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+--- Thread: Tonfanau (/showthread.php?tid=20258)
Tonfanau - Dogsbody - 06-07-2015
Where do you get to see ( and get passed at high speed by ) JM130 on a MotoGP bike, Splashdown, Stan Woods and Charlie Williams out together? TT parade lap? No, at Tonfanau in North Wales at a club meeting. How good is it to see superstars at a meeting where sheep outnumber the spectators. Well done and much appreciated. Many thanks.
As John remarked, 230 bhp on a narrow track and no tyre warmers certainly focuses your attention.
Dogsbody
RE: Tonfanau - Splashdown - 06-07-2015
Dogsbody, you should have come and said "hallo"!
Yes that Moto GP bike was a little bit special. I rode it in the morning, maybe before you got there. Bloody awesome. Pulling wheelies in 4th without any effort. And fast! Very fast, but really easy to ride.
Pleased you like Tonfanau. it's a great place to go and support proper club racing. I have really enjoyed my three years there. Lee Heeson and his partner Yvonne Ryder put on a fantastic show, and give club riders what they want. Cheap racing.
Come again!
RE: Tonfanau - Dogsbody - 06-07-2015
Nick,I did say hello, and I was there from Sat afternoon till this morning
. I rode in the parades but unable to keep up with you unfortunately. Bob Mac T shirt give you a clue? Found a couple of pics of the event on here.http://nbthemanlyferry.blogspot.co.uk/
Dogsbody
RE: Tonfanau - Splashdown - 07-07-2015
Ah! Now it all makes sense Dogsbody. Nice to put a face to the name. And the name of the circuit that I was racking my brains for was Kirkcaldy. The racing was at Beveridge Park. Does that ring a bell?
RE: Tonfanau - c iom tt - 07-07-2015
Shame it was not more publicised.
JMcG did not Tweet anything about it?
RE: Tonfanau - Dogsbody - 07-07-2015
Nick, I believe this is the image that is on the T-shirt, North West 200 Senior race 1959, notice the strong crowd barrier.
http://niclassicscramblesclub.com/gallery3/index.php/old-pictures/Ken-McClure-s-Collection/roads/img874
Dogsbody
RE: Tonfanau - Splashdown - 07-07-2015
Well that is certainly a NW200 shot. I believe that it is taken in Portstewart where the course joined the coast road. Lovely photo.
So that's on your t-shirt eh? Hadn't thought it was that photo.
Did the Kirckaldy/Beveridge Park ring any bells?
RE: Tonfanau - Dogsbody - 07-07-2015
Nick, Kirkcaldy was familiar but I hadn't realised it carried on for so long. I thought it was one of those 50s/ early 60s circuits that had disappeared like Silloth, Prees Heath, Rhydymwyn, Kinmel Park, Perton and dozens of others. Now I have seen the Beveridge Park historic meet in May, perhaps it's something to be checked for next year. See you at Mallory this weekend? Dogsbody
RE: Tonfanau - Parky - 07-07-2015
Remember both Silloth and Beveridge Park . Silloth last race was in 1982 after the sad loss of Gary Hislop,(Steve Hislops brother)Beveridge Park ran until 1988.
RE: Tonfanau - Yamanx - 07-07-2015
I raced a few times at Tonfanau myself, like riding on a footpath, and I hate that tree
Single cylinder racing was hard into the hairpin, lock ups and stalling going on all over, really need a slipper into that stop start corner.
But brilliant to see some top bikes and riders there, its ok unless its muddy, then its real bad
RE: Tonfanau - Splashdown - 07-07-2015
Yamanx, you're right about the Paddock in the wet, but I can't for the life of me recall seeing a tree!
What do you reckon Dogsbody?
RE: Tonfanau - Dogsbody - 07-07-2015
Not seen a tree now but I've only been last couple of years. Like Druids at Oulton, big gravel trap there now, but there were a lot of trees quite close in the 60s.( don't get me started about the chicanes!!) Dogsbody
RE: Tonfanau - Yamanx - 08-07-2015
(07-07-2015, 10:49 PM)Splashdown Wrote: Yamanx, you're right about the Paddock in the wet, but I can't for the life of me recall seeing a tree!
What do you reckon Dogsbody?
Well I haven't been there for quite a few years. But after exiting the hairpin theres a bit of a straight then it sweeps right and just in front of you, slightly to the left theres a massive tree, or there was. But as a TT rider you probably never even noticed it
But I went wrong there once, missed the tree thankfully but it was always in my mind when I rode there.
RE: Tonfanau - Splashdown - 08-07-2015
That tree has now been removed. It will have been a relief to one lucky lad who went straight on where I presume the tree used to be.
You must come back and get involved Yamanx. Proper old fashioned fun!
RE: Tonfanau - Blademan - 08-07-2015
Did the first meeting during Easter weekend 2002? after Foot & Mouth at Tofanau, remember the tree very well, protection was a couple of straw bales!
Dicing for the lead with Dave Carbutt in the Lightweight race only to run slightly wide at Paddock bend on to a damp patch, I got the power on a little too quickly and highsided big style, ended up in Aberystwyth Hospital with concussion and a broken clavicle. I'm sure Dave went on to win and become Lightweight champ that year
You're quite right Nick, Lee and Yvonne work very hard for the club.
RE: Tonfanau - Revvin rich - 09-07-2015
Dogsbody mentioned prees Heath that was the first motorcycle race I attended I can still smell the castrol r now and kinnmel park was one of the first tracks I rode at it was a army camp and they used the service roads to race on!
RE: Tonfanau - Revvin rich - 09-07-2015
Lee heeson who organises the Tonfanu meetings was a very good rider in his day!
RE: Tonfanau - Revvin rich - 22-07-2015
I remember Lee Heeson when he was racing he was quite a handy lad on a bike mainly 250cc Yamaha's if my memory serves me right