As you know I had a great time at the BSFoS the other weekend and it was made even better for being able to spend some time talking to a real icon of the sport, Britain’s Phil Read. Born in 1939 (that makes him 75) and with a distinguished career in racing behind him, Read is still competing in classic bike events all over the world as well as doing personal and promotional appearances at other historic events. Despite being hampered a little by having to use borrowed machinery and riding gear on the weekend, Read still gave good account of himself as well as being accessible and friendly to all the punters who called by his pit bay or bumped into him around the pit enclosure. Indeed, I was able to spend a few minutes chatting to him in the cafe where he was sitting, by himself, having a sandwich.
I asked him about the infamous fire-bombing of the toilets in the pits at Imatra in Finland in 1974. He told me the bits that I already knew; the toilets were filthy and a disgrace and that, despite delegations from the riders, the organisers refused to do anything about it. He told me that some left-over two stroke fuel had been used to very good effect and that, when the circus visited Imatra again, there was as brand new toilet block in the pits. Pressed as to whose idea it was and who actually carried out the incendiary raid, Read smiled and looked me in the eye and said with a smirk, “I’m not telling.” So, even though it is common knowledge that both Barry Sheene and Steve Parrish were the ringleaders, the code of “What happens at the track, stays at the track.” still holds firm, some 40 years afterwards. 🙂
For those who need to brush up on their history, here is the brief bio of the man, courtesy of Wikipedia
On a more serious note, however, I was able to spend half an hour or so talking to him about the racing days and his remembrances of them and was able to record the interview. So, here, in the words of the man himself, is Phil Read.
More tomorrow.
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