DAVIES MOTORSPORT RETURN FOR CLASSIC RACE

Leading Classic race exponents Davies Motorsport are all set for another assault on the Manx Grand Prix races with the Burton upon Trent-based team fielding Lee Johnston and Dominic Herbertson in the four-lap Bremont Senior Classic Race on August Bank Holiday Monday.

In a change of tact though, John and Colin Davies’ team will field their two riders, who will surely be amongst the race favourites, on a pair of twin cylinder, 4-stroke TX500 Yamaha’s rather than their more usual Honda machinery.

Herbertson has been racking up the miles on the bike for the past year, which has included winning at the Pre-TT Classic races at Billown earlier this year, and although Johnston’s experience has been limited to just a solitary outing at Blyton airfield, he’s confident of how the bike will perform.

“The Senior Classic is a good class and power-wise, the Yamaha feels very strong,” says Johnston, winner of the 2014 Junior Classic TT and opening Supersport race at the 2019 Isle of Man TT races. “I’m sure the bike will be very competitive and it will be good if we can get close to the Patons and challenge them. I’m looking forward to it.”

Introduced in 1973, the TX500 was Yamaha’s first foray into mid-size 4-stroke territory and although its racing pedigree was limited to the US market in the 1970’s, Davies Motorsport are confident they can extract the most out of it and give the dominant Patons a firm run for their money.

Their track record speaks for itself with Herbertson having won the 2018 Junior Classic TT race on the team’s 350cc Honda whilst Classic TT race podiums were also achieved by the late William Dunlop and Alan Oversby.

Team owner John Davies enjoyed a long, successful and varied career at the Manx GP, which started with second on a Maxton Yamaha in the very first Newcomers race in 1978. Fourth place finishes came on a Padgetts Yamaha in both the 1986 and 1987 Lightweight races whilst he also campaigned their 500cc YZR Yamaha in the 1996 and 1997 Senior races. In total, he recorded ten top ten finishes.

As well as his own racing career, Davies sponsored a number of riders in the 1980s, the highlight being winning the 1988 125cc British Championship with Alex Bedford, with Kevin Mitchell and Neil Hodgson also benefitting from Davies’ support.

Nephew Colin, meanwhile, forged his own career as a highly respected mechanic, which included a number of years with Suzuki and Kevin Schwantz in the 500cc World Championship where together they won the 1993 title. He also played an integral part in the success of the GBMoto and Oxford TAG Triumph British Championship teams and now handles all the technical aspects of the team.

Follow this year's Manx Grand Prix online via the Live Timing Service and on-air via Manx Radio's AM or FM Frequencies.