Top Men In Europe: Number Six
TOP MEN IN EUROPE: NUMBER SIX
B. R. Nicholls
JIM REDMAN is one of those dyed in the wool motorcyclists whose whole interest revolves around the machines that form his life. In his thirty-first year he is a motorcycle dealer from Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia and it was there and in South Africa that he gained his first racing successes. He hit the headlines in 1957 when he won the 500cc class of the Port Elizabeth 200 and to prove it was no flash in the pan went on to Pietermaritzburg and broke Geoff Duke’s lap record, which had been set up on a Gilera four, by half a second.
The following year he came to Europe and, as is so essential in the racing game, made haste slowly. It was a sound policy for it gained a works ride on the fabulous Honda machines last year. They had signed the right man for he won the 250 class of the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix and had three classic race seconds.
This season he seems destined for the 250cc World championship crown, for out of four races run so far he has won three and come second in the fourth; this gives him thirty out of a possible thirty-two points. Not only has he won the 250 classes of the Spanish, French and Dutch Grands Prix but at the last mentioned he took the 350 race on the 285cc Honda from a star studded entry, including Hailwood on the 350 M.V., to give the “big” Honda its first classic win. He also led the 125 race for a considerable time but Luigi Taveri got through to win on the last lap, thus giving the Swiss ace the lead in the championship. •
