Dickie Dale

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Age 31, Dickie Dale first came into prominence by winning the 1948 Lightweight Manx Grand Prix in which he finished ten minutes ahead of the second man and set up a new lap record for the class. Turning to the TT in 1949, he had built up a substantial lead in the Lightweight race, but retired on the last lap with engine trouble; he had, however, the satisfaction of sharing the lap record with Tommy Wood, the eventual winner, this being the first occassion on which a pre-war TT lap record had been broken.

After quite a successful 1950 season he became a member of the 1951 Norton works team, and started well for his new factory by winning the 350 cc 'North West 200' at record speed; he took part in TT practicing, but unfortunately fell ill a few days before racing began, and suffered a long spell in hospital.

Mondial-mounted in the 1953 125 cc TT, Dickie retired with engine trouble; in the Senior event he rode a Gilera, and again retired, while lying in eighth place. He was third in the 500 cc Spanish Grand Prix and second in the same class at Monza. Changing over to MV for 1954, Dickie began with a win at Floreffe; in the TT races he was 25th in the Junior and seventh in the Senior. In 1955 he was an absentee from the TT due to a car crash on the way to the Island, but he came back in 1956 as a member of the Guzzi team only to retire in both races. During the winter of 1955/6 in company with Bill Lomas, he had a most successful trip to Australia.

Always a prominent figure in the continental 'classics' Dickie, in 1956, scored a second place in the 350 cc race at Floreffe, was 2nd in the 500 cc race of the Hockenheim meeting, and second again at over 108 mph to Liberati's Gilera in the 250 cc Grand Prix des Nations. He finished up the season by being second in 350 cc class of the World Championship. Last year, again riding Guzzis, he retired in the Junior TT but was fourth in the Senior at 94.89 mph. He is entered for this year's Junior by John Surtees Developments Ltd, and for the Senior by Austin Munks.

(TT Special, Wednesday, June 04, 1958 p6)

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