Racy Local Residents !

With theTransport Festival almost upon us it seems very appropriate to tell the story of local residents and their motorbike racing exploits.

The story is centred around Mike Harthern,who as a talented teenager with encouragement from his father got a National Racing license after race wins at Oulton Park, Brands Hatch and others.His first race was at Oulton Park on an AJS Motorbike where he secured 8th place!

Mike worked as a youngster at Websters of Crewe, where Bill Webster was also a race rider, but Mike went on to race at Oulton Park and at British race meetings and in the 1969 at the Isle of Man Grand Prix (see Photo).

However his last race was the British Clubman Championship where he came off at Oulton Park's Knicker Brook corner and was subsequently run over by a Manx Norton. He was hospitalised for some time and having recently met his wife Daleta, decided it was time to retire.

However, this was just the start of a new beginning, because Mike then went on to form MSR racing with a famous ( to be ) engine tuner Steve Hammond and our own village G.P. Russell Muirhead.

More to follow – tune in tomorrow !

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.