The Ken Redfern Trophy

This short blog is to be the first related to a hugely talented racer from the North East who did things a little differently than most: namely Ken Redfern.

This post is in relation to the trophy named in Ken’s honour. 

Ken’s life was tragically cut short in 1973 after a freak road traffic accident. Four or five weeks after the accident about 20 of Ken’s family and friends had a meeting at a local restaurant to honour Ken. From the meeting it was decided that in order to perpetuate Ken’s name with the sport he so loved, a trophy should be made and awarded annually; the Ken Redfern Trophy.

Ken Redfern Trophy with Ken's helmet

The design of the trophy was to replicate the logo on Ken’s helmet; a wild goose flying through a laurel wreath. The use of these two symbols were due to Ken's biggest passions in life: wildlife and motorcycle racing. 

A trust was set up in the autumn of 1973 to help cover the cost of manufacturing the one-off trophy which allowed friends, family and fans to donate any amount into. 

Middlesbrough Art College was given the task of designing the trophy. As part of this they manufactured a resin mould which would be used by a foundry to cast the trophy. Prior to Christmas 1973 an initial resin mould had been prepared and was shown to Ernie and Mike Redfern (Ken’s Dad and younger brother). A few small modifications were made following this review to allow the moulds to be completed. For the design and manufacture of resin models Middlesbrough Art College charged £1000. It was now time to find a suitable foundry.

After much research by Ernie Redfern a suitable foundry was selected: Morris Singer foundry in Basingstoke. They were the oldest fine art foundry in the UK and dated back to 1848. Notable artworks cast by Morris Singer include Jacob Epstein's "St Michael's Victory over the Devil" for Coventry Cathedral and the Single Form sculpture situated outside the UN by Barbara Hepworth.

Morris Singer foundry cast the trophy using the moulds; the laurel wreath out of copper and the wild goose out of 925 Sterling silver. The Morris Singer Foundry charged £2500 for casting the trophy.

Ken Redfern Trophy

The total weight of the metals in the trophy was a whopping 11.7kg! When put on a plinth the total weight was 13.5kg. 

In more recent times the silver was tested and hallmarked by the Sheffield Assay office. 

The North East Motor Cycle Racing Club (NEMCRC) were given custody of the Trophy and from that point onwards. Annual meetings were held. Ken's Trophy was first competed for in September 1974 at the Croft Circuit. The meeting was on Saturday 21st September and was a National meeting arranged by the NEMCRC. Race 7 at the meeting was the Ken Redfern Invitation for motorcycles of 250cc-1000cc which was held over 10 laps. There was a who’s-who list of donors for the prize money for the Ken Redfern Invitation, which included Paul Dunstall, Motor Cylce News, Motor Cycle magazine, Les Siddle (Lamplas fairings), Eddie Johnson, Dennis Pratt, Armstrong motorcycles, Keith Jeal (Ken’s mechanic) and Mike Redfern.

Big prize money was 'up for grabs' at the meeting to ensure a good grid entry with bonus awards for:

• The leader at the end of each lap
• The fastest lap
• The winner and cash down to 10th place

This incentive attracted the country's top riders for 50 years.

1974 programme cover

Entrants for 1974 Ken Redfern Invitation Race

The riders who entered up for the first Ken Redfern Invitation race in 1974 included top names such as Mick Grant, Roger Marshall, Steve Tonkin, Phil Gurner, Stewart Hodgson, Paul Cott, Austin Hockley, Tony Myers, John Webb, George Fogarty and a future World Champion from South Africa Kork Ballington. The race was won by Kork Ballington who led from the first lap to the chequered flag. Finishing behind Kork was Phil Gurner, Roger Marshall, Paul Cott, Austin Hockley and John Webb completing the top six finishers.

1974 and 1975 winner Kork Ballington with Ernie Redfern

The Ken Redfern trophy was competed for every year until the final running of the race in 2023 (apart from 2020 and 2021 due to COVID). Other notable winners of the Ken Redfern trophy include Roger Marshall, Steve Manship, Steve Henshaw, Joey Dunlop, Jamie Whitham, Ian Simpson, Jim Moodie, David Jefferies and John McGuinness. The full list of winners is presented at the end of the article.  

1976 winner Roger Marshall with Ernie Redfern

1984 winner Joey Dunlop with Mike Redfern

1988 winner Dave Leach with Mick Grant

The trophy currently still resides with the family, however, the time has come for it to look for a new long-term home either still linked to the sport or in a suitable private collection. If anyone has a serious interest I can put interested parties in contact with the family.

List of race track’s which held the annual meeting:

• Croft Circuit 1974 - 1981
• Oliver’s Mount Scarborough 1982 - 1989
• Knockhill 1990 - 1999 
• Croft Circuit 2000 - 2023

Trophy winners up to 2009

List of past winners of the Ken Redfern Trophy:

• 1974 - Kork Ballington
• 1975 - Kork Ballington
• 1976 - Roger Marshall
• 1977 - Steve Wright
• 1978 - Steve Manship
• 1979 - Graham Wood
• 1980 - Steve Manship
• 1981 - Graham Wood
• 1982 - Steve Henshaw
• 1983 - Mark Salle
• 1984 - Joey Dunlop
• 1985 - Mark Salle
• 1986 - Mark Phillips
• 1987 - Dave Leach
• 1988 - Dave Leach
• 1989 - Jamie Whitham
• 1990 - Brian Morrison
• 1991 - Ian Simpson
• 1992 - Jim Moodie
• 1993 - Jim Moodie
• 1994 - Andrew Stroud
• 1995 - Brian Morrison
• 1996 - Dean Ashton
• 1997 - Nick Jefferies
• 1998 - David Jefferies
• 1999 - Dean Ashton
• 2000 - John McGuinness
• 2001 - Dennis Hobbs
• 2002 - Dennis Hobbs
• 2003 - Dennis Hobbs
• 2004 - Dennis Hobbs
• 2005 - Keith Pringle
• 2006 - Kirk Jamison
• 2007 - Gavin Littlewood
• 2008 - Kirk Jamison
• 2009 - Joe Burns
• 2010 - Jimmy Storrar
• 2011 - David Paton
• 2012 - Andrew Tasker
• 2013 - Barry Teessdale
• 2014 - Barry Teessdale
• 2015 - Lee Wilson
• 2016 - Andrew Tasker
• 2017 - Lee Wilson
• 2018 - Barry Teessdale
• 2019 - Mikey Evans
• 2020 - COVID (no event)
• 2021 - COVID (no event)
• 2022 - Richard Evans
• 2023 - James Alderson

The Grant Velocette swinging-arm

In late 1968 Mick Grant bought a scrap 'Steven's Velocette' frame from Jim Lee of Batley. This was extensively modified by both Mick and Jim, the completed machine being ready for the following season. 

For further details see: Yorkshire Velo Mafia - Part 1

1969 Senior Manx Grand Prix

 

Subsequently known as the Grant Velo, it went on to become one of the most infamous and successful Velocette Specials of all time. In 2005 the bike returned to the UK. It had spent the last 30 years with Cory Padula in Vancouver, Canada to whom it had been sold at the end of the 1975 racing season.

 

Cadwell Park 1975

 

The bike had been raced extensively that year, but suffered an unexpected and frightening failure at the Oliver’s Mount Cock o’ the North race meeting. The bike was entered in the 500cc Ted Andrew Trophy race, but during final practice the swinging arm broke on landing after taking the last jump of the Weaponess straight leading to the start-finish line. As anyone familiar with the circuit knows, this is not a straight at all but a flat-out bend to the right, before braking hard for Mere Hairpin. It was altogether a different riding experience at this time, as there were no Farm Bends to slow the approach to the finish-line. This meeting was the first time that timed practice had been introduced, the fastest 24 riders of the 40 eligible for each race class would qualify. 

 

 

The swinging arm had broken across the slots through which the wheel spindle passes and wheel was only held in place by one remaining reduced section of tube. Clearly it was not an elegant landing, but for some extremely fortunate reason, the wheel remained very loosely in place, albeit collapsed into the top of the frame. After bringing the bike to rest, the machine was retired and a non-starter in the race the following day. 

It was unsurprisingly the last time the bike was raced prior to being sold.

 

Winter 1975

 Before the bike was sold, repairs were made to both stiffen the swinging arm and provide greater strength at the failure point. The wheel-spindle slugs were also extended to give greater engagement within the main tubes to ensure that this failure would never happen again. The bike continued to be raced in Canada by both Cory and Ian Marshall for a period of approximately 10 years before it was taken apart pending a rebuild. 

 

Ian Marshall at Westwood, Canada

 

During this period the swinging arm must have again started to crack, as when it returned in 2005 there were further stiffeners welded in place around the wheel spindle slots. The combination of these and the original modifications were not at all pleasing on the eye and hardly the thing you would want to ride with any conviction. It was therefore decided to re-make this section of the swinging arm and amend how the rear wheel was adjusted and held in place. The swinging arm was marked out carefully on a surface plate and the rear sections cut and removed from the original repair sleeves. The lower suspension mountings were also removed during this process. New rear fork sections were machined from scratch, which would hold both the wheel spindle captive and provide a thread for the suspension mounting bolts. 

 

New fixings jigged in place

 

The new sections were bronze-welded in place using oxy-acetylene. The swinging arm and fixings were pre-heated with a butane burner, as the sections were thick and would take a large amount of heat to get to the welding and uniformity temperatures required. The loose side-plates and main fork sections were set and held in place using lengths of adjustable screwed rod.

 

 

Following completion of all the brazing, the swinging arm returned to the workshop for final machining. The wheel spindle slots had been left 1mm undersize to allow enough material to ensure that the swinging arm pivot and wheel spindle could be perfectly aligned. This was checked using a surface-plate, vee-blocks and a vernier height-gauge.

 

Final alignment

 

 

 

Wheel adjustment is now to be made using snail-cams and the open ends of the main swinging arm tubes capped with a register against which the cams will bear. A pair of dural cams were machined from scratch to give the required amount of chain/wheel adjustment.

 

Completed snail cams