‘The Sheene Run’
See Bazza’s World Championship
Winning RG500's
3rd July 2005
www.thesheenerun.com
On behalf of the ACU.
This year’s Sheene Run, the unique town centre event
that sees a mile of permanent road closure in the centre of
Rugby has been given another major boost as the Auto Cycle
Union (ACU) announce that two of Barry’s World Championship
bikes are set to return to the UK from Australia.
The machines are those ridden by Barry in his World Championship
years of 1976 and 1977. The RG500s have been out of the Country
for 21 years since ‘Bazza’ emigrated to Australia
in 1984. The machines will bring a very special addition to
the event, which has already lined up 7 other machines ridden
by the biking legend. Despite the RG’s having been dry
stored for many years, it is hoped the machines will actually
run at the event in Rugby on Sunday 3 July 2005. Barry’s
mechanic, Martin Ogbourne and engine guru Nigel Everitt will
be examining the machines when they return in a week’s
time to determine what needs to be done to get them running
again.
Host for the day in Rugby is Steve Parrish who, in addition
to being one of the commentators on the day, will also ride
one of the machines. Discussions are still ongoing with another
rider of Barry’s era to ride the second machine. Steve
commented "It is incredibly exciting that the bikes are
coming back and that the event organisers have every intention
of getting them running. If Martin can make that happen, I
have made it known that I want to be riding one of them! I
know Stephanie is thrilled the event is happening again and
that Barry’s memory is being kept alive."
The bikes will subsequently go on display at the National
Motor Museum at Beaulieu for an at present undefined period
of time. The man behind the event, ACU’s Neil Hellings
said: " Bringing the bikes back is fantastic and I am
extremely grateful to Stephanie for agreeing to it. I, like
most people in the their late thirties or over, remember Barry
as an icon and to once more see and hopefully hear and smell
the bikes again is going to be magical."
The Sheene Run sees bikes of all shapes and sizes ‘enjoy’
the closed roads of the town centre. In addition to the growing
number of Sheene bikes, making the most of the closed roads
will be numerous other race bikes that are running on the
day as well as cavalcades of road legal machines, stunt riders
and even a Mitsubishi works World Rally Car is being lined
up. An impressive collection of Brooklands racers will be
attending the event and recreate a 1920’s paddock to
create the atmosphere of those pioneering days of racing.
Riders attending include Mick Grant, John Cooper, Bill Smith
and fastest lady around the TT, Maria Costello.
Rugby Borough Council and Warwickshire County Council have
really got behind both the National Rally and The Sheene Run
and it is great to see, local political support for motorcycle
events.
Anyone with a race or classic bike that wants to join in
the fun can do so by contacting tania@acu.org.uk or by calling
01788 566415. The event has a comprehensive website www.thesheenerun.com
where you can get all the details of this event that takes
motorcycling to the very heart of a town centre. This year’s
event is also tying up with the National Rally, which finishes
in Rugby that morning and the profits from the day are going
to Mencap. Certain aspects of the day will be charged for,
but an advanced ticket costs just £10 which will cover
every aspect of the day from secure bike parking to programme
and entry to the various paddocks.
There is also a black tie dinner (tickets cost £58
each), on Saturday 2nd July, providing a chance to socialise
and reminisce with friends who rode with Barry and the special
people who engineered his bikes. For information on how to
apply for tickets please log on to the website www.thesheenerun.com
or call 01788 566415.
For further information, on The Sheene Run please contact
Tania Baker or Becky Cross on 01788 566415.
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