Jody Nicholas had done very well at Ascot in 1970 and 1971. In 1971 he had 17 starts, 13 wins, one third, two DNFs and says he got knocked down one time by his teammate Mel Lacher. As a reward Norton sent Nicholas to England to compete in the John Player International with the rest of the Norton Team, namely Peter Williams, Mick Grant, and Phil Read.  As it turns out the Nortons were not very reliable that weekend. Jody was the only member of the team able to start the second heat and was forced to withdraw after a few laps because of a blown engine. John Player not only sponsored the race, they were the primary sponsor for the Norton Team. This excellent pan photo by B.R. Nichols catches Jody in full tuck, steaming down one of Silverstone’s sweeping straights.

American racer Jody Nicholas races a John Player Norton in the in the John Player International at Silverstone in August of 1972. (B.R. Nichols photo)