FAUSTO GRESINI – 1961-2021
As a rider, the diminutive Fausto Gresini was well-suited to the smaller classes and he would win two 125cc championships during the 1980s.
The Italian from Imola began his race career in 1978 in the 50cc class aboard a Minarelli, but soon made it to the Grand Prix paddock, starting his first season in 1983.That year on a Garelli he would take a best result of second place at the Swedish Grand Prix. For 1984 the move to an MBA machine saw him take his first win (Sweden once more) and finish 3rd in the title race overall.
Better was to come in 1985 when – returning to Garelli – he took the 125cc World Championship with a consistent run of form, including three wins. In 1986 he’d finish second overall behind fellow Italian Luca
Cadalora but he would regain his 125cc world crown in 1987.
Towards the end of his racing career he would be challenged by the younger, up-andcoming 125cc riders – many of whom were his compatriots, such as team-mate in 1990 and that year’s champion Loris Capirossi. By the time he retired from racing in 1994, he’d taken a total of 21 wins, 15 second places and 11 third place finishes in his beloved 125cc class.
Fausto’s love of racing continued beyond riding and into team ownership, initially with a satellite Honda team in the 500cc class with Brazilian rider Alex Barros.the team would grow to include 250cc machines and it was in this class that he took his first championship as a team owner with Daijiro Kato on a Honda NSR250.
In the premier
Motogp class the team would find success with Sete Gibernau, although the crown would never be theirs. Recently,team Gresini took their second world championship – the 2018 Moto3 title. Fausto was no stranger to tragedy as, despite improved safety, he would lose two of his team’s riders: Kato in 2003 at Suzuka and Marco Simoncelli in 2011 at Sepang.
Fausto had been taken ill with Covid-19 at the end of last year and was initially treated at a hospital in his home town of Imola on December 27, before being moved to a special coronavirus ward in Bologna.
He finally lost his fight with Covid-19 on February 23, 2021.
Chris Vincent not only won an Isle of MANTT sidecar race, and British championships on two and three wheels, but he was also a former factory bike tester, innovative sidecar designer, as well as father to two talented racing sons.
Hailing from Birmingham, Chris joined Norton on leaving school and his passion for sidecars came initially with a speedway outfit and he became National Sidecar Champion in 1958. This was backed up by his talents on two wheels, taking 7th the following year at thethruxton 500-mile race, he would also work for BSA as a test rider.
Road-racing in the chair would come in 1960 at the Isle of Man, but bad luck would see him fail to finish a race in both that year and the following year’s races on the Island: but better was to come with his first World Championship finishes and points at Spa in 1961 which would lead to other good results, including podiums at Clermont Ferrand, Brno and Assen. He would win in Finland in 1972 on his way to 4th in the championship that year.
Chris would win the 1962 TT Sidecar race with Eric Bliss in their BSA outfit: this would be the first British win since the mid-1950s and the first British outfit to win since 1925, as well as BSA’S first evertt sidecar win. Vincent would also compete in solos at thett and came 12th in the Lightweighttt in 1962 and 8th in the Production 250 class in 1967.
As well as taking his five British Sidecar titles in 1964, 65, 69, 70 and 71, Chris would also win the 50cc solo championship in 1965, making him the first rider to win domestic championships on two and three wheels.
Chris would retire from racing in 1974 and setup a bike shop in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, also becoming father to racing sons Max and Jason. Both would do well domestically, with ‘Jay’ becoming 250cc British Champion and going on to ride in 250 and 500cc Grand Prixs with some success.
Chris Vincent passed away aged 86 on February 18, 2021.