John Hempleman

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Mounts: Junior – Norton
Senior – Norton

Age 24, John Hempleman is a motor cycle salesman from Auckland, and is captain of the New Zealand A.C.U.’s team in this year’s races.

In 1953 and ’54 he was best “all-rounder” in the Auckland Club covering all types of competition work – sand and airstrip racing, scrambles, trials, road races – in fact, the lot. He came over to the Island in 1955 and rode Nortons in both Junior and Senior races; he finished 21st in the Junior (with a Silver replica) at 83.90 m.p.h. but retired in the sixth lap of the Senior. Going over to the Continent, he was twelfth in both 350 and 500 c.c. classes of the Belgian Grand Prix, whilst in the Gedinne races he was third in the “500” and fifth in the “350.”

He did not ride in the Island last year for he was one of the unfortunate “Guilty Men” whose International Licences were suspended as a result of the “bother” in the 1955 Dutch T.T. This year, however, he has already won 350 c.c. road races at Napier, Whakatane and Rotorua, whilst he was second in the 500 c.c. event at Wanganui and third in the 350 c.c. New Zealand T.T. He has also had several successes in grass track races.
(TT Special, 5 June 1957, p.24.)

Nationality: New Zealander

Competed in

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