Alan Shepherd

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Age 25, Alan Shepherd comes from Grange-over-Sands. He has had considerable experience of the Mountain Course for he rode on it in the 1956 Clubman's "Junior" and finished third. Three months later he was 10th in the Senior Manx.

In 1957 he was third in the Junior Manx at 87.55 m.p.h., but in the Senior two days later he retired after leading on the first lap. In 1958 he won the Junior Manx at 89.08 m.p.h. and on the Thursday seemed all set to "do the double," for he led the race on the first five laps, only to retire on the sixth and last.

Turning to the T.T. in 1959, he retired on the first lap of the Junior, but finished seventh - with a "silver," of course - in the Senior, and after the T.T. he scored several firsts, seconds and thirds at short circuit meetings. In May last year he won the 350 c.c. class of the North West "200" -- beating Bob McIntyre! — and was third in the 500 c.c. class.

Alan rode in the Lightweight, Junior and Senior T.T. races last year, finishing seventh in the Junior, with a Silver Replica, but retiring in the Lightweight and Senior. After the T.T. he scored several firsts, seconds and thirds at Aintree, Brands Hatch, Cadwell, Oulton and Scarborough, but perhaps his most outstanding performance of the season was when he made record lap In the 350 c.c. "Ulster" beating John Surtees' best. He retired soon after, but in the 500 c.c. Ulster he came home third on his Matchless.

Early last April, Alan won 250 c.c. races at Oulton Park and Silverstone, with a second in the same class at Mallory Park, but on the 16th April he crashed during practice at Imola. He was back on form in the German Grand Prix last month, however, bringing his MZ's into second place of the 125 c.c. race and fifth place of the "250." Alan is entered by Eddie Crooks for the Junior and Senior, and by the M.Z. company for the two Lightweight races. (TT Special, 16 June 1961, p. 16.)

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