Bob Bergstrom and passenger Saxon Marzzitti on the Norton 500 negotiate Angel's Angle at the Roy Hesketh Circuit during the Sidecar Handicap at the Inaugural Meeting, 26th December 1953. They came in 3rd.
It looks like an American scene somehow, maybe the cars. I wondered about Have a Caporal, but that was Sweet Caporal cigarettes. Maybe, Have a- something starting with C and ending with ette? I do think that's a cigarette pack on the right. I can't even make out what engine that is, what is that aluminum oval?
I'm guessing a Norton Manx, and the "aluminium oval" is the side of the silver painted oil tank mounted above the gearbox. The "tea room" sign and the Castrol track marker in the foreground made me think "England", but you're right, the crowd and cars look American. Also, it's not raining...
It took some time and close perusin' to learn that the Hesketh Circuit is in South Africa. No wonder the visual* clues are confusing. There's a profile of Roy Hesketh here that sure has some fine old-time race writing:
Thanks for the link! A life and a track I had never heard of. South Africa never would have come to mind. Though the author has exceeded the legal adjective limit by a large margin. Sad ending.
6 comments:
I know it doesn't but I wish to believe that billboard says "Tea Room - Race a Commando".
Is that Pip Harris by any chance ? Looks like his wild style...
It looks like an American scene somehow, maybe the cars. I wondered about Have a Caporal, but that was Sweet Caporal cigarettes. Maybe, Have a- something starting with C and ending with ette? I do think that's a cigarette pack on the right. I can't even make out what engine that is, what is that aluminum oval?
I'm guessing a Norton Manx, and the "aluminium oval" is the side of the silver
painted oil tank mounted above the gearbox. The "tea room" sign and the Castrol track marker in the foreground made me think "England", but you're
right, the crowd and cars look American. Also, it's not raining...
It took some time and close perusin' to learn that the Hesketh Circuit is in South Africa. No wonder the visual* clues are confusing. There's a profile of Roy Hesketh here that sure has some fine old-time race writing:
https://static.secure.website/wscfus/10476136/7994660/roy-oliver-hesketh-1915-1944.pdf
* I wanted to write "semiotic," but fought off the urge out of common decency.
Thanks for the link! A life and a track I had never heard of. South Africa never would have come to mind. Though the author has exceeded the legal adjective limit by a large margin. Sad ending.
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