John Hartle

John Hartle
John Hartle with his hometown's coat of arms helmet emblem
Nationality	British
Born	22 December 1933 Chapel-en-le-Frith, England
Died	31 August 1968 (aged 34) Scarborough, England
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1955 – 1968 First race 1955 350cc Isle of Man TT Last race 1968 500cc Ulster Grand Prix First win 1956 500cc Ulster Grand Prix Last win 1963 500cc Dutch TT Team(s) Norton, MV Agusta Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 45 5 34 N/A 2 204

John Hartle (22 December 1933 - 31 August 1968) was an English professional road racer who competed in national, international and Grand Prix motorcycle events.

Born in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, Hartle began racing in 1952 when working for Eric Bowers Motorcycles, riding a BSA Gold Star at Brough Aerodrome, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Gaining more experience at other nearby short circuits including Cadwell Park and Oulton Park in 1953,^[1] he also finished in three out of four races entered in the 1953 and 1954 Isle of Man Manx Grand Prix.^[2]

He rode for the works Norton team during the 1955 season and again in 1956 in what would be factory team's last year in Grand Prix racing, returning to ride for Eric Bowers in 1957.^[1]

MV Agusta signed him in 1958 at the urging of John Surtees. He ended the season as runner-up to Surtees in the 500 and 350 classes.^[3] In 1960 he won his first Isle of Man TT race, the Junior TT event.^[4] After being released by MV Agusta, he then rode for Geoff Duke's privateer Gilera team, alongside Derek Minter.

In his early career Hartle was sponsored for non-championship races by Eric W Bowers Coaches^[5] and later Comerfords, a large London retailer of roadgoing and sporting motorcycles, until his retirement in 1964.^[6]

He returned to racing during 1967, winning the Isle of Man inaugural Production Race 750 category for road-based machines on a Triumph Thruxton Bonneville, and scoring World Championship points in both 350 cc and 500 cc races.^[7]

Hartle was killed in 1968 after crashing at the Oliver's Mount circuit in Scarborough.^[8]

Hartle was proud of his connection with his hometown of Chapel-en-le-Frith, always carrying the coat of arms as his 'pudding basin' helmet emblem with the Latin motto Cava et Spera, which translates to 'Caution and Hope'.^[5][9] He was recognised in his hometown in 2010 by a blue wall-plaque^[10] attached to the building which now stands where he used to live.^[5]

John Hartle Trophy

The John Hartle Trophy is an annual award at the Isle of Man TT Races. The trophy is presented to the winner of the Superstock TT.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results^[3][4]

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6
Points	8	6	4	3	2	1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Class	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Points	Rank	Wins
1955	350cc	Norton		FRA -	IOM 6	GER -	BEL -	NED -	ULS 2	NAT -				7	9th	0
	500cc	Norton	ESP -	FRA -	IOM 13	GER -	BEL -	NED -	ULS 2	NAT -				6	7th	0
1956	350cc	Norton	IOM 3	NED -	BEL -	GER -	ULS 3	NAT -						8	8th	0
	500cc	Norton	IOM 2	NED -	BEL -	GER -	ULS 1	NAT -						14	3rd	1
1957	250cc	MV Agusta	GER -	IOM -	NED -	BEL 1	ULS -	NAT -						8	5th	1
	350cc	Norton	GER 2	IOM NC	NED 6	BEL -	ULS 4	NAT 6						11	5th	0
1958	350cc	MV Agusta	IOM NC	NED 2	BEL 2	GER 2	SWE -	ULS 2	NAT 2					24	2nd	0
	500cc	MV Agusta	IOM NC	NED 2	BEL 3	GER 2	SWE -	ULS 3	NAT -					20	2nd	0
1959	350cc	MV Agusta	FRA 3	IOM 2	GER -		BEL -	SWE 2	ULS -	NAT -				16	2nd	0
	500cc	MV Agusta	FRA -	IOM NC	GER -	NED -	BEL -		ULS -	NAT -				0	–	0
1960	350cc	MV Agusta	FRA -	IOM 1	NED -			ULS 2	NAT 3					18	3rd	1
	500cc	Norton	FRA -	IOM 2	NED -	BEL 8	GER -	ULS 1	NAT 5					16	3rd	1
1961	250cc	Honda	ESP -	GER -	FRA -	IOM -	NED -	BEL NC	DDR -	ULS NC	NAT NC	SWE -	ARG -	0	–	0
1963	350cc	Gilera	GER -	IOM 2	NED -	BEL -	ULS -	DDR -	FIN -	NAT -		JPN -		6	6th	0
	500cc	Gilera		IOM 2	NED 1	BEL -	ULS 2	DDR -	FIN -	NAT -	ARG -			20	3rd	1
1964	500cc	Norton	USA 3	IOM -	NED -	BEL -	GER -	DDR -	ULS -	FIN -	NAT -			4	14th	0
1967	350cc	Aermacchi	GER -	IOM 7	NED -		DDR -	CZE -		ULS -	NAT -		JPN -	0	–	0
	500cc	Matchless	GER -	IOM 6	NED -	BEL -	DDR 2	CZE 5		ULS 2	NAT 6	CAN -		22	3rd	0
		Norton							FIN 2
1968	500cc	Metisse	GER -	ESP -	IOM NC	NED -	BEL -	DDR -	CZE -	FIN -	ULS 3	NAT -		4	16th	0

References

1. Ton-up TT racer wins recognition Buxton Advertiser, March 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2014
2. Manx Grand Prix Race Results: John Hartle Retrieved 20 October 2014
3. "John Hartle career statistics". motogp.com. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
4. "John Hartle Isle of Man TT results". iomtt.com. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
5. Derbyshire Blue Plaques, John Hartle Retrieved 20 October 2014
6. Motor Cycle, 22 April 1965, p.528 "Racing Line" by David Dixon. "Comerfords are back in racing. They sponsored John Hartle until his retirement last year and now they have bought back one of John's five-hundred Nortons on which to sponsor Rhodesian Gordon Keith". Accessed and added 20 October 2014
7. IoM TT Database Race Results: John Hartle Retrieved 20 October 2014
8. "John Hartle at Motorsport Memorial". motorsportmemorial.org. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
9. Speed king Hartle wore Chapel badge with pride Derby Telegraph, June 2010 Retrieved 20 October 2014
10. Origins and Development of the Blue Plaque Retrieved 20 October 2014

External links

• Image of John Hartle Blue Plaque
• John Hartle profile at ozebook.com
• John Hartle on Gilera, Ulster Grand Prix 1963