George Brown (motorcyclist)

Early years George Brown was born on 22 February 1912 in Nottingham, England, and grew up in Colwick, Nottinghamshire. He attended Nottingham High School and planned a career in law as a solicitor. Brown's grandfather ran a cycle shop, and his father owned several motorcycles. Brown's father eventually bought a cycle shop in Harrow, where George spent time repairing a wide variety of motorcycles. He later inherited brother Cliff's 250 cc AJS. At the beginning of the 1930s Brown drove a lorry and worked for Raleigh, where his father had earlier been in the Experimental Department. In 1933 Brown went to the Vincent works at Stevenage and asked Vincent founder Philip Conrad Vincent (PCV) for a job. He was given a position in the service department, where he rebuilt second-hand bikes taken in exchange for new Vincents. By 1934 Brown had moved into the factory, where he was soon promoted to the Test and Special bike department. In 1937 Brown lapped Brooklands at over . Due to Brown's not being a member of the British Motorcycle Racing Club (BMCRC), he was denied the usual Gold Star for the feat. The bike involved may have been the first Vincent 1000 cc twin, believed to be DUR 142, at speeds of in wet conditions. During this period he was also riding a 350 cc Velocette at grass track events. WW II and post-war at Vincent At the outbreak of World War II Vincent shut down motorcycle manufacturing and converted to wartime production. Brown went to work for Percival Aircraft in Luton, building Mosquitos as assembly foreman. He applied to the RAF but his application was declined due to his being employed in a reserved occupation at Percival. When the war ended in 1945 Brown stayed at Percival for a while, but quickly got involved with Vincent again. After his release from war work he immediately returned to Vincent. Brown also married in 1946. After the war Brown was racing privately when he was approached by Joe Craig to ride a Norton at the Isle of Man TT. Brown turned him down, and the ride went to John Surtees. Vincent opened a showroom in Chesterfield in the north, and Brown worked there as sales manager for a time before returning to Stevenage. During the 1946 racing season, Brown recorded 6 first and 5 second places on a modified Comet that was later known as the Cadwell Special. In 1947 he began racing a special Rapide that was later named Gunga Din. Brown made his first appearance at the Isle of Man in 1948 in the Clubmans' TT. He was leading after 3 laps when he ran out of petrol. Brown then pushed his bike the remaining 6 miles, and still managed a sixth-place finish. Before running out of fuel he had set fastest lap, at . Later that same year Brown crashed badly at Eppynt trying to avoid a young girl who had fallen off the banking onto the track. In 1951 Brown was approached by AJS with an offer to ride for them, but he turned them down as he had with Norton earlier. He continued to ride Vincents in road racing and trials events. Post-Vincent Brown left Vincent in 1951. He started his own motorcycle business in part of a local Ford dealership. He was an agent for Francis-Barnett, Norman and Velocette motorcycles, as well as taking on special projects, such as developing a Trials bike for Norman. Brown also began building his own motorcycles for road racing and, later, for sprinting. In his first outing at the TT after leaving Vincent in 1951 he placed fourth on an AJS. Returning in 1952 he placed sixth on an AJS in the Junior event and seventh on a Norton in the Senior race. At this time Brown expanded his business, taking over a shop across the road from the old Vincent works in the High Street in the old town in Stevenage. This was also when he became an agent for Vincent motorcycles. In 1953 Brown was seriously injured at the Junior TT when he collided with the wreckage of Leslie Graham's MV Agusta. After this Brown essentially retired from road racing, but continued to appear in hill climbs and sprints. Brown was involved in another crash at Jersey, running into a barrier at and ending up underneath a car. In 1958 Brown was one of the people involved in the formation of the National Sprint Association. Brown served as a vice-president until he succeeded Donald Campbell as president in 1967. In 1961 Brown staged an attempt on the World Solo Record, then held by Albino Milani. Over two days, 19 and 20 August, Brown ran both his Nero bike and an Ariel Arrow at Thurleigh field. Brown took three British records for both standing- and flying-start kilometre on the Ariel. Avon Rubber supplied new slick tyres for Nero; the first use of such tyres in Britain. On Nero, Brown took the World Record for the Standing-start Kilometre for 1000 cc machines. The British Drag Racing Association was formed in 1964 with Sydney Allard as president. Brown served as one of the Vice Presidents. Brown continued to race sprints into the mid-1960s, but the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) would only grant licenses to riders up to 54 years of age. Brown's ambition was to record a run on British soil. In 1966 Brown scheduled a 4-day Castrol-sponsored attempt to exceed 200 mph on a motorcycle in Britain. The runs took place at Greenham Common in Berkshire in October, one year before he would lose his racing license. During the runs several British and World records were set, but the 200 mph goal was not reached. Brown returned to Greenham Common in November for another three days of sprints, setting several new records. Even after reaching the cut-off age for eligibility to set International records, Brown continued to race and set British records. He also campaigned to have FIM lift their 55-year age limit, writing to FIM headquarters in Geneva. FIM relented in 1968 and lifted the 55-year age limit. At 56 Brown tried to exceed 200 mph at Elvington, but was unable to reach that goal. In 1970 Brown had the first of several heart attacks. He died in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, on 27 February 1979. He was survived by his wife Ada and sons Anthony and Graham. ==Memorials==