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by | Mar 13, 2018 | Salix

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Malcolm Ernest Uphill (15 April 1935 – 15 August 1999)[1] was a Welsh professional motorcycle racer. He competed in British national-level short-circuit and in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.[2] Uphill was the first competitor in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races to achieve a 100 mph average lap speed on a production motorcycle.[3][4]

Motorcycle racing career

A native of Caerphilly, Wales, Uphill later lived at Heol, Trecastle and was educated at Twyn Secondary Modern School. Apprenticed at the Rhymney former railway works near Caerphilly, he worked as a fitter/turner/erector for British Rail.[3][5] In 1965, Uphill achieved a double win in the 350 cc 'Junior' and 500 cc 'Senior' races at the Manx Grand Prix.[6] His best season in world championship competition was in 1968 when he finished in ninth place in the 250cc world championship.[2]

In 1969, he teamed with Percy Tait to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race for production (road-based) machines and at the 1969 Isle of Man TT, Uphill won the 750 Production class on a Triumph Bonneville with a 100 mph lap, which prompted renaming of the Dunlop K81 motorcycle tyre as the TT100.[3][7][8][6] He also won the 750 Production class at the 1970 North West 200 held in Northern Ireland followed by the 1970 TT 750 production class on a Triumph Trident.[6][9]

Uphill died aged 64 in 1999 of asbestosis.[3] In 2011 a pub named The Malcolm Uphill was opened by Wetherspoons in Caerphilly town centre,[10] and in 2013, following local fundraising, a bronze plaque dedicated to Uphill's memory was installed on a wall close to the pub location at Station Terrace.[11]

  • The Malcolm Uphill pub, opened in 2011 on the corner of Cardiff Road and Clive Street in the centre of Caerphilly
    The Malcolm Uphill pub, opened in 2011 on the corner of Cardiff Road and Clive Street in the centre of Caerphilly
  • Commemorative plaque installed into a wall during 2013 at Station Terrace, Caerphilly
    Commemorative plaque installed into a wall during 2013 at Station Terrace, Caerphilly

References

  1. ^ "England and Wales deaths". genesreunited.co.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Rider Statistics - Malcolm Uphill". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "The Malcolm Uphill, Caerphilly". historypoints.org. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Triumph's Return to Isle of Man". webbikeworld.com. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  5. ^ "Malcolm Uphill Profile". iomtt.com. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Malcolm Uphill Isle of Man TT results". iomtt.com. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  7. ^ Motorcycle Mechanics, June 1973, Dunlop full page advert, p.6 Every time they race you win. "Tyres like the K70, Ribbed and the fabulous K81, re-named the TT100 after lapping the TT course at over 100 mph on a production machine". Accessed 23 March 2015
  8. ^ Dunlop tyres K81 TT100 Retrieved 1 March 2015
  9. ^ "North West 200 Results - 1970s". northwest200.org. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  10. ^ Caerphilly Observer, 10 October 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2015
  11. ^ Motorcycle hero Malcolm Uphill honoured with plaque Caerphilly Observer, 20 September 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2015

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