Start of the 1957 Belgian GP.
Keith Campbell on Moto Guzzi (28), Libero Liberati (26) and Bob Brown (8) on Gileras
Bob McIntyre wins the 1957 350cc Junior TT
in the Isle of Man on a Gilera
purpose built race tracks, which generally featured
shorter straights. Road circuits which of course
are not purpose designed, usually have very long
straights. The Ulster Grand Prix, for example,
on the old Clady circuit, had a seven mile, or
11.2km straight. A faster bike in a straight line
could build up a huge advantage by the time
the field got to the twisty bits. The Isle of Man
TT, which was then the most prestigious race on
the calendar, has some very long straights where
Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta Isle of Man 1957. Note the tail-end fairing
the dustbins would have a huge advantage.
When the 1958 season opened, the dustbin fairings
had been consigned to the history books, with a
couple of notable exceptions, sidecar racing and
land speed record attempts. The latter proves
beyond doubt that a two-wheeled vehicle with
a fully enclosed fairing will reach greater speeds
in a straight line than a naked or partially fared
machine. Could they ever come back on the
race track? Stranger things have happened.
Dickie Dale winning the Gold Cup at Imola in 1957
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