IN THE BLOOD

Kel was born in Gladesville, a suburb of Sydney and was the only child of Jack and Lily Carruthers. His father had a motorcycle shop in the town, which, fortunately for Kel, had a large paddock alongside where he was able to ride a Royal Enfield 125 two-stroke machine from about the age of 10. Jack raced sidecar speedway and was state champion on several occasions and Australian champion in 1946 and 50, firstly on a Manx Norton 600 and then later on Vincents. Kel worked in dad’s shop after finishing high school, which sold all makes of motorcycles, but was number one Vincent dealer and had also had a contract to maintain Harley-davidsons for the Australian Army. From about 14 Kel was racing a BSA Bantam and a BSA 350 in local dirt-track club events. Before he was 16 he wanted to start road racing, but Junior licences were not available in NSW, so dad asked the Australian police for help and special permission was given. Difficult to imagine the ACU here doing the same. Kel’s first road race was at an airfield track called Mount Druitt, near Sydney. He finished third in the 350 Clubmans event on a BSA. He then raced at the better known Bathurst circuit, where he won! Genuine race bikes, like Manx Nortons, were banned in Clubmans racing, so Kel rode a BSA 350 with a Manx Norton gearbox. He built his own bikes with 350 and 500 BSA engines and Manx gearboxes and later with Norton featherbed frames. Kel finally moved out of Clubmans racing and got a Manx Norton 350, though he still raced a BSA 500 in the GP class. He also built a Manx Norton 250. In 1961 Honda sent a new RC161 four-cylinder 250 to the Australian importers, which was given to Kel in recognition of his results. He rode this machine with great success. Between the beginning of 1961 and end of 1965 Kel won 132 races from 155 starts. He was Australian champion for five years in succession. But despite all that Kel, like many racers from the Colonies, wanted to race in Europe. Fortunately he had an understanding wife, so he and Jan left for Europe in 1966. In addition to the Honda 250, Kel also raced a Manx 500 and the CR93 Honda 125 provided by sponsor, Jack Grove.

“His father Had a motorcycle shop in the town, which, fortunately for Kel, Had a large paddock alongside where He was able to ride a royal enfield 125.”

Kel shipped out a pair of Nortons and the little Honda with him when he left Australia. It was to open a whole new chapter in his racing life. “In those 13 years of racing in Australia a lot happened. I don’t even remember a lot of it,” admits Kel, looking back. It was a major operation for the family to leave Australia. With Kel and his wife, were his two children, five-year-old Paul and Sharron, who was then seven. Kel and dad flew to Britain to buy a van and caravan. Jan, Kel’s mum and the kids travelled by boat. Kel’s first race in Europe was in March at the seaside event at Riccione, where he met up with the rest of his family. Like many Australians, Kel was laid-back. Chatting to British journalist, the late David Dixon, Kel explained his ambitions. “I’ll give it until the end of the 1967 season to get a factory ride. If I don’t, at least I will have had a nice holiday in Europe,” Kel said. He made his Grand Prix debut at the 1966 Finnish GP at Imatra, racing the Honda in 125 class and finishing eighth. He also rode his Norton in the 350cc event, taking fourth position. After that Kel rode in the Ulster GP, finishing eighth in the 125 class again. The Isle of Man TT races were run in August that year, delayed because of a seamen’s strike, affecting the ferries. Kel finished 12th in the 125cc race, averaging 83.49mph, 11th in the Senior TT at 91.85mph, taking a silver replica, but he failed to finish in the Junior TT, managing only one slow opening lap. With just the first six riders home in each class scoring points, Kel ended the season in 18th place in the 350 world championship, thanks to those three points picked up in Finland. At the end of that season, his mother and father returned to Australia, where he closed the motorcycle business and became semi-retired. “Of course, the first two years I was in Europe were the last two years that all the factories competed. After that it was only Ago and the MV in the big classes, but in the smaller classes the Suzukis and the others were still there,” explained Kel. In the smaller classes life was tough for privateers. So for 1967 Kel ordered an Aermacchi 350, to try to race something different to a Norton 350.