About this website

What is the definition of a road race? This is an important question which needed to be addressed when compiling a database of road racing results. In the modern era the definition is straightforward. It is a race run on a tar sealed surface, either on a permanent circuit or on public roads. In past eras the question is much more complicated. Public roads in the pioneering era of motoring rarely had a smooth surface. Roads often had a gravel surface, cobblestone surfaces remained in use deep into the post-World War 2 era, the Daytona 200 was a hybrid road and beach event until 1962 and beach races on compacted sand were common on the British mainland because of the prohibition against racing on public road circuits. The fastest racing in the pioneering days occurred on board tracks in the United States, where events described as road races also took place on paved or dirt oval circuits. The United States also featured races across the desert, and the South African Durban to Johannesburg races were run on roads which included sections that could barely be classified as roads. We have taken the term road race to mean any speed event in the era before tar sealed surfaces became universal. Races which include deliberate obstacles and rugged terrain fall into the categories of motocross or enduro, and these sports are not covered in this e-book.

Which road races should be included in this e-book? This is a complicated and subjective issue. We started with international events as the provisional criteria, but this is not fully satisfactory. Many European countries are small and promoters can attract riders from neighbouring countries, who only need to travel relatively short distances to and from the circuit. The United States and Australia are very large countries and riders may need to travel very long distances to contest some events in their own country. Many events are described as international but they only attract a weak entry, sometimes with few or no overseas riders. When Motor Circuit Developments owned three major British circuits they often classified their meetings in whole or in part as national events in order to avoid paying start money, even though their meetings attracted an international entry. We have taken a pragmatic approach. There are events which must be included, others which should be included and others which can be included, if results are available.

We include descriptions of events where we have sufficient information, but we do not go into the depth that publications such as Motocourse specialise in. This would be impractical when we are listing so many events over the entire history of the sport.

We are listing the first ten finishers in each race where they are known, or as many finishers as are known if this is fewer than ten. It is now usual to award points for the first 15 finishers in most championships and in some series points have been awarded to the first 30 finishers. Readers who wish to know the first 15 finishers in world championship events can identify the 11th-15th placed riders from the championship tables. The only exception is the Endurance world championship, because it would be too long and complicated to list every point scorer. Lesser events or less important races within meetings are acknowledged by reporting the winner. There is no precise distinction between what races are or are not important. It is a matter of personal judgement. I take full responsibility for these editorial decisions.

Machines fitted with engines built by another manufacturer are indicated with the engine listed in italics. If a rider`s machine is unidentified it is indicated with four dashes, unless either the chassis or engine are known. In this event the unknown element is indicated by a question mark. If the machine is known but not the rider this is indicated by a question mark. If there is serious doubt about any element of the listing this element is shown in pink, and if there is an issue concerning the finishing order the position is shown in brackets. Important handicap races are listed with both the official and true results as far as this is possible.

I started work on this project in close co-operation with the late and greatly missed Vincent Glon in 2003. I greatly underestimated how long it would take to complete. It took 20 years to complete the first draft and I am now re-editing it. At this stage I have only presented the early era. I will add more years as and when I complete re-editing them, but I am now an old age pensioner and it is a race against time to complete the re-editing within my lifetime. Please be patient.

Use of photographs: Images from the earliest eras are now out of copyright. For subsequent years our policy is to obtain permission where possible, or alternatively to acknowledge the source if it is known. If you hold copyright to an image we have used without naming you we will be happy to acknowledge you, or we will delete the image if you require us to.

New information and corrections: If you spot an error or if you can provide new information please contact me by email:- laurence@ljhammond.co.uk

Advertising: If you wish to advertise on the site please contact me on the email address above. Inappropriate advertising will not be permitted.

Updates: I will use this section to advise readers of the addition of new files and of significant amendments to the existing files. 1925 is now online, and there have been many corrections and additions to 1924 plus minor amendments to many previous files.

I hope you will enjoy using the website, and that it will be useful to authors working on their own projects.

Laurence Hammond