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Denis MINETT - UK racing career.


  
Rudge
 
D.Minett. on Rudge. Senior TT Brooklands 1932
 

'Motor Cycling' - 30 Sept 1936

A BROOKLANDS MID-WEEK MEETING

Racing at Weybridge last Wednesday

Event 3 was a two-lap outer circuit handicap and this distance always seems to provide good racing. There was a remarkably close finish in which D. C. Minett, who produced an amzing 105.07 m.p.h. lap (winning a gold star) just failed to catch a pair of "chair conductors", Bishop (Excelsior J.A.P.) and Rowland (Zenith J.A.P.) who were first and second respectively. 


 
Licence

"Mention must again be made of the 1937 Hutchinson 100 meeting that closed the 1937 season. It was during this event that Denis Minett lapped the outer circuit (at Brooklands) on his 499cc Rudge at 108.9 mph (175.25 k.p.h), a quite remarkable feat that really impressed Francis (Beart). It was the fastest average of the year and Minett seemed ideally suited, fitting his machine like a glove and never moving around. He had the makings of an ideal candidate for record breaking attempts and Francis was determined to enquire whether Minett would like to ride for him the next year."
[pg.42 - 'Francis Beart - A single purpose' by Jeff Clews]

"One of those who rode Beart tuned bikes was Denis Minett, who had a unique distinction of earning Gold Stars in three different capacity classes, and held the 750cc lap record at 118 m.p.h. (190 k.p.h), but I did not meet him until he joined the Vincent staff a decade later."
[pg.236 - 'Phil Irving - An Autobiography' - publ. 1992 by Turton & Armstrong, Australia.]

The conclusion of another successful record breaking session. Denis Minett in the saddle, with Noel Pope next to him, then John Rowland and Francis Beart, secure in the knowledge they now had the 350cc records.
[pg.58 - 'Francis Beart - A single purpose' by Jeff Clews]
Note - This in fact may not be Dennis but H A R Earle.
[http://www.vintagenorton.com/2013/10/h-r-earle-and-model-40-norton.html
]

Brooklands was by no means as smooth as many would suppose. Denis Minett's Beart tuned Norton has its front wheel some eighteen inches off the ground as he makes a successful bid for the 750cc lap record at 117 mph on June 25, 1938. 
[photo : Barratts Photo Press Ltd.]

[pg.41 - 'Francis Beart - A single purpose' by Jeff Clews]


Article in 'The Classic Motor Cycle' - undated, single page of part of the article :-
"On a vile, wet day in October, Wicksteed captured the 500cc Lap Record at Brooklands with a speed of 118.02mph. Agreed, this was no standard 5T, the engine was 'blown' for starters; but its facility for exploiting such experimentation was ably proven. Wicksteed's considerable triumph was at the expence of Denis Minett, who had lifted the record himself six months earlier at 116.36mph on a privately owned cammy Norton, tuned by Francis Beart. Moreover, Minett hit an incredible 127mph maximum during his attempt - and the engine of his machine was normally aspirated.


Norton 

Denis Minett on Francis Beart's Norton.


 
Brooklands Lap Records

The Outer Circuit Lap records :-



The Brooklands Outer Circuit Record was the most prestigious at the track. [Brooklands Museum]

----------------------------------------------------

The Mountain Circuit lap records :-
 


From 1930 races on a smaller section of the track known as the 'Mountain Circuit' were introduced by the new Clerk of the Course, Mr A Percy Bradley. This fast and furious 1¼ mile lap running from the Fork to the rear of Members’ Hill and back, provided a cross between road and track racing. It was a tough course for the drivers and a stern test of acceleration, braking, and road-holding for the cars. [Brooklands Museum] 


Articles in The Times newspaper.
 

22 Sep 1945
Ulster "100" run over a 5-mile circuit near Lisburn - Ballymacash.
The roads that were used were the Ballymacash Road, Pond Park Road from Murphy's to Whitemountain Road, Whitemoutain Road and Glenavy Road.
Other Englishmen to ride were Denis Minett ....
The race had to cut short because of the tyres, proper rubber was not yet available because of the war. The circuit was never used again.
[ source (no longer working) - http://www.paddockgossip.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=1119&view=previous&sid=7c0a70aa5ed1bdf2fd350fb9ee52fbad]


  
  
 

Brooklands fans are not likely to forget the name of Denis Minett

A summary of Denis' riding career on 4 handwritten pages held by Brooklands Museum, author unknown.