Neil Hodgson’s recent retirement brought an end to a sterling 20-year racing history. The Brit raced about everything in road racing, including really learning his craft in 125 Grand Prix racing. I had lunch with Neil one day during an AMA Superbike weekend and the talk turned to the British road racing tracks. I told him I’d been to several of the British circuits and commented about how crazy Mallory Park’s hairpin called Shaw’s Corner was. I told him I was there in 1991 and watched a British 125GP Championship race and how shocked I was to hear fairings slamming  going into the hairpin as the ultra-aggressive riders came through in a huge pack that first lap. Neil laughed and said he was actually in that race. Here’s a photo of Hodgson on a 125 Honda from the excellent Graham Etheridge Collection. Hodgson became British 125 GP champion in 1992.

Neil Hodgson racing a Honda 125 Grand Prix bike at Brands Hatch in 1993. (Photo from Graham Etheridge Collection)