LEN WHALIN – THE MAN IN YOUR CORNER
Len Whalin will modestly call himself one of the technical coordinators for YPM, with the additional responsibility of looking after both the club bike and rider that hires it. Two roles that he does extremely well, but there is much more to the man that gives up his weekends and holiday time for the love of the series, the riders and the TZR.
Len has been working with bikes since 1973 when having left school he joined Stan Shenton’s Boyers of Bromley, a shop that built, sold and raced motorcycles. This was soon to become an official Kawasaki dealership and the Boyer Team Kawasaki was born initially running the air-cooled H2Rs, much to the interest of the US. This is when Len was introduced to the likes of Erv Kanemoto (legendary GP crew chief extraordinaire), whose engines were a revelation. A switch to the KR750 bought riders such as Mick Grant to Boyer and Len worked closely with numerous racers whose names are legend.
It was the introduction to Kork Ballington’s brother (and spannerman) who was one of Len’s biggest influences. ‘Dozy’ was a wizard with a two-stroke and it was his abilities that seriously aided his brother to win four World Championships. Len was constantly at his side and learning the trade he still practices today for the YPMs.
Len did some racing himself, but his retirement from the track in 2000 was short lived when his son Danny asked him to look at a TZR that he wanted to race in the Yamaha Past Masters Series. They went, bought the bike and Len was the spanner for Danny’s first season, this prompted Len to buy one of his own and race with his son from 2002.
Sadly, Danny passed away in 2003, but left a legacy to the YPM which continues to this day. Len describes how Dan “would come back in after a race, we would make sure his bike was okay and he would be off round the other riders just to see if they needed help or any bits and pieces. His approach to the class and other riders, always helping and lending parts to get them back on track has stuck within the YPMs to today”.
Danny’s enthusiasm for the racing, for the bikes and all those in the paddock continues not only through Len, but so many of the YPM racers. Len has even introduced two awards in his son’s name to reward those whose actions benefit the series and others. Thus Len may be the main man in your corner, but he shares it with the legacy of Danny, and the entire YPM paddock. It’s a very packed corner of well wishers and doers indeed.