CULPABLE OFFICIALS
Before the final round in Spain, Newcombe decided to compete in several high-profile UK events. All the US stars and top British talent of the day were riding at Silverstone, and the scene was set for a Konig showdown. Tingate recalls: “It was fantastic at Silverstone, they had all of the Americans there, Yvon du Hamel, Gary Nixon, Art Baumann. All the works Kawasakis, works Suzukis, and everyone who was anyone was there, like Agostini, Phil Read, Barry Sheene, Paul Smart, Peter Williams on a factory Norton, and Percy Tait for Triumph.” Before the practice sessions, Newcombe did his customary walk around the track and, for four hours, pointed out his concerns to the organisers about the lack of run-off on the super-fast Stowe corner. He wanted hay bales to cover the concrete wall around the outside of that corner. But the British officials refused, stating they were not required. The Konig 500 was well set up and looking great, until practice when the crank failed. Newcombe and Tingate rebuilt the engine but missed the 500cc race, leaving the Berlin-based Kiwi to ride the littleused 680cc version in the feature F750 race. Newcombe made a rocket start on the powerful 680cc Konig ahead of the rest of the established stars. He led Paul Smart during the opening laps until Newcombe fell at Stowe corner on the sixth lap. “Kim shot off the line and led for about six laps.” said Tingate. The crash itself didn’t look too bad but Kim slid into the same concrete barrier that he’d warned the organisers about. “Kim was quite a safe rider and the only thing I could think was, he was getting pressed, and maybe the front brakes had started to fade and he’d just gone in there a bit hot. It was a fairly open corner with a small ridge in the old aerodrome circuit where the level changed maybe an inch or so. You see the bike hitting the ridge kicking the rear wheel into the air. “I didn’t know which corner he’d fallen off at so I rushed down to a couple of different corners and couldn’t find him. When I got back he was at the medical centre on the bed. He was obviously unconscious but was trying to get up. There were no obvious physical injuries apart and they kept him there for a couple of hours before deciding to take him to Northampton hospital.” After Newcombe’s crash, Stan Woods fell off on the same deceptive sweeping corner, in the same place, without injury. The organisers had moved the hay bales along the wall – after Newcombe’s crash. Aged just 29, Kim Newcombe died in hospital two days later on August 14, 1973, from brain damage. In only two years of Grand Prix competition, Newcombe racked up 90 world championship points from 11 GPS, for six podium finishes, including one win. Check out the video Love, Speed and Loss.