Motorcycle from race meetings held at the Roy Hesketh Circuit 1953 to 1981

From left, Roy Hesketh, Noel Horsfield and Erich Schroenn. DJ Run 1935

Des North at Alexander Park Road Circuit Pietermaritzburg 1946. (Courtesy of Alan North)

Willie Grobler on a 250cc Rudge at Alexandra Park in the early 1950s.

Eric Stadler on the 250cc Velocette at Alexandra Park 1953 .

John Ogden at Barracks Bend at Alexandra Park circuit in PMB en route to second in the Natal 500cc championship in 1952 or 53

Alexandra Park circa 1953. Caption needed, can you please help identify them.

D. L. Atwell A.J.S 350cc OHC. Inaugral Meeting 26 December 1953.

Bob Bergstrom and passenger Saxon Marzzitti circa 1953

1953 - probably first ever event at Roy Hesketh Circuit. RL Young and passenger on Vincent combo negotiate Angel's Angle

1950 and 1952 South African 350cm3 champion Clarrie Hurst guns his KTT Velocette at Alexandra Park, PMB

Ray Travers on his KTT Velocette at Alexandra Park, PM Burg in the early 1950s

Owen Brown takes his Excelsior Manxman up Beacon Hill soon after Roy Hesketh circuit opened. Owen, who was a Transvaal 250cc champion in the late 1940s

Fred Gradidge sidecar, he raced it right up until he became ill into the 1960s. Circa 1952

Doug Sutherland (77) and Bepe Castellani (80) lead a 350cm3 race at Alexandra Park ahead of R. Scott and Ray Travers

#14 D.L. Atwell A.J.S 350cc OHC Lap Time 1.27 secs and #22 I.R.Dunlop Velocette 350 OHV lap Time 1m27s. Inaugural Meeting 26 Dec 1953

One of the first, if not the first 50cc race at Roy Hesketh circuit. Think this is Johnny Gwillam.

Karl Rorich on his 7R A.J.S. at Quarry Curve, Roy Hesketh circuit. Karl won the 1958 P.E. 200, with cousin Keith Crawford running his pit

Fred Gradidge and passenger Eddie Bingham at Angel's circa mid 1950s

Bernard Podmore leaving Henry's Knee on his 650cc Triumph, possibly 1954

#8 Norman Maurice (7R A.J.S.) leads #10 Abby de Koc (7R A.J.S. ) #18 Tiny Marriner (Norton) and #12 Andreas Georgeades (7R A.J.S) coming out of BP Bend. 6th April 1962 (Picture courtesy of Norman Maurice)

Anyone know these two guys leaving Quarry curve, Roy Hesketh

Peter Aitken at Roy Hesketh Circuit 1970

1968 DICKIE DALE RACE MEETING ROY HESKETH CIRCUIT

1968 DICKIE DALE RACE MEETING ROY HESKETH

#42 Yamaha 350cc and #1 Yamaha 250cc of Johan Boshoff Dickie Dale Trophy 250cc and 350cc Class.Jan 1973

Ofie Howard on Barney Emslin entered 350cc Yamaha in the Dickie Dale Trophy 25th January 1970

Ago exiting BP bend and about to take one of the greatest corner ever built on a race track, Beacon Hill, in the 1971 SATT. He is on the fabulous 500 MV Cortest of Richard Bird

Bob Duncan leads Abby de Kock and Graham Cain - all on 350cc 7R A.J.S. out of BP Bend at Roy Hesketh circuit during the 1963 Royal Show races

Stan Setaro with Stan and Keith Crawford (Courtesy of Leanne Massey-Setaro)

Mike Hailwood being chased by Tommy Johns at Beacon, SATT 1970

Left to right, Unknown rider Norton(4) Marriner Norton(3), de Kock AJS(2), Watson Norton(1) The start of the 350cc event 1964.

George Palmer Pat McCormack at Becon Hill 1969

$The start of the Easter 1956 Natal 350cc championship. Defending champion #33 Boet Ferreira, eventual winner #33 Jannie Stander, both on Velocette, #28 Mike Burger, #29 Mike Moore, #30 Les Smith, #35 Dan Joubert, all on BSA Gold Star, #39 Charlie Randall - Norton, Keith Crawford on 7R A.J.S. whose helmet is just visible between Moore and Smith. #15 Cliff MacArthur on an Excelsior Manxman, #17 Eric Stadler on a BSA and #10 Don Lesar also on a BSA. Boet crashed at The Link early in the race and suffered a fractured skull. By his own admission it took him four years to recover his nerve. Jannie went on to win the 1956 South African 350cc championship.$

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Dan Joubert wins the 1956 Natal 500cm3 championship to retain the title he won the previous year. He went on to win the South African 500cm3 championship in 1956, earning Springbok colours. In fact, 1955, 1956 and 1958 were very good vintage years in motorcycle racing terms for the colourful Stellenbosch wine farmer. In 1955, following his first win in the Natal 500cm3 championship, he went to the Isle of Man to race a BSA Gold Star in the Junior Clubmans Race, then the world's premier production machine race. Fastest throughout practice he forgot to turn on his petrol at the start and the delay resulted in him finishing second and costing him a certain win. In 1958 he won the Western Province championship at a meeting at Killarney where he beat Jim Redman in a 500cm3 scratch race following Jim's first overseas campaign. He later starred in off-road races.

Jannie Stander and Mike Hailwood head down the pitlane for the 250cc scratch race at Roy Hesketh circuit in December 1958. Jannie and his beloved "Boksnot" are rightly South African legends. Memorably in 1960 they notched up four second places and a fastest lap, while Jannie also scored a 500cc third in UK and Europe. At the French GP he showed he was a match for the world's best privateers in the 500cc race before bike trouble cost him a lap. His campaign ended prematurely when he broke an arm at the Dutch TT, but the famous combination had left an indelible mark in UK and Europe. At home they famously won the 1957 PE 200 by four minutes from Geoff Duke and Jannie also won the South African Gold Cup 24 hrs race at Grand Central circuit that year, riding for 12 hrs, the maximum allotted time a rider could complete. In addition, Jannie was unofficial 1954 and 1955 South African 250cc champion and 1959 and 1963 South African 250cc champion. Jannie also took the 1956 South African 350cc championship.

The maestro himself Geoff Duke negotiates Henrys Knee on his 500cc Gilera four in January 1957 He was impressed by the organisation at the PMB track

Geoff Duke His lap record lasted a year and his motorcycle race record until December 1958 when it was broken by Mike Hailwood whose speed was not matched on the old circuit

This pic was published in a Durban newspaper after the December 1957 meeting at Roy Hesketh circuit where Gary won both handicap races, made international by the presence of 17-y-o Mike Hailwood

28.Eric Stadler(1) Les Smith(24) at Quarry. If you look carefully at the helmet there is a roundel which in Les's case represented Yorkshire. Les retired after the Easter meeting. Image circa 1956.

Peter Ekerold and brother Jon on startline SATT 1979

Brothers Dave, Jon, and Peter Ekerold and Ian Hamblin. Practice day before South African TT 1979.

Robert Adams on Team Lansell F1 class Honda K5 race was won by Simon Fourie 1978

In the lead is #2 Keith Zeeman-Kawasaki followed by #9 Les van Breda-Suzuki then #10 Howard Mellet-Kawasaki under braking for Quarry corner in 1978. (Image (Courtesy Howard Mellet)

#77 Peter Ekerold, #100 John Sneesby, #44 Keith Poilton, #65 McLarty, #55 Ian Brandon 2nd.Dec 1978

Jannie Stander on his equally legendary Boksnot leads Paddy Driver through Angel's Angle. 1960

#25 Stan Setaro and #22 Jack Grey on Doug Aldridge's beautiful Norton just below the control tower after they were first and second respectively in the Parkhill 120 in September 1959. Stan’s 500cc and Jack‘s 350cc had just clinched their respective SA championships. Both were awarded Springbok colours, Stan for the second time his first was as SA representative in the 1957 IOM TT.

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Les van Breda's Suzuki. He was second in the 1973 SATT and is a SA bike racing legend. Courtesy John Robertson

Mike Hailwood and Paddy Driver before the start of the 500cc scratch race at Roy Hesketh circuit in December 1958

Mike Hailwood makes a rapid getaway at the start of the 250cc scratch race at Roy Hesketh circuit in December 1958. Others in the picture are Jannie Stander(11) Norman Carstenson(Puch)(80) Bepe Castellani (FB Mondial)(1) and Cyril Klew (Velocette)(2). No.6 is not listed in the programme, but from the fact the bike has a fairing it could be Frank Cope on the Norton on which he won the PE 200 a fortnight later. Behind Frank could be Gary Burgess on a BSA

Start of the 500cc Scrath Race 14th December 1958. Paddy Driver(46)2nd. Stan Setaro(44)3rd. K Robus(42) Jim Redman(43) W Larney(16) Mike Hailwood(57)1st. D Hilton(19) D A Smith(17) Mike Hailwood won with a record lap time of 38min 7sec.

Dave Chadwick & Mike Hailwood at Roy Hesketh Circuit 1958

.World Champion Geoff Duke at Hesketh January 1957

The legendary Les van Breda and Ian Brandon at Roy Hesketh circuit, c1975, on the slow down lap. Les was on a Suzuki GT750 which he fondly nicknamed "Skilpad" (Courtesy Ian Brandon)

#48 Glen Hollister & George Palmer looking on as #26 Fred Gradidge & Piedie van Rensburg spin out at the Roy Hesketh Circuit 1964.

Start of the 1954 New Years Day Championship 350cc race #51 R.M.Travers – Norton, #56 B.P.Castellani - 7R AJS & #52 R.M.Grant Norton. Outright circuit lap record: R.M.Travers 1m26.3s at 69.21mph.

Jack Gray in 1959 the year he became South African 350cc champion on Doug Aldridge's beautiful Norton earning him Springbok colour

#28 Tommy Robinson leads #21 Jim Redman 1959

Jack Gray on the Doug Aldridge 350 KTT Velocette in the Natal 100 in 1958. he won this race again in 1961 on a G50 Matchless.

#14 Martin Watson, #8 Cliff Godwin at Beacon Oct 1958

#27 Mike Moore - BSA Gold Star leads #32 Jack Gray on Doug Aldridge KTT Velocette in the Parkhill 120 in 1958

#77 B.Bates leads #76 J.Schneider both on 400cc Yamaha's during the Concurrent Class Scratch Race 5th April 1980

#96 Giacomo Agostini 1st 500cc M.V.Agusta at an average speed of 75.83mph, #71 G.Cruse 2nd 500cc Suzuki, Alberto Pagani 3rd 500cc Linto and #96 Mike Grant 4th 750cc Honda at the start of the 1970 SATT at Roy Hesketh Circuit (Image by Keith Edwards)

#45 Alan North, #43 Mike Fogg, #54 ?, #27 Ron Adamson, #40 Errol Cowan, #42 Johan Boshoff, #65 Mick Grant, #41 Simone Fourie, #52 Rodney Gray, #60 Keith Peterson Start 1973 SATT at Roy Hesketh Circuit.

#45 Alan North, #55 Dudley Schafer #60 Keith Petersen, #43 Mike Fogg, #11 Mike Crawford, #1 Johan Boshoff, #33 B. Keats 1973 SATT 350 race - Field gets underway at Henry's Knee Roy Hesketh Circuit.

Battle of the Brits Dave Chadwick leads Mike Hailwood out of Angels Angle in January 1959. Two of the most popular visitors to South Africa

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The History of the South African TT can be divided into two parts, not only obviously in terms of time but in terms of the quality of the riders. During the first period, 1920-37, the races attracted South Africa's top riders, several of whom became South African legends because of these races. But it also attracted a rider who went on to become one of the sport's all-time legends. However, it must be said that he hardly lived up to his reputation. On the other hand, the revived South African TT, 1970-79, attracted two of the sport's all-time great legends as well as three who went on to achieve this status. The legends certainly did their reputation no harm, while the three legends-to-be also featured prominently and included a SATT winner. The visitors also included a famous British rider who had mixed fortunes.

Motorcycle Pictorial History of Roy Hesketh Circuit 1953 - 1981 Older motor racing fans and nostalgists will know Roy Hesketh Circuit well. In its heyday, the 1960s and 1970s, it counted among its visitors many world champion drivers and riders.The Roy Hesketh Circuit was named after famous South Africa motorcycle and car racer tragically killed in WW2 and was host to many memorable race meets from 1953. The South African Government banned all motorsport due to the 1974 fuel crises and also due to the complaints of noise from residential home encroachment, but also because South Africa was now excluded from all international sporting events by sanctions, including motorcycle and car racing, the circuit had it last ever race meeting in 1981 and was sadly closed after only 28 years. Many budding South African motorcycle riders learned their trade there including Kork Ballington and Jim Redman who won ten World Championships between them. Other famous names like Giacomo Agostini, Mike Hailwood, Geoff Duke, Barry Sheene, Percy Tait, Ray Pickrill, Phil Read, Alan North, Paul Smart, Gary Hocking, Dickie Dale, Rod Gray and Mike Fogg to name a few all raced there. South African Jon Ekerold was 350cc World Champion in 1980 and also started his racing career at the Roy Hesketh Circuit.