Derek Yorke
Record type: Motorsport Biographies
Biography: Age 33, D.R. Yorke is a welder and panel beater, and comes from Chelmsford, Essex. He was National Grass Track (Sidecar) Champion in 1953 and has several times been Eastern Centre Sidecar champion. He has already ridden in five sidecar T.T.'s - those of 1954, '55, '57, '59 and '60 finishing 14th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 10th respectively. His speed last year over the Mountain Course was 72.72 m.p.h., and he won a Bronze Replica.
Hobby: "Record collecting" - opera. (TT Special, 16 June 1961, p.27.)
Sidecar - Norton
Age 27, Derek Yorke is a welder and panel beater, from Chelmsford, Essex. His sidecar racing experience began in 1951 at Boreham Airfield, with a Rudge-J.A.P. out-fit - and it was at Boreham the following year that he scored his first victory, winning the sidecar handicap after a hard scarp with Ernie Walker.
During 1952 and ’53 Derek had various successes on the “grass,” including winning the Eastern Centre Sidecar Championship in both years, and the National Grass-Track Championship in this class last year. In last years Sidecar T.T. he was 14th, at 55.41 m.p.h. Earlier this year he was third in the Crystal Palace handicap sidecar race.
His hobby is music, and he has a fine collection of gramophone records of operatic and classical scores.
The machine he rides started life as a pre-war Norton, but it was completely rebuilt in 1951, and is now coupled to a sidecar built by the driver.
(TT Special, 10 June 1955, p.25.)
Competed in
| Race | Position | Time | Speed | Machine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 Sidecar 750 TT | 24 | 1:26:25.40 | 78.58 | BSA |
| 1974 Sidecar 500 TT | R | BSA | ||
| 1973 Sidecar 750 TT | 15 | 1:26:05.00 | 78.89 | BSA |
| 1973 Sidecar 500 TT | 11 | 1:27:50.20 | 77.31 | BSA |
| 1972 Sidecar 750 TT | R | BSA | ||
| 1972 Sidecar 500 TT | 17 | 1:30:53.20 | 74.73 | BSA |
| 1971 Sidecar 750 TT | 33 | 1:43:26.20 | 65.67 | Triumph |
| 1971 Sidecar 500 TT | 23 | 1:37:01.80 | 70.01 | Triumph |
| 1970 Sidecar 750 TT | 15 | 1:30:28.40 | 75.08 | Triton |
| 1970 Sidecar 500 TT | 20 | 1:31:52.60 | 73.93 | Triton |
| 1969 Sidecar 750 TT | R | Triton | ||
| 1969 Sidecar 500 TT | R | Triton | ||
| 1968 Sidecar 750 TT | 20 | 1:43:46.40 | 65.46 | Triton |
| 1967 Sidecar TT | 13 | 1:28:37.00 | 76.65 | Triton |
| 1966 Sidecar TT | 13 | 1:28:22.00 | 76.86 | Triton |
| 1964 Sidecar TT | 9 | 1:29:15.20 | 76.1 | Norton |
| 1963 Sidecar TT | 11 | 1:29:49.80 | 75.67 | Norton |
| 1962 Sidecar TT | R | Norton | ||
| 1961 Sidecar TT | 13 | 1:30:13.60 | 75.28 | Norton |
| 1960 Sidecar TT | 10 | 1:33:24.60 | 72.72 | Norton |
| 1959 Sidecar TT | 10 | 63.23 | Norton | |
| 1957 Sidecar TT | 9 | 1:46:45.60 | 60.64 | Norton |
| 1955 Sidecar TT | 8 | 1:38:02.00 | 59.44 | Norton |
| 1954 Sidecar TT | 14 | 1:56:50.00 | 55.41 | Norton |
Just to let you know Derek Yorke has died recently just short of his 89th Birthday which would have been 17th January. - Roger Chaplin Report this
I was Dereke's Last Passenger from 1974 to 1980 mainly with the Newmarket Club meetings with many wins a great man - Ted Pym-Hember Report this
I was Dereke's Last Passenger from 1974 to 1980 mainly with the Newmarket Club meetings with many wins a great man - Ted Pym-Hember Report this
My late Father raced was a sidecar National Grasstrack champion in 1959 his name was Freddie French and I remember well the rival between him and Derek I know he admired and liked Derek as he talked about him often. Derek was always known as Yorkie in our family. - David French Report this