Rider: Terry Brocklehurst Team Spencer Classic Racing

Sponsored by......
Tad is the man!
Spen and Baker


This new addition to the site is about 'Team Spencer Classic Racing' who race T200 Suzukis - The T20's little brother!
I met the team manager, Bill Spencer ('Spen') through this website, and at race meetings we have now teamed up and joined forces. (ie I borrow their tools!) I have to say that the fun we have at meetings as a team is almost as good as the racing. When Teams Spencer and T20suzuki.com turn out, there is quite a following these days. So, lets meet the bike, the rider, the mechanic, the manager, the tuner, the sponsor, the supporters........


Congratulations to all on Terry's second place in the 2003 Championship, first place in 2004, and his leading of the Championship in 2005!


Contents:

1) The Manager
2) The Rider Updated..25/08/03
3) The Bike
4) The Tuner
5) The Inspiration
6) The Opposition
7) Racing photos New section
8) Announcements and Notices



Terry Brocklehurst, racing the T200 at Cadwell Park

1) The Manager

Spen writes:
"I was brought up in a small village in Derbyshire called Clowne and some of my earliest memories are of being round motorcycles, my dad was a keen trials rider and he had some wonderful old machines, including Scotts, Greeves and a beautiful old Humber sidecar outfit which is now in Geesons Museum in Lincolnshire.
I lived round the corner from my mate Terry Brocklehurst whose dad Des had a motorbike shop and also raced solos and sidecars.
There was a gang of us who knocked about together, all bike mad and we used to go with Des to race meetings. Terry decided he wanted a go at racing so we taped everything up, removed the surplus bits and off we went to Cadwell Park with his daily transport, a Honda CB550 which was a bad handling, slow bike at the best of times, on the race track even more so. But we had fun. Lots of it. This was the late '70's/early '80's. Terry got married and had children and racing took a back seat. I concentrated on my trialling and amassed a small collection of trials bikes over the years. "

Trouble in't pits! Terry, Simon, Andy and Spen.

The story continues:

" However, we've both been good friends for years (since the mid '60's) of a local hero
Robert Gourlay, one of the best privateer racers this country has ever produced and through going and watching Rob it was obvious Terry still had a desire to race. Terry was offered a ride on a 350 BSA Gold Star belonging to a smashing chap called Terry Covill and it was to set the seed for the Spencer team to start...."


Well thats Spen's side of the story..........others say:

"A complete lunatic.."
"Funniest bloke I've ever met"
"The most helpful person in the pits"
"Is this guy sane?"
Here is the man himself practising his deep breathing exercise - they help keep him calm at race meetings....

Spen has been described by many as 'larger than life', although some say this just refers to his stomach..... Always to be found talking incessantly about anything, with constant repetition of phrases such as:

"Course it 'll fit - they're the same bike." - about T20 bits that won't fit his bike...
"Top of the range that!" - about anything he owns.
"It's utter rubbish that!" - about anything anybody else owns.
"Brock is so thin he has to....wave his hands around to cast a shadow....jump around in the shower to get wet..." etc etc..
"We're much harder up North than you soft Southerners..." - always aimed at me!
"Our (Northern) curtains have anvils and sacks of coal on, not bloody flowers.." - everything 'Oop North' is hard...

As you may see, in "Spen World", Northerners are hard, T200s are the fastest bike on the planet, Brock is the thinnest and finest rider the world has ever seen, 9p a tin Baked beans are 'top of the range', I'm a 30 stone fatty, Worksop is the greatest place on Earth etc etc.....

The rest of the team are not quite as mad.....but they have their moments!

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2) The Rider

I'm buying! © Bob Peddie
Brock on the 350 BSA
that started it all...
It was the late 70's when Terry decided he wanted a go at racing. (Hence the 'afro' hairstyle seen here) Being known for doing things on the cheap, Terry 'Tightwad' Brocklehurst ('TT' to his mates), Spen and friends set off for Cadwell one sunny day....... No race bike for these hardy chaps - just Terry's daily transport, a Honda CB550. They taped everything up, removed the surplus bits and off they went. This was a bad handling, slow bike at the best of times, and totally unsuited to the track, but what fun they had. It didn't last for long, but the seed was set...

Years passed, marriage, children, jobs...all the normal stuff but many trips to the track to watch 'The Inspiration' himself made the urge to race grow.
Terry was offered a ride on the 350 BSA Gold Star seen here, Spen sold all his Trials bikes to fund the project and Team Spencer Classic Racing took off...

Brock is the Projects Engineer for one of the team's main sponsors, Penny Hydraulics, at Clowne, Derbyshire. Without a doubt, he has shown himself to be a talented rider and with a bike that is lacking in power (at present) and run on a shoestring budget (NOT 'TT's!), his regular finishing in the top three has impressed many. Some unkind critics though have put this down to his lack of weight - he is said to have the body of a 'racing snake'. His shadow is said to disappear when he turns side on!



As for Brocks reputation for being 'tight' he strongly refutes the allegation. "Its just not true" he says, bending down to pick up a used tissue.
However, a 'larger-than-life' Worksop based Team Manager, who asked me to keep his identity secret disagrees - "it's said about Brock that he's still got the first tanner his mum gave him for spending money and he only agreed to have a nose operation to widen the passages as fresh air is free.
Rumour is he once found somebody else's wage packet and grumbled because of the amount of tax the chap had paid!!
He says he's lost weight to get more speed out of the bike, but we know it's so he doesn't have to pay for food at meetings.... "

Whatever the truth, Brock's riding skills have progressed and his confidence in his own ability knows no bounds, as can be seen on the picture on the right, with Brock testing a bike at Cadwell........
I'll have him! © Bob Peddie
I'm dead fast me like!


See the man himself in action!!!!

Just click the link:
Yes Please!

Warning - it isn't one of his better moments........


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3) The bike

The T200 was bought as a 'race prepared' bike, and although it was OK, it had an almost standard engine, no tacho, and needed plenty of work.
Brock's first season on the bike was with the engine as it was, with work done continually to improve its appearance and handling. It was fairly competitive, got the team started and got 'TT' the experience he needed. Slowly but surely the bike has improved, and now it looks the part, has a far better state of tune and has every chance of winning the championship this year!

The bikes worst failing was the ignition system - an road-bike based electronic ignition set-up, with a battery under the seat hump to power the coils. This wasn't up to scratch though and in many races, the bike misfired or ran on one cylinder only.
man and machine


Team Spencer Classic Racing was run on a shoestring though, and although Spen desperately wanted to get the best racing ignition money can buy (Rex Caunt Ignition Systems - as fitted to my T20 - see 'Racing' page), it was just too costly. Spen even put up a notice on the Suzuki Owner's Club Discussion Board saying, "Fairy Godmother wanted..." to buy him an ignition.
Spen, Brock and myself are often on the SOC DB rattling on about Classic Suzukis and offering technical help, advice, and general stupidity so we are well known. Well guess what? - many SOC members clubbed together and sent in small amounts from £5 up to £50 and after a week or two, the money was raised. Almost unbelievable I know - aren't people nice! Why not go and have a chat with the SOC members (and join the club if you fancy - you won't meet a nicer bunch!) - click on the link below:


What a difference this made!! Rex is a genius and his ignition systems are absolutely superb whether for racing, for trials, for MotoX, whatever. The bike got better and better, but still some engine work was needed. Well as luck would have it, a certain top rider and engine tuner offered his services..... but more of that below.

nice!
nice!
Awaiting work at race team HQ
(You think they'd tidy up a bit!)

I'll keep you posted on the results, but at present (Mid season 2003) the little T200 is leading the championship!


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4) The Tuner

Lea Gourlay,(Lea's website), son of Bob 'The Inspiration' Gourlay is well known on the Classic Circuit, where to be frank, he outclasses all of us and rides circles round the opposition. Lea wins pretty much every race he enters on pretty much any machine! The picture to the right shows him in action on the Summerfield Manx at Snetterton 2003. I saw him at Pembrey on this bike earlier in the year where he beat some very fast, disc braked 750 Triumph Tridents! As the race commentator said:
"Even Lea Gourlay can't come from the back of the grid to win this one ....... Gourlay is into third place..incredible, but no way can he catch the 750s at the front
.....and Lea takes the lead!! ..how does he do it?
"
At CRMC meetings, he makes the rest of us so-called racers look like we are nipping down the shops on mopeds! Lea should be racing Superbikes or the like really, but instead is happy to sweep the field in the Classic events.
In action © Bob Peddie



Here is an interesting excerpt from 'Barry Sheene, The Biography.' by Stuart Barker.(ISBN; 0-00-716180-8)about Barry Sheene's return to racing on a Classic bike:

The International Classic Association's (INCA) championship series was held over five rounds in 2002 at Donington, Misano in Italy, the A1 Ring in Austria, Oschersleben in Germany and Autodrom `Most' in the Czech Republic. The series, which for 2003 has been granted full World Championship status, was eventually won by John Cronshaw on an FWD Molnar Manx, the same bike as Sheene's, but at Donington Park, the only round Sheene entered, it was Barry all the way. The first leg was held on the Saturday after GP qualifying. Again largely because of Sheene's attendance, a big crowd opted to stay on to watch the race rather than take the chance of making a quick exit from the circuit. Sheene took advantage of the bad luck that befell several of his competitors - front-row qualifier Colin Breeze's bike gave up the ghost on the sighting lap, race leader Lea Gourlay retired with carburettor problems, and Glen English fell back to third place after losing his rear brake when he had been in the lead - to take a massively popular victory. In front of the majority of the 60,000 GP fans on Sunday, Sheene once more made it a clean sweep as the leader Gourley was again forced to retire. Once in front, Barry made a clean break and romped home.

Lea Gourlay - race leader BOTH races. He would have won too if he hadn't broke down!!

Team Spencer have been very lucky in getting Lea to tune their bike for them. Not only can Lea ride, but he sure knows how to make an engine fly. The Spencer bike was not much better than standard at first but after a little mild porting, new pipes (made by Lea) and a bit of carb tweaking, the bike was up from mid 20s bhp to 31bhp! Since then, more has been done and it will be increasing steadily as the year progresses (It was producing 36bhp at season end). Lea is presently working on some new T200 liners he has made up, and next season the bike should be on 'Gourlay barrels'. I see a championship beckoning!
Lea is stating to take on a fair bit of tuning work, so if you are interested, come see him and the Spencer team in action, then get in touch!
In action
Lea on a Bimota Ringhini TZ



Lea's web site is presently being developed. Check out
www.leagourlayracing.com and watch closely for developments.....

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5) The Inspiration

Wonder whats for tea? © Bob Peddie
Bob on his Trident at Snetterton, 2003
Robert is a train driver who has been interested in motorcycling all his life. Started racing and winning in 1968 on a Triumph Bonneville. Best days were the 70's and '80's when he was mainly Suzuki mounted. He used to borrow a lad called Skin's GS1000 which Skin rode to work on in the week and Robert raced at the weekends. He even pipped Ron Haslam to the post on that at Donington Park, much to the crowds surprise....straight underneath him on the last left hander before the flag!

Robert has been instrumental in helping Team Spencer Classic Racing get off the ground with Terry's racing. If you've been in the racing game as long as Robert, you've got to know what you're doing.

Robert then went on to race a Mk 8 RG 500 which he was brilliant on, his unhurried style looks like he's just off to the shops for a pint of milk rather than going out to win a race. He still wears an open face helmet and goggles!

There has been some terrible crashes over the years though; Robert crashed at Mallory Park in the early '80's and looked like he'd been through a car crusher ......imagine Spen's surprise when he got a 'phone call a few days later asking him to pop down on the bike to see him, and Rob was waiting outside on his crutches with his open face lid in his hand....."Take me to Worksop, will you? I'm going to look at a bike". Off they went, Robert hanging on with his one good hand and sitting on his crutches, mashed up leg dangling off the side, when they got there to see the bike, a Norton Atlas, the vendor started it up and Rob paid him and rode it home!
Mines a pint © Bob Peddie

Another Mallory Park accident left Rob with over 100 stitches in his face, (But they only put 26 in a 'tato sack, you cry), and Spen picked him up and took him to a pub in the little village they live. Rob ordered a pint and as he drank it held a half-pint glass at the side of his mouth to catch the beer which escaped through the gaping holes in his face.........apparently they didn't sell a lot of food that night!!



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6) The Opposition

The 200cc class has been very competitive recently with some very fast little bikes posting some unbelievable laptimes. It is good to see a range of bikes - T200 Suzukis, CS1 Yamahas, the occasional Honda and some stunning Bridgestones. The 200cc two strokes also race with the 200cc four strokes, various smaller bikes AND with the 350cc Gold Star boys - a real competitive mix of radically different bikes.

Go Terry!
Bridgestone leading, then Yamaha, BSA, Suzuki....

The 200cc 2-strokes generally win the races, but the 350 Goldies certainly give them a run for their money. Top Goldie Rider Joey Hindley certainly can push even the fastest 2 stroke rider to the limit, and watching him in action at Snetterton 2003 was worth the entrance fee alone - (WSB next year????). Here he is in fourth place overall, pushing Brock for third place. Matthew Knight on the very quick Yamaha CS1 is at the front of the picture, Robin Keating in the lead is out of shot (by about ½ of a lap!)

Excitement © Bob Peddie
Action at Snetterton
I didn't get on well at Snetterton in the 250cc class, falling off on oil in the first race, cracking a piston, and then generally riding like an old lady off to the vets to have a favourite cat put down... The fastest three 200cc bikes all posted faster lap times than me (Oh the shame of it....), due to some very good riders all pushing each other to the limit. A good meeting for Brock though, rounded off with a win, by half a bike length in the last race of the day. Top Notch stuff and very exciting to watch.
Joey, a worthy champion of past years, couldn't compete in all the races this year, but in stepped Ian Simpkin, an a beautifully prepared Goldie, to push for and win the 350cc Gold star Championship.

Spen, as Brock's Team manager was often to be seen this year badgering Simpkin - something he does with all Brock's competitors. They have the pleasure of Spen's normal continual chatter about how brilliant Brock can ride, that no-one had a chance of ever beating him, two strokes ruled the world, T200s were 'top of the range' racers etc etc...

Here we can see Ian Simpkin looking apprehensive listening to one of Spen's rantings.....

...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...
"...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..."


There are of course a range of different competitors in this class, and below we can see Brock being pushed hard at Cadwell by the 'Team Co-op Dairies' fully faired delivery bike.....

© Adrian Baker


Keep checking this site for updates - I'm doing my best!!!


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7) Racing Photos

Here are some action shots of the various team members in action throughout the 2003 season. I'll put in more when I get time, but in the meantime, these should give you a flavour of what we get up to. There are both paddock and track pictures and I hope that you like them....
Thanks to all those (especially Bob Peddie) who come along and take such good photographs of the Teams.

Click on the Photos to see the full size picture.


1) Action in the paddock

Photo Details
Another of Bob 'I'll bloody sue you' Peddie's pictures Spen giving some
helpful advice to
Bob Gourlay
Mutual admiration - I wonder who took this one? Adrian and Spen
enjoying the racing
at Silverstone
copyright of someone who isn't as touchy as Bob Peddie is. Spen revealing his
innermost thoughts
at Croft
copyright of a non litigious person, unlike some I could mention... Terry repairs the
damage with 'help'
from Spen
...I mean, is it THAT bloody important??
The team has
certainly gone for
a more
'upmarket' image.
Photo Details
Bob didn't take this one as he is on the bloody picture! Bob gets very excited
(but what at?)
warm my hands! Sizing up
the Opposition
God help us! Terry getting some
unwelcome advice
just before a race
Ha Ha Ha Lea listening intently
as Spen gives him
some riding tips.



2) Action on the track (Only two of these are 'doctored')

Remember - Click on the Photos to see the full size picture.


Photo Details
Go Brock! Brock on the
mountain at
Cadwell 2003
Lea is THE master! Lea on the
mountain at
Cadwell 2003
Out of my way...! Brock showing
Lea how
it's done!
Trying too hard? Adrian at Cadwell
trying to pretend
that he is Lea
Photo Details
Full credit to Bob Peddie for this superb action shot Brock showing
Rainey who's
the boss!
Brock and Andy Bacon at Silverstone Brock chasing
Andy Bacon
at Silverstone
Terry puts on the power Terry in front
of Robin Keating
on the Bridgestone
A nice shot! Brock in action
at Mallory Park


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8) Announcements and Notices

It has been brought to my attention that I have used photos on this page without asking for the photographers permission! Some 'professional acquaintances' of Mr Bob 'I'll sue you for every penny you've got, Baker' Peddie, a good friend, wondered if maybe I could rectify this?
So it is with great pleasure, (and considerable haste!) that I thank Bob, and have added © Bob Peddie to some of the pictures properties (admittedly the best ones) on this page. Run your mouse over the pictures, and all will be revealed.....
Incidentally, if anyone out there has a favourite photo they want doctoring,
Bob's your man!



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Version 1.0 April 2003. © Adrian Baker