Were you there!? Did you see it? Such questions are asked after the fact when some extraordinary sporting achievement goes down in history. It doesn’t matter what sport is being talked about when these questions are gasped out by incredulous enthusiasts, who may or may not have witnessed the achievement themselves, it only matters such achievements bring the crowds to their feet and are recorded in the press of the day. Just such an achievement happened on July 4, 1976 at Dodington Park in Gloucestershire when 18-year-old Graham Noyce left the MX world in no doubt he was on his way.
So, were you among the 15,000 jubilant fans who apparently leapt to their feet as Hampshire’s Graham Noyce hustled his Maico ahead of legend Roger De Coster on the third lap of the first race of the British round of the 500cc world contest. In doing so the teenager became the first Brit to win a GP race for six years since, we think, Dave Nicoll in Luxemburg and the first Brit to win a race at the home GP for nine years since Dave Bickers won the second leg of the British GP in 1967. So it is understandable the press were ecstatic.
De Coster
