Geoff Duke

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Geoff Duke

Motorcycle Grand Prix Career
Nationality	British
Active years	1950 - 1959
Team(s)	Norton, Gilera
Grands Prix	60
Championships	350cc - 1951, 1952 500cc- 1951, 1953 - 1955
Wins	33
Podium finishes	50
Pole positions	N/A
Fastest laps	N/A
First Grand Prix	1950 500cc Isle of Man TT
First win	1950 500cc Isle of Man TT
Last win	1958 500cc Swedish Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix	1959 500cc Nations Grand Prix

Geoffrey Ernest (Geoff) Duke OBE (born 29 March 1923 in St. Helens, Lancashire) was a British multi-time world champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.

The name of Geoff Duke is synonymous with motor sports, for he dominated motorcycle racing in the 1950s, winning six world championships and five Isle of Man TT races. Duke came to prominence after winning the 1949 Senior Clubmans TT and the Senior Manx Grand Prix and was to become the very first post-war motorcycling 'superstar', popularly known amongst the racing fraternity simply as 'the Duke'. He was signed up to the Norton works team for the 1950 TT, finishing second in the Junior and breaking both lap and race records in the Senior.

After winning three World Championships for Norton he surprised everybody by moving abroad to Italian motorcycle manufacturer, Gilera in 1953. With Gilera, he had a string of three consecutive 500cc world championships. His support for a rider's strike demanding more start money led the FIM to suspend him for six months, dashing any hopes for a fourth consecutive title. In 1955 he was declared the first rider to lap the Isle of Man TT course at 100 mph, though this was later corrected to 99.97. As a consequence the official first 100 mph lap is credited to Bob McIntyre, also on a Gilera, in 1957. Duke was a non-starter due to injury. His final race was the 1959 Junior when he finished fourth on a Norton. In 1963 formed Scuderia Duke with Gilera to race the 1957 Gileras against the might of MV Augusta.

Duke cut a distinctive figure on racing circuits as he was the first rider to wear one-piece leathers - he had enlisted his local tailor, to make the first of his now famous one-piece race suits. He was named Sportsman of the Year in 1951, awarded the RAC Segrave Trophy and, in recognition of his services to motorcycling, was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1953.

Highly honoured by the Isle of Man, where he made so many of his world record breaking rides, a point on the Mountain Course has been named after him. Three sharp bends at the 32nd Milestone between Brandywell and Windy Corner now carry the title 'Duke's'. The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2002. After retiring from racing Duke became a successful businessman[1]

[edit] Motorcycle Grand Prix Results

Year	Class	Classification	Machine	Victories
1950	350cc	2nd	Norton	1
1950	500cc	2nd	Norton	3
1951	350cc	1st	Norton	5
1951	500cc	1st	Norton	4
1952	350cc	1st	Norton	4
1952	500cc	7th	Norton	0
1953	500cc	1st	Gilera	4
1954	500cc	1st	Gilera	5
1955	500cc	1st	Gilera	4
1956	500cc	7th	Gilera	1
1957	500cc	4th	Gilera	0
1958	500cc	3rd	Norton	1
1959	250cc	10th	Benelli	0
1959	350cc	5th	Norton	0
1959	500cc	4th	Norton	1

[edit] References

• Sports Champions

Preceded by Umberto Masetti	500cc Motorcycle World Champion 1951	Succeeded by Umberto Masetti
Preceded by Umberto Masetti	500cc Motorcycle World Champion 1953-1955	Succeeded by John Surtees