It’s almost 30 years ago since my next profiled rider lost his life in a bizarre crash while competing on the closed public road course at Imatra In Finland near the Russian border.
A World Championship title in 1980 and no less than 4 Isle of Man TT wins were the main features of this rider’s short but highly successful racing career.
Partnered latterly with Swedish passenger Benga Johannson, Jock Taylor who hailed from the picturesque village of Pencaitland in East Lothian is still fondly remembered to this day for his track exploits and his sheer out and out speed on three wheels.
After making his debut as a passenger in 1974 at East Fortune with Scottish Champion Kenny Andrews, the bug bit and within three years Taylor partnered with friend Lewis Ward took the Scottish title with ease.
The pair parted company early in early 1978 and it was with Kenny Arthur that Taylor gained two rostrum finishes in his first Isle of Man TT races.
After a double TT win in 1981, Taylor with Johannson set a new lap record of over 108mph on their way to record breaking victory on the Mountain Course in 1982.
Taylor was fatally injured when he was struck by another aquaplaning machine after surviving his own crash off the course in very wet conditions and colliding with a telegraph pole.
A memorial to Taylor was erected in Pencaitland in December 2006 while another was built at Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy beside the old motorcycle racing circuit. Backed by the East Midlands Circuit, one of Taylor’s sidecars is on permanent display at the Donington Park Grand Prix Collection.
In two weeks there is the next running of annual sidecar race held in Taylor’s memory which this year will be run at East Fortune near Haddington where Taylor started racing. A good entry of 30 sidecars will fight it out to be the next holder of the Jock Taylor Trophy and another of Taylor’s machines will make a few demonstration laps by restorer Jack Muldoon and passenger Donald Kay.
Memory added on July 1, 2012
2 Comments
One of the true champs
– shane evans, July 2 2012 at 16:44
Jock a superstar burned oh so brightly never to be forgotten
– Kenny t, September 26 2014 at 21:52
