|
Mick Grant (born 10 July 1944) is an English former professional motorcycle road racer and TT rider. A works-supported rider for Norton, Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki, he is a seven-time winner of the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race on various bikes, including 'Slippery Sam', a three-cylinder Triumph Trident.〔(Mick Grant career profile at the Isle of Man TT web site )〕 For British racing fans of the 1970s, the soft-spoken, down-to-earth Yorkshireman from Wakefield, provided a sharp contrast to the brash, playboy image presented by Londoner Barry Sheene. The son of a coal miner, Grant began his racing career as a privateer, entering his first Manx Grand Prix in 1969 on a Velocette 500 cc, and his first TT in the following year, again using the Velocette and placing 18th in the Junior (350 cc) class on a Lee-sponsored Yamaha TD2.〔() TT Official site, Mick Grant TT and MGP results. Retrieved 14 February 2014.〕〔() Silverstone GP programme 1975, competitor profile by MCN's Norrie Whyte. Retrieved 14 February 2014〕 Later supported by businesses including Clive Padgett, heading Padgetts of Batley, on TD2 250 cc and TR2 350 cc Yamahas, and Brian Davidson of John Davidson Group on TZ Yamahas,〔Motorcycle Mechanics, November 1973, p.56/57. ''Mick's Giant Killer.'' Yamaha TZ350 track impressions by Charles Deane. "...Mick Grant kindly brought his race wagon complete with a brace of Yamahas to Snetterton..." "''You'll find she's much more flexible than the two-fifty...''". Accessed 25 July 2013〕 he was equally versatile on either two- or four-stroke machines. He quickly became a works Norton rider alongside Peter Williams and Phil Read, part of the first Norton factory team assembled for ten years, headed by ex-racer Frank Perris.〔Motorcycle Mechanics, March 1972, p.26. ''Frank Perris interview'' Accessed 14 February 2014〕 In 1972, he teamed with Dave Croxford to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race on a 745 cc Norton Commando,〔() Southampton and District Motor Cycle Club ''Thruxton 500 Race Results'' Retrieved 1 January 2014〕 and finished second to Williams in the 1973 F750 TT.〔() IOM TT Database ''1973 F750 TT race results'' Retrieved 1 January 2014〕〔Motorcycle Mechanics, December 1974, centrepage ''MCM Superstars Mick Grant.'' "''Kawasaki's No,1 rider of the Boyer prepared 750H2R, he regularly storms to success on the John Davidson Yamahas in the 250 and 350 classes...Mick Grant must make an even greater impact for Kawasaki next year''". Accessed 1 January 2014〕 In 1975, it was Grant who finally broke Mike Hailwood's Isle of Man TT lap record, which had stood since 1967, raising the average-speed of one lap to 109.82 mph on a Kawasaki two-stroke triple entered by the Boyer of Bromley team headed by Stan Shenton.〔〔() TT Official site, 1975 races overview. Retrieved 21 July 2013.〕 Grant raced in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing circuit in 1977 for the Kawasaki factory team alongside team-mate Barry Ditchburn and the following year with Kork Ballington and Gregg Hansford.〔(Mick Grant career statistics at MotoGP.com )〕 In 1979, Honda chose Grant to help develop their exotic oval-cylindered NR500, unfortunately with disappointing results.〔(Mick Grant at world.honda.com )〕 Grant also won the Macau Grand Prix in 1977 on the Kawasaki KR750 and again in 1984, riding a Heron-Suzuki. He usually raced with number 10 and carried the initials JL on his helmet, even after retirement from competition, as a tribute to his early sponsor – mechanic, fabricator and frame-builder Jim Lee of the 'Dalesman' marque.〔〔〔''Motor Cycle'' 19 August 1966, p.207 ''Orpin's latest flyer'' by ''David J Dixon. "The new frame, built specially for Peter Williams by ace welder Jim Lee of Leeds..." Accessed and added 26 December 2014〕〔(''Dalesman'' ) Retrieved 27 December 2014〕 ==Grand Prix motorcycle racing results〔〔== Points system from 1969 onwards: (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mick Grant」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|