Sports Cycle

You know the world is seriously hooked on classics, and racing classics, when the biggest support race at the recent British MotoGP round was a re-enactment of the notorious Yamaha Pro-Am series of the early 1980s. And the plan is to run more classic Pro-Am rounds next year!

Depending on your individual point of view, the crash-strewn Silverstone outing was either motorcycling’s version of a Sealed Knot battle re-enactment, or ‘the ultimate school reunion’, in the words of race-winner Niall Mackenzie. Mackenzie (who last raced in 2003) didn’t just win the race, he also helped make the whole event happen, working with IDP Moto to get a grid of original RD250LCs restored and race ready.

Older readers will no doubt have already spotted the deliberate mistake: the original Pro-Am series was for 350LCs, but the owner of the bikes, LC fan Mark Lowther who runs a deep-sea drilling business, had more 250s than 350s. Apart from that (and the riders’ age, which averaged 54), the race was correct in every detail, right down to keys chosen from a helmet and a bunch of crashes on the very first lap.

"It really was great fun – straight back to 1983... Sitting on the grid I was terrified, but it’s weird: the lights go out and it’s let’s go! You go straight back into race mode. Next year the plan is to run two, or maybe even three, rounds hopefully at Donington or Knockhill BSB rounds." says former "pram" racer and BSB champion Mackenzie, who ran away with the race while typical Pro-Am carnage raged behind him.