Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1481458
After his retirement from the world championships Read opened a Honda dealership in Hersham, England. He contin- ued to race classic events into the 2000s. When he was honored in 2014 by Yamaha marking the 50th an- niversary of Read and Yamaha's 250cc Grand Prix World Cham- pionship, Read talked about the stark contrast comparing the GP racing scene in the 1960s to what it would become in the modern era. "I drove my Citroen Safari estate car from England with the two bikes in the back," Read remembered. "The next day we went to the track a day early and heard this incredible sound of the Honda Six. Our rivals were testing. My heart sank. I thought, 'I'm finished! I'll never win the title!' But with my one mechanic from Japan, we produced a really reliable Yamaha bike. There was a bit of hard riding and slip- streaming, plus over-enthusiasm from Honda who had not tested their machine properly, because over one or two laps it started to overheat and forced Jim Redman to close the throttle in order to keep it running on six. My team- mate Mike Duff was using my spare bike and passed Redman before breaking the lap record, so it was a brilliant one-two for Yamaha. I then went back to the hotel, returned the mechanic to the airport, left with no press conference and no television commitments, and drove back to England. I then went to Japan for the last Grand Prix at Suzuka and Yamaha Motor Company gave the whole factory a day's holiday and a party in the town center, which was incredible. I was very happy! Since then I've been happy to belong and be closely associated with the happy team, which I think Yamaha is." Larry Lawrence IN THE WIND P48 Robertson To Yamaha S tilez Robertson has ended his association with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna after signing a new two- year deal with Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha 250cc team to race Supercross and motocross. Robertson turned pro in 2020 but the former Nicky Hayden Amateur Ho- rizon Award winner has been nagged by injuries ever since. The 20-year-old notched a pair of runner-up finishes at the Daytona Supercross (250SX East) these past two seasons and earned his first 250cc outdoor overall podium this Summer at the RedBud National. But an injury midseason in the outdoor Nationals ended his year prematurely. Robertson says he's back to full fitness and eager to get back on track and go racing with Yamaha. CN Stilez Robertson has jumped ship to the Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha Team.