Alfred Robert (Bob) Foster was born in Gloucestershire in 1911 and is remembered as one of the great all-rounders of motorcycle competition. In a career that began in 1932, he was involved in road racing, trials and scrambles; and excelled in them all. His road racing career was focussed mainly on the Isle of Man; a venue that he first saw in 1932 while acting as honorary mechanic to a friend competing in the Manx Grand Prix. Determined to become involved as a competitor he purchased a Grand Prix 350 New Imperial.
Success at the Isle of Man
His exploits on the ‘Imp’ drew welcome interest from New Imperial, who loaned a work’s special for an impending Donington Park meeting. Bob finished well up in the field, thus beginning an association with the firm that elevated his burgeoning career. Between his 1930s road racing activities Bob enjoyed success at national scramble and trials meetings. At the 1936 Isle of Man Lightweight TT Bob scored a significant win for New Imperial. During his professional years he acquired the nickname ‘Fearless’; a tribute to his courage in handling the more fearsome models being raced at the time.
AJS Years
His win on the New Imperial proved to be the last occasion when a British machine would win a Lightweight TT at the Isle of Man. Following the TT New Imperial withdrew official support from racing. It was a disappointing outcome for many riders, Foster included; and from 1937 to 1939 he moved to AJS. In that period he rode their 350cc R7 single, plus the supercharged 500cc V4. This was a fearsome evil-handling device, and its one claim to fame was a memorable 100mph lap by team mate Walter Rusk at the 1939 Ulster GP.
Post war Events
For the first two post-war years Foster took part in continental scrambles and road races. At the 1947 TT series he was riding for Velocette, and won the Junior TT in convincing fashion. His Senior race was far less successful, with the 500 Velo expiring on the first lap. The following year, Bob finished second to Freddie Frith in the Junior TT; and again his Senior race ended prematurely, this time on a GP Triumph. One highlight of his 1948 season was an emphatic win in the 350 Belgian Grand Prix against strong opposition. Bob’s mounts for the 1949 TT were a 350 Velocette and a potential Senior winner in the form of a twin Moto Guzzi, similar to Stanley Woods’1935 TT winning model. In the Junior he finished in 4th place, and was looking forward to a better result in the Senior. After disposing of the early Norton and AJS challenge; by lap 5 the race looked a certainty for Foster. Sadly, it was not to be. Transmission problems brought yet another Senior retirement.
World Championship
1950 was a memorable year, for it heralded the appearance of the ‘Featherbed’ Norton. Their Isle of Man results were reminiscent of the 1930 glory days, with 1-2-3 finishes in both Junior and Senior TTs. At the Belgian GP, Foster surprised the all-conquering Nortons with a masterly win in the 350 event. To reinforce Velocette’s dominance he repeated the performance at the Dutch TT and Ulster GP. These wins, plus second place at the wet Swiss GP ensured a World Championship for A.R. Foster and the Manufacturers Championship for Velocette.
Retirement
His plan was to retire from road racing at season’s end. Velocette, however had created a new 250 to challenge Italian dominance in that category. Foster’s experience would be a factor in the model’s development; with the result that he postponed his retirement for 12 months.
It proved to be year tinged with some optimism but mainly disappointment. The 250 failed to deliver its early promise, while the 350 had passed its peak of development. It was farewell to a career he had pursued with quiet ardour and had repaid him with a host of honours.
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