After the 1994 season, the Duckham’s Norton team folded, leaving reigning champion Ian Simpson without a ride. “It seemed Norton had different owners every five minutes and they didn't understand racing,” he explains. “We simply didn’t have the right people owning Norton to make it happen.”
As the reigning British Superbike (and Supersport 600) champion, Simpson was in demand, and had several options to consider. One of them was to race in the 500cc Grand Prix world championship. He recalls: “I got a chance to ride for Padgetts in 500cc Grands Prix. It would have been on the Harris Yamaha YZR500 V4 that John Reynolds had been riding – but they couldn’t pay me. I sound like a bloody mercenary, but I needed a wage! I couldn’t have afforded to trail round the world with no wages.”
Understandable, given that Simmo didn’t get paid a penny by Duckham’s Norton for winning the British Superbike championship in 1994. Politely declining the Grand Prix ride, he ended up signing a more lucrative contract with Castrol Honda to race an RC45 in the British Championship and at selected road events. That ride, he felt, might also open further doors, so he put pen to paper.
“I signed for Castrol Honda and thought that might open up a route into World Superbikes, which would never have happened with Norton,” Simmo explains. “And at least I knew the Honda factory was interested in racing, unlike those who took over at Norton at the time.”
With Norton out of the picture, Simpson’s former team simply switched shirts and
