Experienced motorcyclist who competed in the Isle of Man TT race

Jack Findlay who died on 19 May, 2007, aged 72 will be fondly remembered for his contribution to motor-sport.

As an experienced motorcyclist, he competed in some of the biggest races in Europe,

Including, the Isle of Man TT.  His 20 year career was full of excitement and risks and in 1968 he fractured his skull. It was a minor setback, and he continued to race well into the 1970s.

He generally built and maintained his own motorcycles, using valuable parts from established names such as Yamaha. Having raced as a young man in Australia, Mr Findlay felt ready to test his ability further a field, and headed for the racetracks of Europe.

On his arrival, he invested time and money in getting his racing career off the ground. He began by competing in lesser known races, making a name for himself around the circuit. Accidents and mishaps aside, Mr Findlay would go on to become a highly skilled and competitive sportsman.

Cyril John Findlay was born on 5 February, 1935 in Mooroopna, a rural town in Victoria, Australia. As a youngster he lived in the countryside, and by the age of ten was interested in motorcycle racing.

Drawn towards race meetings in Melbourne, he later “borrowed” his father Jack’s driver’s licence in an effort to obtain a competition licence. He was still underage at the time and as a result adopted the name Jack; a personal reminder of his attempts to become a motorcycle racer.

After leaving school, Mr Findlay joined the Commonwealth Bank of Australia as a trainee accountant. During his employment he was offered a trial with the Melbourne Demons, an Australian Rules football team, but turned the offer down due to his commitments at the bank.

Outside of work, he had begun racing motorcycles, achieving moderate success in events close to his home. In 1957 he married Eileen Kneebone. The following year he moved his life and possessions to Europe, in the hope of becoming a successful racer abroad.

Arriving in Birmingham by ship, Mr Findlay worked at a BSA factory, all the while continuing to build up his skill and confidence as a competent rider of 350cc and 500cc motorcycles.

In 1959 he competed in the Isle of Man TT, an event he would become synonymous with in the following years of his career. By 1962 Mr Findlay had become moderately successful.

Images of him on the winning podium were still few and far between. Despite this, he maintained a belief he could compete against the best, finishing third in the 1966 500cc world championships.

Rubbing shoulders with elite drivers including Giacomo Agostini, he came in second, behind Mr Agostini in the world championships of 1968.  He was also subject of a documentary by French filmmakers towards the end of the 60s.

As a member of the “Continental Circus” – a group of riders, famous in Europe, for their outstanding and daredevil ability, Suzuki became the bike of choice for him.

In 1973 Mr Findlay achieved a long standing ambition of winning the senior Isle of Man TT. By 1975 he was winding down on his racing career. A near fatal crash in 1977 almost cost him his life, when he fractured his skull for a second time.

After competing in the 1978 German Grand Prix Mr Findlay eventually called time on his remarkable twenty year career, retiring aged 43.

In retirement he worked for Michelin, developing tyres, and in 1987 became technical officer for Spanish motorcycle promotion group DORNA.  He spent his final years living in France and was buried in Paris following a memorial service attended by friends and family.