Tommy Robb (motorcyclist)
| Tommy Robb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 October 1934 Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 12 December 2024 (aged 90) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tommy Robb (14 October 1934 – 12 December 2024) was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Northern Ireland.
Robb began riding in trials and scrambles during 1950. His first event was a road time-trial riding a 197 cc James. He then competed on Irish grasstracks, winning six national titles and a 25-mile sand race between 1954 and 1956, before turning to short circuits on tarmac and road-racing. His first road race was at Lurgan Park, outside of Belfast, in 1957 riding a 197 HJH. He was noticed by Belfast sponsor Terry Hill, himself a trials rider, who provided a 173 MV and a 250 cc NSU Sportmax for 1957 and 1958 with Robb finishing third in the 1957 Ulster Grand Prix and second in the 1958 race.[1][2]
Robb was then sponsored by tuners Geoff Monty and his business partner Allen Dudley-Ward until joining the works Honda team from 1962,[1] winning his first world championship race in the 1962 250 class at the Ulster Grand Prix with two further wins at the inaugural Japanese Grand Prix in Tokyo.[1]
In the 1962 season, Robb became one of the first non-Japanese riders hired by the Honda factory racing team. He enjoyed his greatest success with Honda, finishing second to his teammate, Jim Redman, in the 1962 350 world championship.[3]
In 1973, he won the Lightweight 125 TT at the Isle of Man TT races, aboard a Yamaha.[4] He was also a five-time winner of the North West 200 race in Northern Ireland.
Towards the end of his competitive riding, Robb established a road-race school in conjunction with former Motor Cycle magazine journalist and retail motorcycle shop owner David Dixon, using Yoshimura-equipped CB250, and CB450 Hondas, with Dixon being the UK importer and distributor of Yoshimura tuning equipment.[5][6]
Robb died on 12 December 2024, at the age of 90.[7]
Trivia
[edit]In 1964, Robb's daughter Corienne won the annual Miss Pears competition - a year's modelling and a cash prize.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Motor Cycle, 28 February 1963, p. 262 Dashing Irishman Accessed and added 20 September 2014
- ^ Motor Cycle, 3 February 1966, p. 157 Help Club Accessed and added 4 September 2015
- ^ Tommy Robb career statistics at the MotoGP Homepage
- ^ "Tommy Robb - Competitors - iomtt.com: The World's #1 TT Website". www.iomtt.com.
- ^ Bennetts, August 2013 David Dixon RIP by Ian Kerr Retrieved 4 July 2014
- ^ Motorcycle Mechanics, June 1973, p. 31 Yoshimura, Honda Speed! European and S.A. Yoshimura Distr. Dixon Racing, Wodeland Ave, Guildford, Surrey. Accessed and added 4 July 2014
- ^ IOM TT and Ulster GP race winner Robb dies aged 90 BBC Sport
- ^ Motor Cycle 28 February 1963, p. 86 Racing Line by David Dixon. "...his delightful little four-year-old daughter Corienne beat more than 100,000 entrants for the 'Miss Pears, 1964' title—and won a £500 first prize!". Accessed and added 21 January 2015