Geoff Duke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Geoff Duke | |
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| Nationality |  British |
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| Grand Prix motorcycle racing career | |
| Active years | 1950 - 1959 |
| Teams | 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 |
| Geoff Duke | |
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| Nicknames | |
| Nationality |  English |
| TTs contested | 9 (1950 - 1956, 1958, 1959) |
| TT wins | 6 |
| First TT win | 1950 Senior TT |
| Last TT win | 1955 Senior TT |
| Podiums | 8 |
Geoffrey Ernest 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
| 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 |
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