Editor’s welcome

Not many world or national champions can come across as humble, decent people. We’ve said it before, but the bloodyminded, selfish streak of a champion is often needed to be the best and beat the rest.

The nice guys, so they say, never come first – but we think there are a few exceptions and we’d love to hear who YOU think they are, so we can feature them in future issues.

Here at CR towers we’ve always respected Niall Mackenzie for the way he conducted himself in his three successful BSB campaigns in the 1990s (of course, the late, great Steve Hislop may have had something to say about this) and one other is Kork Ballington.

Hearing from our own Jeff Ware, Kork sounds like a regular guy who became a multiple world champion and never changed, despite the fame and adulation it brought. Normally, these things are taken with a pinch of salt, but – when talking to legendary photographer Don Morley (who doesn’t suffer fools or arrogance lightly) he had this to say about him: “Bertie, I am so glad you are going to feature my old mate Kork Ballington, the nicest guy who ever sat on a race-bike saddle, and so good: he was the thinking man’s rider. Mind you, he lived on noodles so I am not sure if that had anything to do with it. Oh and his wife Bronwyn was also lovely!”

So, that’s the secret: noodles and being nice can help you to four world titles, and his titles were in two classes that were fiercely contested!

You’ll see that we’ve finally got something on Rob Holden in this issue. We decided to do two features – one more looking at his link with the weird, wonderful and crazy bikes he road in New Zealand back in the day. We’ll be doing something on his remarkable career next issue.

Don’t forget to write in – you’ll get at-shirt if you get our prize letter.this issue, we’ve been asked for some sidecar features: what DOYOU want to see INYOUR magazine?