Derek Farrant

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Mounts: Junior—A.J.S.
Senior—A.J.S.

Age 24, Derek Farrant is a wholesale fruiterer and grower, and comes from St. Lenoards-on-Sea, Sussex. He has raced with varied success at Brand’s Hatch, Silverstone, Boreham, Thruxton, and Scarborough, and is a fairly consistent firstclass award winner in South Eastern Centre trials. He turned International last year, but he had already ridden in four races over the T.T. course and had done better each time! In 1951 he rode a B.S.A in the Junior Clubman’s T.T. and finished fifth at 74.35 m.p.h. Next year turning to the Senior Clubman’s, he rode a Norton into fourth place at 81.68 m.p.h., and was only 62 seconds behind the winner, Benard Hargreaves (Triumph).

Three months later he rode in both Junior and Senior Manx Grands Prix. In the Junior, on an A.J.S., he lay third throughout the race, and averaged 84.76 m.p.h. Fifth—fourth—third in three races. On these lines he was due for a second in the Senior Manx, but he beat his own arithmetical progression of improvement by leading on his Matchless each lap, winning by over a minute and a half at the record speed of 88.65 m.p.h., and making record lap as well.

He opened the 1953 season with a win at Mettet in the 350 c.c. race, riding an A.J.S., and followed up with sixth place in the Junior T.T. at 86.59 m.p.h. In the Senior he rode a Matchless, but retired at the end of the fourth lap after holding eighth position.

This year he rides as a member of the A.J.S team, and at Silverstone in April he rode an A.J.S twin into third place in the 500 c.c. Championship. At Blandford on Easter Monday he won the 350 c.c. race, and was second in the 500 c.c event. He was second in the 350 c.c race at Mettet (Belgium), and third in the 500 c.c. class at the same meeting.
(TT Special, 16 June 1954, pp.11-12.)

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