Chris Conn at Sachsenring in 1967 Pictures
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Thanks to Jack Chaplin for this picture of Chris Conn on his Aermacchi at Sachsenring in 1967. Jack was Chris’s mechanic for many years and can be seen behind Chris’ bike.
Hi,
Stumbled on this web site knew Chris in the late 50s and 60s stationed at RAF Lyneham with him, together with Tim Covens, Posh Richard from London.We toured the country visiting all the race tracks every weekend in Chris’s Converted Ford Thames van.Great fun and plenty of laughs.From Brands Hatch to the Isle Of Man.
Lost touch when I got posted to Singapore and Tim to Germany.
Would welcome any news of there whereabouts I think Jack Lived in Portishead.
Cheers.
Brian [Willie] Williams.
Hello Brian,
Jack Chaplin was indeed from Portishead and now living in Clevedon. I have his email address if you want it. Chris has moved to Scotland having had successful careers in both property development and retail. I don’t have Chris’ contact details, but I’m sure Jack has.
Cheers
Nigel
Trying to get hold of Chris Conn and his mechanic Jack Chaplin. I was Hon Sec RAFMSA Road Racing in the 60s and would like to record RAF servicemen’s rides in the IOM and other race meetings.
Hi Nigel.
Many thanks for your prompt reply,Jacks e-mail address would be great. I had heard that Chris was living in Scotland but wasn’t sure.
Regards
Brian.
Hi, As ex-RAF, a Jaguar Enthusiast and aware of Chris Conn’s exploits, a photo of a modified Jaguar Mk.VII has appeared in the current Club magazine. This car, with a Morris Minor Traveller body grafted into the back end was believed to be Chris’s transport and could hold 2 bikes side by side. I saw that vehicle (or something very similar) at R.A.F. Wildenrath in the mid sixties and now wish to confirm its existence, especially for the magazine.
Incidentally, my older brother, John, was in Apprentice training at R.A.F. Halton with Chris in the fifties, plus I have 2 current contacts who knew him at R.A.F. Lyneham.
Regards,
Stewart.
Hi I too was stationed in Wildenrath 1966-69 and used to talk to Chris when he came in for his meals (I worked in the Airmans mess)and was and still am a big gp fan, the car you are talking about I believe belonged to Jack Ahearne who was a Aussie Gp racer He used to come to see chris and used to park this car near the Naafi shop I have looked many times on Google to see what happened to him when he stopped racing to no avail I did hear when he left the RAF he went selling prams but where i heard this I do not know as it is a long time ago now it is odd he does not get involved with the scene now.
Hi Stewart,
Can you let me have the names of the contacts who knew Chris at RAF Lyneham I would very much like to get in touch with Chris again. Am in touch with Jack Chaplin
Regards
Brian Williams.
Hi Brian,
Have only just seen your response, sorry for the delay!
Current contacts who knew Chris are :- Ernie King and Mick Simmons, both ex-RAF Halton and Engine Fitters. Ernie moved on to the M.o.D. and Mick joined Rolls Royce as a Field Rep. Hope this helps.
Regards,
Stewart Courtnell
I wonder if anyone could help?
I have stumbled upon a scrapbook and I’m interested on finding out as much as I can about Tom Phillips the picture I have is of him testing a new Aermacchi Metisse.
The cut out I think is from Motor cycle news Wednesday March 8, 1967?
Regards
Paul
Hi, I too have been curious why Chris Conn has put the world of motorcycle racing behind him. I too was at RAF Lyneham in the early 60s. Chris, (Ginge) kept his bikes in a lock-up of the motorcycle club in an old wartime shelter complex on the base. After I left Lyneham for Germany I heard that a fire had destroyed the contents of the shelter including Chris’ bikes. His past GP and TT colleagues are also interested in hearing from him. I had an E-mail interchange with Michelle Duff (formerly TT/GP racer Mike Duff) who had mentioned Chris in Michelle’s very interesting Biography. I sent Michelle some race photos of her TT days where I was lucky to be present and included one of Chris. She said that Chris had been invited to the Classic TT event at Assen in1988 but had declined the invitation. She had made unsuccessful numerous further enquiries. No one seemed to know where he is or why he had lost interest in the sport. She would welcome his E-mail address if someone ever finds him. I did not know Chris personally but as another ex Brat, sootie and motorcyclist I always felt a common bond. Wherever he is I wish him well.
Hi, I happened upon this thread recently and I have some news for all concerned regarding Chris. I am pleased to inform you that Chris Conn was the Guest of Honour at last weekends Bob Mcyntyre memorial races held at the East Fortune circuit near Edinburgh. The meeting finished yesterday evening with Chris presenting the winners trophies and he was in good form having enjoyed the classic bike racing and meeting all the race winners including a young lady who won the 250cc race on a Manx Norton.
I managed to speak with Chris after proceedings and asked him to sign a photograph of him for me competing in the 1966 TT coming in 3rd behind Agostini and Mike Hailwood! He was
happy to speak about the race adding that he ‘was never going to catch those two’ I said no but I bet you gave it a good go though – he smiled and said yes I did!.
Hope you find this interesting.
Regards
John
Hi. Glad that I found this while researching about Chris.I have being trying to find out what happened to him for years.
I met Chis at Lyneham and used to follow him around the races and at times he would even tolerate having me in the pits.I was posted to Changi in Singapore in 1961. Then Chris contacted me in 1962 asking me to help him get an entry into the 1962 Singapore GP and also the 1963 Malaysia GP. I remember him being amused at my attempts at racing my Velocette Venom in the same races and being lapped by him several times. He was defeated by heat exhaustion in 1962 but won the GP in 1963 with a race record that was unbeaten for 5 years. When he was racing at Mallory Park we would at times put him and his crew up at my parents house near Warwick, my mother was well impressed by how tidy and polite they were. It was at Mallory in 1964 I think that he had a big crash while leading a race, he was badly injured but eventually recovered to race again but I don’t think that he enjoyed short circuit racing after that. I last saw him at Brands in 1966 and then he seemed to go off the radar. Bonhams auctions recently sold the Rolex watch that Chris was awarded at the 1963GPand got lots of money for it.
Regards
Mick Wells
Just came across this web site while researching about Chis. I knew Chris at Lyneham and also used to go around the race circuits with him, we even put him and his crew up at my parents house near Warwick when he was competing at Mallory Park ( Mum was very impressed by how tidy and polite they were) I was posted to Changi in Singapore in 1961 and helped Chris get his entry into the Singapore GP in 1962 and the Malaysia GP in 1963. I remember him being amused at my attempts at racing my Velocette Venom in the same events and being lapped by him several times! He had a very bad crash at Mallory Park while leading a race in 1964/65 but recovered and got back into racing but I don’t think that he enjoyed short circuit racing after the crash.
I last saw him at Brands in 1966 then after that he just seemed to go off the radar.
So pleased to read that he is around and doing well. Bonhams recently sold the Rolex watch that he had as a prize at the Malaysia GP, it fetched a lot of money.
Regards.
Mick Wells
It’s crazy to see my grandad in the 60s my Nana would always tell me how he was deaf because of the motorcycles LOL.
Crazy to think my Grandad was famous
He was famous at that time racing against the biggest names in motorcycle road racing. I think that I read somewhere that one year he was ninth in the world championship ratings and had podium places in the IOM TT
I have always felt that it was a privilege to have known him. They were great days.