Chequered Flag

factory racer without the bodywork on, revealing its inner workings to his countless readers all over the world, but especially in Britain. Mick Woollett was the first to cover the Daytona 200 Cycle Week for nonAmerican readers, and reported on its growth into a major world motorcycle event in the 1970s, while his Isle of Man TT and Grand Prix race reports made riveting reading. Wherever you went in the world everybody knew Mick Woollett, and read his articles and reporting. In recent years, Mick wrote a succession of eleven books which have become the standard work on many topics, including Norton, Mike Hailwood, Honda Racers in the Golden Age, and The Grand Prix Riders. Our sympathies go to his widow Peta, and their three children Joanne, Paul and Guy. The man who opened a window on the world of motorcycle racing for three decades has now left us. After a long period of illness, MASSIMO TAMBURINI, recognised as one of the world’s greatest motorcycle designers, died from lung cancer on April 7th at the age of 70. Tamburini (above right), who formed Bimota with two partners in 1970, has been called ‘The Michelangelo of Motorcycling” and had to his credit two of the most beautiful and iconic machines – the Ducati 916 and the MV Agusta F4. In 1985, after leaving Bimota, Tamburini joined Claudio Castiglioni whose company had just taken over Ducati. His 916 design helped turn around the ailing company’s fortunes. Both the 916 and the F4 were featured in the 1998 Guggenheim Museum exhibition, “The Art of the Motorcycle”. He also designed the MV Agusta Brutale naked bike, and in his honour, MV released a new model F4, called the Tamburini 1000, in 2005. He retired in 2008.

Prior to taking up motorcycle racing, Denny was a champion cyclist. Always a flamboyant and spectacular rider, Denny raced a wide variety of machinery, from Yamaha and Suzuki twins and a Yamaha TZ750, to production bikes. His best years were in the early ‘seventies where he won the prestigious Harvey Wiltshire Trophy in 1974 against a strong field and the SA Unlimited TT in the same year. He suffered a serious accident at Adelaide Raceway in December of the same year where he was revived on the track after his heart stopped beating for two minutes. He raced again in 1975 but retired at the end of the year. Long-time associate Rob Lewis, who photographed much of Denny’s career, sent this note on Denny’s funeral. “Denny’s long-time carer Heather Bradley led about 50 mourners in a service held at Centennial Park in Adelaide. Heather had known Denny since teenage days and had always been married into and involved in racing. Family and friends enjoyed a relaxed time together after the service. Among those present were Graham Cornes, Kevin Gleeson, former ACU steward Peter Sparkes, Malcolm Pitman and Des Larner. Tributes were many.’