CRMC Contacts

John Davidson - Biography

I have been around motorcycles all my life, initially influenced by my parents both of whom rode bikes.  Starting on a BSA Bantam field bike age 9, I later had a Tiger Cub and a BSA C15 on the road before deciding to try racing. My first race was way back in 1971 on a Honda CB77 at RAF Elvington in East Yorkshire.  From the Honda I progressed, maybe progressed is not the right word, to air cooled Yamaha’s that were much faster than the Honda, but emptied the bank account even faster.

Fast forward to 1985 and now with a young family, I discover the Classic Racing scene taking off and want a part of it.  History then repeats itself as I purchase a road going Honda CB77 to convert to racing spec.  The Honda performed well and the next year gave me my first race win with CRMC at Donington Park. 

 Fast forward another 20 years to 2005 and I have just retired from the Fire Service after 30 years of squirting water about, can’t stop racing Hondas, but now putting a bit back into the club as a CRMC committee member and Race Entry Secretary.

Around this time, I became a member of the FIM Europe Vintage Commission helping organise the Vintage Road Race Championships, a role I still have today.

Fast forward another 20 years to the present and I still have a 350 Honda in the garage, am still on the CRMC Committee, still a member of FIME Vintage Commission and have a steady number looking after CRMC’s Classic Eligibility registrations and a few other odd jobs that I can help the club out with.

Chris Barfe - Biography

Andy Pike - Biography

I did an engineering apprenticeship on leaving school & bought a Gilera 50 to get to work on, quickly replaced by a far more reliable Fsie! I've not stopped riding since, on a multitude of bikes of all makes & sizes. I joined Notts Police in my early 20’s, figuring on riding bikes for a living & retiring early! The speed bug bit & I needed to try racing, despite a young family & not much spare money. A familiar scenario to most I’m sure! 

CRMC at Cadwell at Easter 1991 was my first meeting, on a production Super Six. I’ve raced ever since; much of the time being in the enviable position of riding other peoples bikes, chiefly Cleve Brightman’s (one of the clubs founding fathers) who's been a friend & mentor for 30 odd years.

I had a good innings I think, winning a few races & championships, both Classic & modern, before finishing on a high; winning on a Supermono at the CRMC Castle Combe meeting in 2021. It’s time for me to put something back!

Sally Russell - Biography

I met Gordon while studying at the University of East Anglia. Our first proper date was to marshal at Snetterton.  It poured with rain, I got absolutely soaked, and we ended up running both Riches and Sears between us because the other marshals all went home - my first introduction to motorcycle racing! For some strange reason this didn’t put me off. We built our first racing machine in our student house, and then I bought our first proper racing bike – a Seeley lowboy, once I started working. 

I have been involved with the Classic Club since the late 1990s, and joined the committee when I took over the role of editor of Open Megga.  I was Race Secretary for a while, and then became a Clerk of Course at least fifteen years ago. I am also Secretary of the CRMC.

Over the years, we have had some fantastic experiences through racing, met some wonderful people, and carry some amazing memories. So, it’s just as well, I didn’t let my soggy Snetterton experience put me off!

Nick Taylor - Biography

Nick Taylor has recently taken over the position of CRMC Chief Marshal from Roy Cartwright. We'd like to thank both Roy and Nick for their dedication and commitment to the CRMC. 

Ben Robinson - Biography

I got involved in the racing community when I was 4 years old, going along to the CRMC Meetings when my stepdad would be racing his Honda 200. From this I developed the bug. 

I remember standing at Paddock Hill at Brands Hatch in maybe 2009 and watching the Sidecar race, thinking “I’m going to do that one day”. After a lot of persuading my mum it was a good idea I went and got my licence, my first race being on a 750 Triumph at Lydden Hill. Since then I have finished 3rd in the Bemsee F2 Championship in 2019 and won the FSRA Pre Injection F1 championship onboard a 1998 Yamaha Thundercat. 

Alongside racing, I am a Clerk of the Course in Race Control, running and assisting in the organising and planning of meetings. I really enjoy it, seeing the smiles and happiness it brings to everyone in the paddock. 

Outside of racing, I’m a Transport Manager and I live in Bedford with my cat, Craner (yes, I did name her after the corner at Donington!). I enjoy going out on walks with my friends and of course enjoy the odd responsible drink in the bar..

Come and find me at any meeting and I’ll happily help you in anyway I can. :)

Anji Yardley - Biography

Shortly after I met Jono, we took a week’s holiday in the Isle of Man, neither of us knew that it was practice week for the Manx GP (at least that what I was told!)– it had been brought forward a week. Jono said that they were short of marshals, so we ended up marshalling every evening – a proper baptism of fire.

His ambition turned out to be to race in the Island, although he had never raced, he soon started doing track days, and then racing with North Gloucestershire RRC (now NG). After a couple of years, he joined the CRMC, and I often went with him and decided if I was going to be there at the weekend, I need to do something other than make coffee.

One day I was talking to Tony Finch and he asked if I would like to help in the Race Office, before I knew it, I was running the office and after a year or so I took on the job of Entries secretary – a sensible move as the two jobs areclosely related. Over the years I have been involved with the club I have got to know most of the riders by first name and now I even know most of the bikes and the classes they run in.

For 2021 I have also taken on the role of Membership secretary, which dovetails perfectly with the other jobs!

Jerry Fiford - Biography

I started riding bikes in 1960, when we were called "ton up boys", later to become rockers when the mods and rockers era started.

I have been a bike owner ever since then and still ride on the road. I started out racing at the Vic Camp/Tom Kirby race school at Brands Hatch in 1971 and then started my full season of racing in 1972. I won my first championship in 1974, winning the 250 singles championship with BEMSEE.

I raced for 23 years and in this time managed to win 7 more club championships, racing Ducati's, Honda's and Yamaha's. I joined the CRMC back in the 80's where I spent the rest of my race years. I managed to win the CRMC 250 singles championship and was very lucky to win the rider of the year award.

I competed in the Manx Grand Prix in 1988 and the Southern in 100 in 1990 and was awarded best newcomer that year. Took a break from racing but now enjoy parading with the club and hope to continue for as long as I can.

I refuse to grow old gracefully!!

Jono Yardley - Biography

I started racing fairly late in my life – think I was about 47 years old. My ambition was always to race in the Isle of Man. I actually started with North Gloucester (now called NG) on a Yamaha FZR400, which went pretty well. I then discovered the CRMC when visiting the Stafford show. I bought an F2 spec YPVS 350, and raced in the PC750 class with some success. After a couple of years Jerry Lodge lent me one of his MT’s, and for a couple years campaigned it with many podiums and race wins, Probably some of the best racing I ever had – just brilliant fun.

I achieved my lifetime ambition in 2010, and came home from the Manx with a replica and a fastest lap of over 100mph average. I competed there again on a 600 Honda. I stopped racing in 2017 and since then have been more involved in helping the club run, assisting Anji in the race office, doing the podiums, Saturday evening presentations and assisting Graham Lawlor when we visit circuits that require two commentators. I also compile and produce the Club magazine ‘Open Megga’ and also the printed race programmes.

For me seeing the pleasure and happiness from so many people – Riders, their partners, teams and spectators – after a weekends racing gives me immense satisfaction. To be able to share in their successes and support them when things don’t go so well is what makes Jono tick.

Pete Morris - Biography

My interest in motorbikes started as a child, I inherited the passion from my father, as he was a lover of bikes too, so it seems to run in the family.

When I was growing up, my family were very friendly with a neighbouring farmer, who used to allow me to ride in the fields on my moped. As soon as I was old enough, I had a bike on the road, from a moped through to a Suzuki Hayabusa, believe me, far too many bikes, to list here!

I first raced in 1979-80, but due to a growing family and dwindling disposable income, it was short lived.

Fast forward to 2000, I started racing again with my Yamaha TZ350, racing with the Forgotten Era Racing Club (FRC) and The Classic Racing Motorcycle Club.  During that time, I raced at most of the UK circuits; Chimay in Belgium, and also took in a few ICGP rounds at BSB meetings too. I was lucky enough to be the last ever winner of the FRC 350GP Championship on my TZ. I still have that trophy to this day, and I feel proud to have my name on it, with the likes of Richard Parker and Lea Gourlay, as previous winners 😉

I always had a passion for photography too, especially for the bike racing, always carrying a camera around my neck at meetings.

Now that I'm a professional Photographer, and the CRMC’s official Tog, I love nothing more than being next to the action, getting that special shot is as good as it gets!   I love what I do, and seeing my images in print, in the Classic Racer, Open Megga and the CRMC Programme’s is an honour! 

I really appreciate everyone’s support and when anyone purchases my images, it's always very much appreciated, thank you!

Graham Lawlor - Biography

I was motorbike mad from the day in 1966 when my big brother took the sixteen year old me to Brands on the back of his 600 Dommie. What I saw and heard that day blew my mind and for the next eight years motorbikes were my passion. I rode a wide variety of road bikes ranging from a tatty NSU Quickly to a beautiful Triton with an all alloy T100A engine. Most weekends would find me at Brands, Crystal Palace or Lydden. But by 1974 I was heading towards marriage and the resultant financial pressures meant that motorbikes went completely out of my life until 1983.

By then my personal and financial circumstances meant that I could finally find the time and money to start racing. To cut a long story short I raced 250 and 500 Singles between 1983 and 1991 and 250/350 LCs 1996 to 1998. I got into racing with only the desire to “give it a go” but my career exceeded my expectations, even winning a few races along the way, and I had a complete blast doing it. More importantly I had discovered a group of new chums who despite being my rivals were also hugely supportive. Many of those people are still my friends today.

I again lost touch with the racing scene when I lived and worked in Canada for four years but on my return to the UK in 2002 I bumped into old racing rival Rusty Lee of Sport-Pics, who was by then heavily involved in race photography. Through him I started writing VMCC (now BHR) and CRMC race reports. I first commentated in 2006 at BHR Cadwell Park when the scheduled commentator failed to show and shortly afterwards took over the role at CRMC in the very sad circumstances of Allan Robinson’s death. In the intervening years I have commentated on an estimated 5000 races, even including a few modern bike meetings, and have had a whale of a time doing it. It can never quite equal the thrill of racing but, as I always say, I don’t miss the gravel rash and broken bones!