Myself, Philip Chick and Bruce Ball ended up in the pits at the 1976 Australian GP at Laverton RAAF Base. Barry Smith has two motorcycle shops in eastern Melbourne. Was then looking for a bike (Yamaha TA 125cc) to ride at the GP. He spoke to Mike Johnston who then had a motorcycle shop in Smollett Street Albury. Barry was originally going to ask McCullough’s in Sydney to lend a bike.
However, Mike said he knew someone who may lend a bike. Philip Chick’s bike ended up in Melbourne and on the weekend of the GP we were in Laverton.
It was quite an experience for us three being around all these international riders’ and bikes. I had my Shoei full-face helmet and proceeded to get signatures written all over it. Agostini. Walter Bonera ???, Pat Hennon on the Suzuki 750 triple, and Hansford to mention a few.
My interest was the Honda 250 4 cylinder of Carruthers. This bike now resides at the Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum in Birmingham Alabama USA. Load that into your search engine and have a look at the museum, it is ….amazing.
Anthony Austin Street, 8 Feb 1926 – 25 Oct 2022. He held ministerial office in the Fraser government representing the Corangamite division in Victoria. So, Tony Street hadn’t ridden a race bike for 20 (. Tony’s wife insisted that there be no more racing bikes!) years and here he was riding Kel Carruthers Honda 250/4 doing 16.000RPM down the straight at Laverton RAAF base
So my curiosity was aroused and Kel Carruthers and Tony Street’s names crossed. Kel Carruthers was 250 World champion in 1969 and his 250 victories at the Isle of Man in 1969 and 1970. By 1973 Yamaha contracted him to run its US road racing team.
Kel Carruthers was one of the original 100 inductees into Australia’s Sporting Hall of Fame. He is also in the American Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Kel Carruthers raced here at the Hume Wier in 1963 against Jim Redman. I’ll send that as another email later as there are some great pictures of them on the track.
This is the one to look at as it has some interesting footage of the 1976 race. https://www.mcnews.com.au/1976-australian-tt-laverton/
Regards
Rex Beard