| Tommy Robb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality | Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1934-10-14)14 October 1934 Belfast, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 12 December 2024(2024-12-12) (aged 90) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tommy Robb (14 October 1934 – 12 December 2024) was aGrand Prixmotorcycleroad racer fromNorthern Ireland.
Robb began riding intrials andscrambles during 1950. His first event was a road time-trial riding a 197 ccJames. He then competed on Irishgrasstracks, winning six national titles and a 25-mile sand race between 1954 and 1956, before turning to short circuits ontarmac androad-racing. His first road race was atLurgan Park, outside of Belfast, in 1957 riding a 197 HJH. He was noticed by Belfast sponsor Terry Hill, himself a trials rider, who provided a 173 MV and a 250 ccNSU Sportmax for 1957 and 1958 with Robb finishing third in the1957 Ulster Grand Prix and second in the 1958 race.[1][2]
Robb was then sponsored by tunersGeoff Monty and his business partner Allen Dudley-Ward until joining the works Honda team from 1962,[1] winning his first world championship race in the 1962 250 class at theUlster Grand Prix with two further wins at the inaugural Japanese Grand Prix in Tokyo.[1]
In the1962 season, Robb became one of the first non-Japanese riders hired by theHonda factory racing team. He enjoyed his greatest success with Honda, finishing second to his teammate,Jim Redman, in the 1962 350 world championship.[3]
In1973, he won theLightweight 125 TT at theIsle of Man TT races, aboard aYamaha.[4] He was also a five-time winner of theNorth West 200 race in Northern Ireland.
Towards the end of his competitive riding, Robb established a road-race school in conjunction with formerMotor Cycle magazine journalist and retail motorcycle shop ownerDavid Dixon, usingYoshimura-equippedCB250, andCB450 Hondas, with Dixon being the UK importer and distributor of Yoshimura tuning equipment.[5][6]
Robb died on 12 December 2024, at the age of 90.[7]
In 1964, Robb's daughter Corienne won the annualMiss Pears competition.[8]