mph, though this was later corrected to 99.97.
Highly honored by the Isle of Man, where he made so many of his world record breaking rides, a point on the Mountain Course is named after him. Three sharp bends at the 32nd Milestone between Brandywell and Windy Corner are now known as the 'Duke's'.
Geoffrey Ernest Duke was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1953.
