Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Today in motorcycle history, July 30, 1972

  


 









  Riding a Munch-URS powered machine, the British Team of Chris Vincent and Mike Casey win the 1972 Finnish Grand Prix in the 500cc Sidecar Class at Imatra. 





  One of the legends of sidecar racing, Chris Vincent left school at the age of fifteen and joined the BSA factory race team in Birmingham. In 1954 he would join the Norton race shop and started racing on grasstracks and then in Speedway. It was during his time at Norton that Chris became friends with the well-known sidecar racer Cyril Smith. Smith would prove to be a big influence on the young Speedway rider introducing him to the world of sidehacks. 



  Summoning his inner Dr. Frankenstein, Chris Vincent would eventually meld his loves together, resulting in the "Norbsa".  A Manx Norton frame, swingarm, forks and wheels with a 646cc BSA A10 motor and tranny.  He would then pilot it to the 1958 National Sidecar Championship.



  He won the 1962 Isle of Man TT with passenger Eric Bliss establishing the first all-British Sidecar TT win since 1954, the first mountain circuit win by a British machine since 1925, and the first-ever International TT victory by a BSA.



  Unfortunately, the Norbsa was short-lived as the World Championship status including the TT were to be restricted to 500cc. Chris later used the reliable, competitive engine for Grand Prix and UK 500cc events, the flat-twin BMW RS54 Rennsport.







  Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD).  www.nabd.org.uk