Let's try and get John Surtees a knighthood
 

Petition to: Knight John Surtees the only Formula One and Motor Bike world champion.

After all, he is the only World champion on two wheels and four :)

Top bloke, who raced in the time when motorsport really was death defying.

What about hill or hawthorne, didnt they do it too?

Yes, but unfortunately they have been dead for some time, so it's too late for them to be knighted ;)

No they didn't, Surtees is the only person to win the top class of bike and car racing ;)

Graham Hill and Mike Hawthorn did not win the World championships for motor bikes and for F1 cars. Jon Surtees did just that and he also ran his own F1 team with his own cars too. I saw him win a race at the original Nurbergring in the streaming wet purely on his driving skill in truly awful conditions.

I think he well deserves a knighthood and agree with the petition.

Les

You're absolutely right of course. I knew that too, but the knowledge was lost between brain and finger tips :rolleyes:

Graham Hill was always my favourite driver - what a character!

Yep I agree, still goes for it even now, seen him at Goodwood riding bikes and driving cars as quick as ever, unlike Stirling Moss who just does the royal wave to the crowd.

Before it closed down, I used to instruct on the Mallory Park race school (motorbikes).

About 5 years ago we had an event one Saturday that was a week before Surtees was due to do some demo laps at a big classic bike meet (Post TT IIRC)

He asked the school organisers if he could come down and get a bit of practice in as he had not ridden for a while.

Oh how we laughed at lunchtime when this little grey haired old fella and his mechanic (not much younger than Surtees) wheeled this thing out the back of the van with 2” wide tyres, a frame made of Meccano and drum brakes on spoked wheels!

I went out with my 2 punters who were not bad at all, tramping on a bit riding GSXR 600’s and me behind them observing. They were on it for road boys, Arse out / knee down and looking good.

Just as my punters were peeling into Gerrards ( huge 100 mph+ 5th gear bend), Surtees comes flying past me on the outside and then tucks in behind my punters as being a gent he does not want to frighten them. He follows for a short while then when he is happy he gasses it and passes them round the outside sat bolt upright on the seat and with his boots and exhaust decking out.

A few minutes later I pull my punters in for a bit of a chat. Surtees is parked up in the pit lane. One of my guys jumps off his bike, takes his lid off and then goes straight over to Surtees (he did not have a clue who he was). Conversation went something like this:

Punter: Fookin hell fella you are nuts!
JS: I’m sorry?
Punter: Riding your bike like that. You have a piss pot helmet on with goggles, your bike is scraping it’s arse all over the floor and there is sparks everywhere. You need to hang off it a bit. I think you are gonna crash and I would not advise that in the gear you are wearing.
JS: Oh thanks for the advice, I will try and remember that for later.(without a hint of sarcasm)
Punter: No worries chap.

When he came back over to me and I told him who had just been telling how to ride he was a bit embarrassed.

Next session I am again going into Gerrards behind my punters and Surtees (now on a GSXR he has borrowed for a play) levels me on the entrance to the corner. I give him the thumb and a wave of encouragement and once the punters are settled into the corner JS winds it on and overtakes them 20mph faster, not hanging off the bike, pipe and pegs scraping – and then takes his left hand off the bar and gives the young scally a goodbye wave before fooking off onto the distance.:lol1: :lol1:

What a legend. Lovely guy as well.

good story mate

Top for the evening crew :)

Added my bit, and will run a story about it on my site. P1Mark, you cool with me quoting you? I'll need to clean up the language a bit and will run it past you before it goes live - it's just such a great anecdote...

SB

Great story P1Mark. I really enjoyed that. I remember Gerards very well, one of my favourite corners-you could sit there experimenting with the wheel and throttle to see the effects while on the edge.

Les :)

No worries at all SB.

BTTT for a champion

Over 500 now

Just signed it, and what a great story Mark. Good to hear that....

Ah well, at least he got an OBE :)