Derek Minter

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Age 28, Derek Minter conies from Littlebourne, near Canterbury. He has been racing for eight years with almost countless successes.

He was entered for both Lightweight races in 1956, but was a non-starter, so that 1957 was his first T.T. season—though he rode in the Senior Manx of 1955. He certainly made a good start, for he was 14th in the Junior (87.23 m.p.h.) and 16th in the Senior (89.19 m.p.h.) on his Nortons winning two Silver Replicas. Going over to the Continent he was fourth in the 500 c.c. class of the Belgian, and later in the season scored firsts at Brand's Hatch, Snetterton and Aintree.

In 1958 he soon began "starring" on - the short circuits for at Brand's Hatch on Good Friday he won no fewer than four races--three on Nortons and one on the R.E.G. He was second on the R.E.G. in the 250 c.c. Solo Championsuip at "Motor Cycling's" Silverstone meeting, and second again in the "350" race at Brand's Hatch early in May, whilst he was third on the R.E.G. at Aintree.

He retired in the 1958 Lightweight (250) T.T.. but was ninth in the Junior and fourth in the Senior, collecting a couple of silver replicas. He was third in the 500 c.c. class of the Dutch T.T. and fourth in the Belgian " 350," whilst he was fourth again in the "500" Ulster.

Derek was eighth in the 1959 Junior T.T., but had to retire in both the Leightweight and the Senior. He scored several places in Championship events on the Continent — third in the "250" Dutch and fifth in the "125", fourth in the "125" Belgian, and fourth again in both 125 and 250 c.c. classes of the Italian Grand Prix --whilst at home he had innumerable successes on leading short circuit meetings.

He did equally well last year--- his score in April was a first and a second, at both Castle Combe and Oulton Park, two firsts at Snetterton and three firsts at Brands Hatch, whilst in May he won the 500 c.c. class of the North West "200."

Derek was fourth In last year's Junior T.T. at 93.62 m.p.h., but he retired on the fourth lap of the Senior. He had already made T.T. history, however, when he had to pack in, for his second lap was covered on his Norton, at 101.05 m.p.h., and this was the first time that a British machine had even lapped the T.T. at over the "ton". He is still very much on form this year, as is shown by the fact that during April alone he won six 350 and 500 c.c. races at Snetterton, Oulton Park, Silverstone and Brands Hatch last Whit Monday, too, he won both the 250 and 500 c.c. races at Thruxton. (TT Special, 16 June 1961, p. 6)

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Name Variant: Derek *Minter

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