Frank Melling

Frank Melling is an English motoring journalist and author, based in northwest England. He is an accomplished motorcyclist and motorcycle racer who has competed in motocross, enduro and road racing events. He rode an exhibition lap at the Isle of Man TT in 2008 aboard a modern Ducati Classic.^[1] Melling is the author of books on, inter alia, motocross and enduro. He was the motorcycling contributor to the Saturday Daily Telegraph's Motoring section, but was succeeded by Kevin Ash, who later died in a motorcycling accident.

The "Thundersprint"

Melling has organised a number of racing events, and he is currently noted as the man behind the Thundersprint, an annual two-day event to celebrate motorcycling.^[2] The Thundersprint started in Lancashire, but moved to Northwich, Cheshire, where it stayed for ten years. There was some time-trial racing, but as the "racing" took place in a car park, the scope of the event was limited. Nevertheless, the Northwich event attract big names such as Giacomo Agostini, Sammy Miller and Jim Redman. The spectator attendance was huge, as there was no entry cost. By 2013, the organiser found it too difficult to continue hosting a town-centre event, and the Thundersprint moved to Anglesey's "Mona" circuit, but it was not a great success because of poor weather and the distance from the Midlands.

The 2014 Thundersprint was held at Derbyshire's Darley Moor circuit. Despite heavy rain throughout the weekend, the event was a success; but the Darley Moor venue has changed the event from a unique free-entry town-centre family event (as in Northwich) to a somewhat standard pay-to-enter motorcycle race meeting.

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