Picture: Post TT Races Mallory Park 1978 - Mike leads John

Rider:John Cowie

Date: June 1978

Photographer: John Cowie Collection

Copyright: John Cowie Collection

Das TT Anschlussrennen eine Woche nach der Isle of Man fand in Mallory Park statt. Auch wenn Hailwood mit dem TT Rennen auf den Isle of Man endgültig zur Legende wurde ist das Rennen in Mallory Park mindestens genau so legendär.

“Many commentators have said that Hailwoods Mallory win was more impressive than the TT because he was running against faster, more nimble pure racing tools on essentially a tuned road bike. On a circuit as fast and wide as Silverstone his Ducati would have been seriously outclassed by the Hondas and Kawasaki's, especially John Cowies P&M Kawasaki. Didn't stop him trying though.

Lap after lap he went in there flat without appearing to roll off, showing a very visible and beautifully controlled two wheel drift all the way through the corner. Yet despite appearing on the edge of crashing you could have put a postage stamp on the apex and he would have hit it every time.  To say I was impressed is an understatement. Easily the fastest man through that corner all weekend and I include Roberts & Sheene in that list.”

“Hard to pinpoint the best of all time on pure riding skill alone but Hailwoods achievements have to mark him as the No 1, he raced 70 different bikes for 16 manufacturers, often racing up to 5 different bikes a day, left and right gearchanges on anything from a single cylinder to a four, 76 GP wins including 18 in a season and 3 in a day, the TT comeback wins on the Duke then a two stroke RG Suzuki with lap records that stood for years, all this across three decades of racing, and then Mike says he never raced a TT at 100 % .”