Dave Simmonds
Dave Simmonds (born October 25, 1939 in London , England , † October 23, 1972 in Rungis , France ) was a British motorcycle racer .
Career
Simmonds made his debut on a Honda in the motorcycle world championship in 1966 . From 1967 he started for the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki in the displacement classes from 125 to 500 cm³.
His best season by far was in 1969 in the 125 cm³ class. That year, Simmonds won eight of the eleven races held and came second twice. With this he secured the world title by a long way ahead of the German Suzuki pilot Dieter Braun . At the same time, this rider's world title is also the first for Kawasaki in the history of the motorcycle world championship. In 1971 , Simmonds celebrated his only 500 cc victory at the Spanish Grand Prix , and at the end of the season he finished fourth overall in this class.
Dave Simmonds died on October 23, 1972. He died of severe burns from the explosion of a gas cylinder in Jack Findlay's trailer in Rungis, France.
statistics
title
- 1969 - 125 cc world champion on a Kawasaki
- 11 Grand Prix victories
Isle of Man TT victories
| year | class | machine | Average speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Lightweight 125 (125 cm³) | Kawasaki | 91.08 mph (146.58 km / h ) |
References
Web links
- Dave Simmonds on the official website of the Motorcycle World Championship.
- Dave Simmonds on the Isle of Man TT official website.
Individual evidence
- ^ Mick Walker: Mick Walker's Japanese Grand Prix Racing Motorcycles . Redline Books, Low Fell, Tyne and Wear , England 2002, ISBN 0-9531311-8-1 , pp. 85 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Simmonds, Dave |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British motorcycle racer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 25, 1939 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | London , England |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 23, 1972 |
| Place of death | Rungis , France |