Malcolm Uphill

Malcolm Uphill

Uphill in 1965 when he achieved a double win in the 350 cc 'Junior' Manx Grand Prix and 500 cc 'Senior' races in the Isle of Man
Nationality Welsh  Caerphilly, Wales
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1968 - 1970
First race1968 Isle of Man 250cc Lightweight TT
Last race1970 Isle of Man 350cc Junior TT
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
5 0 4 0 0 26

Malcolm Ernest Uphill, (15 April 1935 – 1 January 1999)[1] was a Welsh professional motorcycle racer. He competed in British national-level short-circuit and in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.[2] Uphill was the first competitor on a production bike to average 100 mph in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races.[3][4]

Born in Trecenydd, Caerphilly, Wales, Uphill later lived at Heol, Trecastle and was educated at Twyn Secondary Modern School. Apprenticed at the Rhymney former railway works near Caerphilly, he worked as a fitter/turner/erector for British Rail.[3][5] His best season in world championship competition was in 1968 when he finished in ninth place in the 250cc world championship.[2] In 1969, he teamed with Percy Tait to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race for production (road-based) machines and at the 1969 Isle of Man TT, Uphill won the 750 Production class on a Triumph Bonneville with a 100 mph lap, which prompted renaming of the Dunlop K81 motorcycle tyre as the TT100.[3][6][7][8] He also won the 750 Production class at the 1970 North West 200 held in Northern Ireland followed by the 1970 TT 750 production class on a Triumph Trident.[8][9]

Uphill died aged 74 in 1999 of asbestosis.[3] In 2011 a pub named The Malcolm Uphill was opened by Wetherspoons in Caerphilly town centre,[10] and in 2013, following local fundraising, a bronze plaque dedicated to Uphill's memory was installed on a wall close to the pub location at Station Terrace.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "England and Wales deaths". genesreunited.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  2. 1 2 "Rider Statistics - Malcolm Uphill". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The Malcolm Uphill, Caerphilly". historypoints.org. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  4. ↑ "Triumph's Return to Isle of Man". webbikeworld.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  5. ↑ "Malcolm Uphill Profile". iomtt.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  6. ↑ Motorcycle Mechanics, June 1973, Dunlop full page advert, p.6 Every time they race you win. "Tyres like the K70, Ribbed and the fabulous K81, re-named the TT100 after lapping the TT course at over 100 mph on a production machine". Accessed 23 March 2015
  7. ↑ Dunlop tyres K81 TT100 Retrieved 1 March 2015
  8. 1 2 "Malcolm Uphill Isle of Man TT results". iomtt.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  9. ↑ "North West 200 Results - 1970s". northwest200.org. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  10. ↑ Caerphilly Observer, 10 October 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2015
  11. ↑ Motorcycle hero Malcolm Uphill honoured with plaque Caerphilly Observer, 20 September 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2015
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