Scarborough Gold Cup Trophy
The Scarborough Gold Cup trophy was originally awarded in September 1950 as the 'News Chronicle' Senior Challenge Trophy. One of the nation’s most popular newspapers The News Chronicle, was already presenting Silver Cups and replicas for the lightweight and junior classes and went even further by presenting the 'Gold Cup' valued at 400 guineas for the Senior class, and a gold replica for the rider. This Gold Cup was believed at the time, to be the only one given for motor cycle racing. The newspaper did not stop at the presentation of prizes, but also lent their weight in many other ways, sponsoring races, giving expert and detailed coverage of the meetings in their pages and helping in every way to foster the growth of the sport.
The prestigious Gold Cup became the target of every rider and the inaugural winner was Geoff Duke, in only his second visit to the circuit. Duke went on to win the coveted trophy five times, including four straight victories between 1953 and 1956, all astride ‘works’ Gilera machines.
This feat has since only been bettered by one other rider, Lincolnshire’s Guy Martin. At the September 2009 Gold Cup meeting, Martin created history when he won the Gold Cup Trophy for a record breaking seventh successive time. Riding a machine that was unfamiliar to him, Tommy Hill's British Superbike-spec Hydrex Honda, Guy suffered a spill on the Saturday, but bounced back with an extremely popular win over a very determined Ian Hutchinson on the Padgetts 1000 Honda. During the feature eight lap race, Guy also broke his own outright lap record, setting a new circuit best of 1m 45.036, 83.286 mph.
The charismatic rider has taken Gold Cup titles on Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda machinery and when asked of his extraordinary seventh consecutive Gold Cup achievement he commented: “That was a tough weekend and I’m both delighted and relieved to have come away with the Gold Cup again as there was certainly a time when I didn’t think it would be possible. The bike was completely new to me and with all the electronics on the bike it was hard to get the bike to work in the right way for me. We kept chipping away but the poor start in Saturday’s first Superbike race meant it was a real struggle and third was all I could do before making a mistake on the final lap and taking out Hutchy in the process – it was completely my fault. We thought the bike was ok but when we started it up on Sunday morning, it was misfiring considerably.”
“The cam sensor had broke and with no spare Team Boss Shaun Muir had to come down to the circuit and we couldn’t get it fixed in time for the Superbike race, so I was gutted to miss out on that. We got the bike fired up just in time for the Gold Cup, but I was a bit apprehensive as I was going into the race blind and the last thing I wanted was the bike to cut out somewhere but, fortunately, she never missed a beat. It was an incredibly tough race, probably my toughest ever Gold Cup, as Hutchy was on my back wheel the whole way and that could be seen in both of us breaking the outright lap record. I was able to keep him at arms length though and to win again was brilliant. It’s a great way to end the year and a big thanks to all my team – Danny, Cammy and Johnny – and to Shaun for all his support this season.”
Equalling Geoff Duke with five Gold Cup victories is Yorkshireman David Jefferies. ‘DJ’ took his first Gold Cup title in 1994 on a 750 Yamaha, in a spectacular race which saw the outright circuit lap record shattered by roads specialist Phillip McCallen, whose mark stood for an unprecedented 10 years. ‘DJ’ won the title again in 1994 & ‘97 on Ducati machinery and added his name to the trophy again in 2000 & ‘01 on V&M R1 Yamahas. At the annual September Gold Cup meeting the David Jefferies Trophy is now dedicated to the 600cc supersport races.
Just behind Duke and Jefferies in the all-time Gold Cup standings is Scarborough favourite Barry Sheene with four wins. Barry Sheene took the Gold Cup International four times in 1973, ’74, ’79 & ’84, each time on a 500 Suzuki, his last title in 1984 was actually the last win of his professional racing career.
Steve Henshaw Gold Cup
In 1989 the September Gold Cup trophy meeting was renamed 'The Steve Henshaw Gold Cup' after the late Steve Henshaw who tragically lost his life in a racing accident during the 1989 Production 1300 TT. Steve, who hailed from Jacksdale near Nottingham, was a top notch rider in the British Championships during his 15 year racing career, he enjoyed a large Scarborough following and was never prouder than when he won the Ken Redfern Trophy in 1982, Cock o’ the North in 1987 and back-to-back Gold Cup Trophy victories in 1985 & 86 on his always immaculately prepared Coppock/Tillston’s RG 500 Suzuki.
In recent years Kirmington’s Guy Martin has been the man to beat around Oliver’s Mount and has dominated the Steve Henshaw Gold Cup event, by taking the last seven successive Gold Cup titles in a row.
Scarborough Gold Cup Roll of Honour :
|
Year
|
Rider
|
Machine
|
|
1950
|
Geoff Duke
|
500
Norton
|
|
1951
|
Jack Brett
|
500
Norton
|
|
1952
|
Bill Doran
|
500 AJS
|
|
1953
|
Geoff Duke
|
500 Gilera
|
|
1954
|
Geoff Duke
|
500 Gilera
|
|
1955
|
Geoff Duke
|
500 Gilera
|
|
1956
|
Geoff Duke
|
500 Gilera
|
|
1957
|
John Surtees
|
500
Norton
|
|
1958
|
George Catlin
|
500
Norton
|
|
1959
|
Bob Anderson
|
500
Norton
|
|
1960
|
John Hartle
|
500
Norton
|
|
1961
|
Dennis Pratt
|
500
Norton
|
|
1962
|
Peter
Middleton
|
500
Norton
|
|
1963
|
Phil Read
|
500 Gilera
|
|
1964
|
Derek Woodman
|
500 Matchless
|
|
1965
|
John Cooper
|
500
Norton
|
|
1966
|
Dan Shorey
|
500
Norton
|
|
1967
|
John Cooper
|
500 Matchless
|
|
1968
|
Billy Nelson
|
500
Norton
|
|
1969
|
Dave Degens
|
499 Dresda
|
|
1970
|
Tony Jefferies
|
750 Norton
|
|
1971
|
John Cooper
|
350 Yamaha
|
|
1972
|
Giacomo Agostini
|
500 MV Agusta 3
|
|
1973
|
Barry Sheene
|
500 XR05 Suzuki
|
|
1974
|
Barry Sheene
|
500 RG Suzuki
|
|
1975
|
Phil Read
|
500 MV Agusta 4
|
|
1976
|
Chas Mortimer
|
499 RG Suzuki
|
|
1977
|
Chas Mortimer
|
354 Yamaha
|
|
1978
|
Wil Hartog
|
500 RG Suzuki
|
|
1979
|
Barry Sheene
|
500 RG Suzuki
|
|
1980
|
Mick Grant
|
500 RG Suzuki
|
|
1981
|
Steve Parrish
|
500 Yamaha
|
|
1982
|
Not
Staged
|
Due to
severe weather
|
|
1983
|
Keith Huewen
|
500 RG
Suzuki
|
|
1984
|
Barry Sheene
|
500 RG
Suzuki
|
|
1985
|
Steve Henshaw
|
500 RG
Suzuki
|
|
1986
|
Steve Henshaw
|
500 RG
Suzuki
|
|
1987
|
Roger Marshall
|
1100
Suzuki
|
|
1988
|
James Whitham
|
750 Suzuki
|
|
1989
|
Carl Fogarty
|
750 RC30
Honda
|
|
1990
|
Nick Jefferies
|
750 Yamaha
|
|
1991
|
Mark Linscott
|
750 0W01
Yamaha
|
|
1992
|
David Jefferies
|
750 0W01 Yamaha
|
|
1993
|
Dean Ashton
|
750 0W01
Yamaha
|
|
1994
|
David Jefferies
|
926 Ducati
|
|
1995
|
Dean
Ashton
|
955 Ducati
|
|
1996
|
Dean Ashton
|
955 Ducati
|
|
1997
|
David Jefferies
|
955 Ducati
|
|
1998
|
Jason Griffiths
|
750 Honda RC45
|
|
1999
|
John McGuinness
|
500 NSR
Honda
|
|
2000
|
David Jefferies
|
998 Yamaha R1
|
|
2001
|
David Jefferies
|
998 Yamaha R1
|
|
2002
|
Ian Lougher
|
250 RS
Honda
|
|
2003
|
Guy
Martin
|
1000 Suzuki
GSXR
|
|
2004
|
Guy
Martin
|
1000 Suzuki
GSXR
|
|
2005
|
Guy
Martin
|
1000 Suzuki
GSXR
|
|
2006
|
Guy
Martin
|
1000 Yamaha
R1
|
| 2007 |
Guy Martin |
1000 Honda CBR |
| 2008 |
Guy Martin |
1000 Honda CBR |
|
2009
|
Guy Martin
|
1000 Honda RR
|
| 2010 |
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