Backwards Glance

Seven years after Edwards missed out on a factory ride at the TT – thanks to war breaking out when practice was due to start – he was finally in a position to make his continental debut. He’d been invited to ride a Norton at the 1946 Spanish Grand Prix but the start money was so poor that he instead chose to race at the Grand Prix of Belgium.

Again, Edwards was offered a Norton to ride in Belgium. But this was not just any old Norton. This was the machine built in 1939 especially for Stanley Woods. According to Robin, Stanley Woods did not want to see an Englishman riding it but he, as a proud Welshman, was entirely acceptable. Robin did have a way of spinning stories, so who knows?

Practice had ended when Robin’s team arrived in Holland on the Saturday, but consent was given to practice on Sunday. Robin (of course) refused to start until the circuit officials gave way and flew the Welsh flag amongst the other nations’ flags. Before the race, Robin had learned that there were three riders who no one had a hope of catching; Lampinen on a Husqvarna, Tacheny on the FN, and Knijnenburg on a BMW. The latter was known to be particularly fast and was riding the same BMW that had won the Senior TT for George Meier in 1939. Robin followed him during practice and, to his delight, he discovered that Knijnenburg was not as fast in the corners as he may have thought.