Bob McIntyre The Flying Scot

By: Mick Walker .

FOURTH in a series intended to cover the careers of the world's greatest motorcycle racing champions, Bob McIntyre – The Flying Scot tells the story of the man who never actually won a world championship – but certainly deserved to. In many ways he was the two-wheel equivalent of car racing driver Stirling Moss, who is seen as one of the greats in his sport although he never won an official world title.

Well over four decades since his untimely death, following an accident that occurred while racing his 500cc Manx Norton at Oulton Park, Cheshire in August 1962, Bob McIntyre's memory lives on. An annual Bob McIntyre Memorial race meeting held at East Fortune attracts racing enthusiasts from as far afield as Australia.

Not only was Bob Mac' a brilliantly gifted rider and self-taught mechanic, he was also a man of the people, someone who would always help a fellow competitor or take the time to sign an autograph or chat to a fan. He was also honest, loyal and modest; his word was his bond.

Unlike the three riders already covered in this series, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood and Giacomo Agostini, Bob Mac was very much a self-made man; someone who started from the very bottom and reached the very top in his chosen profession. He was the first man to lap the Isle of Man TT circuit, the most fearsome in the world, at over 100mph; and this was just one of his great achievements.

This in-depth account of his career focusses on the bikes and the races but also provides an insight in Bob's life away from the track. Lavishly illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs, it is a must-read for any motorcycling fan.

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