Classic Racing Motorcycle Club

1980 - 2010

The CRMC was founded by Sir Alan Cathcart along with his wife Stella and the legendary tuner Dick Linton. As to how and why the club was formed can be best told by one of the founding members, Dick Linton

Extract from Open Megga - No 43 – January 1988

By Dick Linton (Founding Member)

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I wonder how many members know how the Club came into being, and the reasons behind it.

When I started racing at the end of the 60's it was on an Aermacchi. Even though I was not competitive, the bike was, and on that or similar tackle riders could still win even up to National level right through until about 1972/3.

Thereafter the two strokes took over. Most riders therefore bought two strokes 'cos most people want to think they at least have a chance of winning. At that time Manx's, 7R's, G50's etc., were being sold, with difficulty, for £225-£275.

Many or the Club's early members bought their bikes at this time, if they hadn't one already, because of their interest in, and dedication to, what I describe as the last racers with character. Some of us however didn't sell. We must have been stupid really: we wanted to win, but even more than that we wanted to race the sort of bikes we loved.

Fortunately for us some clubs, I think the Newmarket Club was probably the first, recognised the need, and the single cylinder racing class was born. So it was the riders like Richard Cutts, Rich Rogers, John Hammond, Ian Griffiths, John Cronshaw, and myself amongst many others kept "banger" racing going the '70's.

I think I am right in saying that it was one of the Newmarket meetings Alan Cathcart  (Founding Member) came to as a spectator which influenced him towards bangers, so he joined in with us about 1975.

During the late '70's, due predominantly to the efforts of Richard Cutts and a few others the Kennings Single Cylinder series was created. At that time it wasn't a Classic Race so Japanese singles could race as well, but it was the first National series for single cylinders.

After the formation of the CRMC we ran our own series, starting initially with parades only in 1981, and then becoming a race in its own right. This National Series was run at the major International events and as a result Kennings swapped their sponsorship to this before eventually taking it over completely. But I am getting ahead of myself!

By 1979 I had got to know Alan and Stella (Cathcart) really well. We both had our engines looked after by Francis Beart, and we had done a number of Manx GP's and the '78 TT together, sharing garages and latterly accommodation. Alan had asked if I would like to ride his G50 in a parade at a Vintage Club meet at Brands. We knew strictly speaking that the bike was too young by a couple of years for Vintage Racing, but this was only a parade after all, and in any case the Dutch Club were coming over with bikes of the same age.

It was a nice bike too (still is!) so we didn't think we would offend anybody. How wrong we were! The late Jack Walton who was an official of the meeting, and very officious at that, went spare. Accused Alan of Un-Gentlemanly Conduct or some similar rubbish. Subsequently he had Alan called before the VMCC Committee, and thrown out of the club!

For the moment back to Brands however. Alan was not quite himself-beside himself might better describe it, and he said to me 'Bugger it Dick' I'm going!! to start a club. Will you help me? and that was the start of it all. Little did we know what we had let ourselves in for.

So it was that the two of us sat down to decide what form the Club should take. The fundamental reason for the Club's being was to provide the opportunities to race REAL RACING MOTORCYCLES - from the period in which we were interested, Group 1 if you like. There, that is it and it is simple isn't it.

Over the years we have been accused of elitism because we have pursued that aim. In one way perhaps it is, and in another perhaps not. By comparison anyone can join the TT Riders Association. You simply have to have ridden in the TT. All we did was to invite LIKE MINDED people to join our Club and race the bikes we loved.

Having decided the single main function of the Club, we then had to look at practicalities. First of all we were not going to get sufficient support at the beginning to run a Group 1 Club as such. In any case we recognised that specials were as much a part of the period we wanted to cover, and that they must have a part to play

Once the outline of the Club had been decided-the structure came later­ Alan got some Media coverage and so off we trooped to Redgate Lodge in November 1979. To say we were delighted with the response would be an understatement, but nevertheless there was still a great deal of scepticism to overcome, then and for some time after.

So it was that the Club was officially born. Committees were formed and the business of drafting rules began. Alan in conjunction with Nick Crook I believe drafted the rules of the Club. James Philbrick came up with the concept of Periods1 & 2 and the Groups. Alan and I, over a bottle of plonk in an Italian Transport Hotel came up with the basis for the eligibility guidelines, which was then taken apart, refined and put back together again by the original eligibility committee.

So there we were with a Club whose main purpose was to bring back the real racers (Group 1) but also recognising the part of specials (Group 2). In order to decide cut offs we had to use dates and so we now have a Classic Period(s). This on its own brought problems, for while we knew what we wanted in the club, we also knew what we didn't want!

Once you put down dates however some people think anything between those dates, and frequently outside, is eligible. NOT SO! It is a popular misconception that the Club set out to provide cheap racing-I've even had someone argue this with me-NOT SO! In fact one of the primary concerns in the early stages of the Club was not to let it deteriorate into an 'Old Bike Racing Club' instead of the 'Classic Bike Racing Club'. To put it plainly the word CLASSIC was intended to convey the quality of the goods-NOT the date!

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