A memorable racing start

In the late 50's, Luton Post Office engineer Hank Lilley built a bantam racer, and a very young Dave Williams (who much later was a Manx GP winner) began a racing career on grass. He was aided and abetted by Leighton Buzzard motor cycle dealer Sid Mullarney, and after a few rides the switch was made to road racing.
Dave's first ride on the re modelled bantam was at Silverstone, and he finished his racing all in one piece, likewise the bantam. He was congratulated by the team, who then told him that the next time out he would be much quicker. "Are you going to tune it up more?" he asked. Sid shook his head, "No" he said "but after scrutineering we're going to take the rear brake shoes out!".

Fascinating...

In the capacity of consultant I  was at Nelson Polo trucking company in Columbia and discovered that with `Mules´ (Tractors for articulated trailers) they did the same with the front brakes: took out the shoes and blocked off the hydraulics. Apparently there was less `jackknifing´ that way. But they were bonkers anyway -- always overloading vehicles and wondering why they rolled over on their serpentining,  hilly roads....

There was a European roadracing sidecar champ -- can´t remember his name -- who had a very special braking system where the brakes were coupled for one lever use and the rear brake action was delayed  from the front ... If I  remember aright he crashed and died  at Brands...

American bikes on HardTrack  have no front brake and there were plent of UK grass tracks where no brakes  at all  were necessary yet the scrutineers still rejected bikes with what they said were unsuitably poor brakes....  

My Bantam brakes weren´t all that good which meant some exciting moments at Mansfield...

Aaaah! Cadwell ....aaaahhhh!