The Late John Hartle
Champion Rider Without a Crown
Derbyshire’s John Hartle is remembered as the ‘almost’ man of motorcycle racing. He was a fast, stylish rider who never seemed to take ridiculous risks, yet he was involved in serious crashes that be-devilled his career. Several big wins came his way during a career that began at the Oliver’s Mount circuit at Scarborough in 1954. It was ironic that it should end fatally at the same venue in 1968 when he collided with the framework of an overhead pedestrian footbridge.
Norton and MV Teamster
Hartle displayed great potential at the 1954 Senior Manx Grand Prix. It was only his second essay at the Isle of Man and during a rain-soaked race he led into the final lap, only to be robbed of victory when his Norton ran out of fuel. His third place on an AJS in the Junior Manx was of some consolation, but nothing matched a win in the Senior.
In 1955 Hartle became a member of the Norton works team, partnering John Surtees and Jack Brett. At the TT he secured 6th place in the Junior and 13th in the Senior, and in the following year Hartle was in the Slazenger-sponsored Norton team. In the Senior TT, he finished second to his former Norton teammate John Surtees, in his first season with MV Agusta; and in the Senior Ulster he outlasted the strong Italian challenge to finish in first place.
In 1958, with Surtees’ influence, Hartle became a team member with MV, and rode the Italian fours in the Island in 1958 and 1959. He suffered 3 retirements from 4 starts in that period, but did finish second to Surtees in the 1959 Junior. His undoubted ability on the MV was demonstrated in 1960 when he finished second to Surtees in the Senior. Earlier in the week he scored a popular win in the Junior ahead of Surtees’ ailing MV, with Bob McIntyre (AJS) in 3rd place.
The Gilera Challenge
In 1963 Geoff Duke made a bold decision to challenge the all-conquering MVs. It was six years since the work’s Gileras had run in anger; however Duke reasoned they would still be competitive even after such a lay-off. His hopes were centred on Derek Minter, backed up by John Hartle; but early in the season Minter was seriously injured racing his Norton at Brands Hatch. It was a major setback to the Gilera revival and Phil Read was called in to replace Minter.
Hartle and Read were overshadowed at the TT and other classics by an in-form Mike Hailwood; although there was a shred of consolation at the Dutch TT when Hailwood experienced mechanical problems, allowing Hartle to win and give Gilera a brief moment of glory. The attempted Gilera comeback was a bold venture which cost Duke a considerable amount of money and a great deal of heartache. In Duke’s estimation Minter was the only rider capable of matching Hailwood.
A Return to Classic Racing
Hartle experienced a bout of serious crashes over the following seasons that were enough to sideline him until 1967. After such a prolonged lay-off he made a somewhat reluctant return to racing. He scored wins at OultonPark and in the 750 Production TT at the Isle of Man, all of which were a great boost to his confidence.
Riding a G50 Matchless he contested the classic events and finished the season with second place in the 500cc World Championship. He was looking forward to an even better season in 1968; particularly at the TT, where he secured MV rides in the Junior and Senior. The previous year Hartle scored a convincing win in the 750 Production TT on a works Triumph Bonneville, and was keen to repeat the performance in the 1968 race. He was possibly trying too hard in the wet conditions; crashed heavily and was pronounced unfit to start in the Junior TT.
A Tragic Decision
He was well enough to start in Friday’s Senior, but again he was thwarted when the MV developed gear selection problems that worsened during the opening lap. His battle with the recalcitrant machine terminated at Cronk-ny-Mona when the MV went into a vicious tank-slapper, flinging Hartle off at high speed. Any hopes of further MV rides evaporated in the crash, and his initial reaction was to retire from racing immediately and permanently. After deep soul searching he decided otherwise. That indomitable spirit which enabled Hartle to shrug off serious injuries also caused him to ignore any signs of impending tragedy, and three months later he was claimed by his nemesis, Scarborough. It was tragic that Hartle never won a World Championship; but for breakdowns and crashes that crown would surely have been his.
John Hartle
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1955 Senior TT
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