Mike “The Bike” Hailwood

Mike Hailwood was a popular British racer, racing in both Formula 1 motorcycles and cars.

Born in 1940, son of a motorcycle dealer and racer, Hailwood quickly learned the business. He also started racing motorcycles in 1957, and by 1958, he was winning races.

In 1961, racing for Honda, he actually won in 3 different classes of the Isle of Mann TT, all in the same weekend! He won the 250cc World Championship that year.

For 1962, he moved to MV Agusta, and won 4 consecutive 500cc World Championships.

Returning to Honda for 1966, he again won titles in both the 250cc and 350cc classes, repeating it again for 1967.

Honda stepped out of Grand Prix motorcycle racing for 1968, and paid Hailwood not to go to another team, hoping to have him back when they returned.

He instead took up automobile racing, starting in sports/GT, moving to Formula 2, where he earned the 1972 European title. He moved into Formula 1, but retired after being badly injured in major crash during the 1974 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.

He married Pauline Barbara Nash in 1975 and they had two children, a son David and daughter Michelle.


Pen&ink and paint markers on red archival stock
© Paul Chenard 2013

In 1978, a full 11 years after stopping, he returned to motorcycle racing in a stunning way, famously winning the Isle of Mann TT in a Ducati 900SS.

He retired completely from racing in 1979, and opened a motorcycle dealership. Tragically, the well-liked racer was killed with his daughter in a 1981 motor vehicle accident when a truck made an illegal turn and pull out in front of them.

Richie Ginther: The Race Car Developer

Paul Richard “Richie” Ginther was born in Granada Hills, California in 1930.

He was raised in the same town as Phil Hill, and worked for Douglas Aircraft in the tool and die shop. Ginther met Hill and helped him in the repair and maintenance of his race cars.

He started his own race career in 1951, driving a Ford-powered MG. Shortly afterward, he was drafted to the Korean war, and worked on aircraft maintenance. 

Page from the 1959 Fuller Brush catalog.

Once out of the military, Ginther was drafted by Hill as his riding mechanic for the 1953 Carrera Panamericana, racing in a Ferrari 340 Mexico Vignale. They ran well until they left the road and severely damaged the Ferrari. They returned the following year, racing a Ferrari 375 MM Vignale and finished in second place.

Page from the 1959 Fuller Brush catalog.

Not long after Hill left for Europe to drive for Scuderia Ferrari, and Ginther took his place in the States, racing more and more frequently, gaining successes.

He drove Healeys, Porsches, Aston Martins, and finally Ferraris. He moved to Europe, joining Hill with Ferrari, where he stayed for the 1960 and 1961 seasons. He was instrumental in the race development of the famous 156 F1 “Sharknose”.

Sharknoses at Spa 1961, where Ginther finished in 3rd place. Pen&ink, pencils and markers on white archival stock 12"x 9" © Paul Chenard 2012


From there he moved to BRM for 1962, also helping in the development of their Championship-winning P57 Formula 1 car.

Tamiya 1/20 Honda RA272 kit that I built.

He joined Honda in 1965, racing their new RA272 F1 car. In the last Grand Prix of the season in Mexico, he won the race, giving Honda and Goodyear their first Formula 1 win. Unfortunately, it was Ginther’s only Formula 1 win.

Sketch on a package I shipped to California for a good client.
Pen&ink and markers on Foamcore.  © Paul Chenard 2012

Ginther had a small part in John Frankenheimer’s 1966 film “Grand Prix.”

Ginther finally retired in 1967, and sadly passed away in 1989 while camping with his family in France.