Journey into the Unknown
By TMX Archives on 21st Apr 10
This week editor JD takes a look at the world of Sidecar-cross before fondly remembering Brian The Unknown Cottrell...
FIRST off this week I have to say how pleased I am that the Sidecar-cross GP at Langrish was such a success with a claimed 4,500 spectators eagerly lining the ropes to witness the anticipated spectacular three-wheeled racing. This is impressive in its own right but considering that there was a British Superbike round on last weekend at Thruxton, which I would reckon is only around 50 miles away, according to my quick scan of Google Maps, where no doubt they'll be claiming 30,000 for the weekend, the Sidecar-cross guys and gals have done really well.
Fans of Sidecar-cross are some of the most loyal you'll find around and will have made-up an impressive hardcore. And the traditional Langrish track has a great reputation in its own right and always pulls in the crowds. I have to own-up and admit it is a long time since I have been to a sidecar motocross, partly because the events are pretty infrequent oop north these days. It wasn't always like this. The north east of England in particular was once a hotbed of Sidecar motocross with an impressive collection of tracks and crews. The fiery Logan brothers alone were worth making the trip across country worthwhile. There was never a dull race with those two around and I could go on and on. Then there was the legendary Terry Good of course, and the likes of Colin Phillpott and the Millard brothers, Paul and Mark, who campaigned the mighty 1000cc twin-cylinder two-stroke engined EML, which I considered to be the best sounding outfit ever! They could certainly ride it as well - do they still have the outfit I wonder? I once owned a mildly tuned Suzuki T500 twin-cylinder two-stroke road bike which could go a bit - and I could only guess-at and wonder what the 1000cc EML felt like to ride. It both looked and sounded awesome.
Now there is a new generation of Millard brothers, Mark's lads I believe, and for that reason alone I am sorry that I couldn't make it to the SXGP but with so much stuff to do, fitting in the 600 mile round trip just couldn't be squeezed in. The problem is simple. There aren't enough weekends in a year! There's always at least half a dozen things I'd like to do and places I'd like to go on any given weekend - and I'm usually invited to several others. I always feel really guilty when I can't make it to events that people ask me to as they are always 100 per cent genuine. If any political party would like to propose that we double the number of weekends in a year in their manifesto they'd certainly get my vote.
IT is never easy dealing with death and I was both shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Brian "The Unknown” Cottrell last Friday. Brian, a craggy builder, was a lovely man who was always a pleasure to talk to and I was lucky as I had the pleasure of doing so often.
Brian achieved ‘fame' by winning the 1985 Pre-65 Scottish and it has to be said the victory, while thoroughly deserved, was something of a shock. It certainly was for the great Sammy Miller. Sam, on his infamous Ariel, had dropped three marks but as Brian arrived at the bottom of Pipeline - thronged with spectators - he was still clean, although precious few people realised this at the time. Brian parted with three marks as he fought his 350 BSA to the top, the same, as it transpired, as Sam. The rule though was that the smaller engined machine would be the winner so Brian had achieved a remarkable victory.
Covering the event for T+MX, I had the remarkable luck to have taken a shot of Brian on Pipeline (the only time I ever bagged a shot that Kitch didn't!) and T+MX was also responsible for Brian's much-loved moniker. In the report for the 1985 event (written in the main by Ralph Venables) it made reference to the fact that Brian was relatively unknown. Something that obviously tickled the big man and the following year he turned-up at the start in a riding jacket which, upon the back was writ in large letters the legend, The Unknown Cottrell.
From that point on I considered myself a friend of Brian and was fortunate to share several visits to the Gas Gas factory with him and his big pal John Shirt Sr. It says much for Brian's character that Josep Piebernat, founder and director of Gas Gas at the time, took to him instantly and Brian was always welcome at the Gerona works.
On one trip our ‘driver' who shall remain anonymous, managed to run the hire car off a dirt road in the dark. J Shirt Sr, got out to check things out - and promptly disappeared as he had stepped-out over a sheer drop. He was hanging onto the sill of the car with only his glasses showing. "This is ridiculous!” declared deadpan Brian.
Another incident while in Spain sticks in my memory and it concerns a giant Paella which confronted us in an out of the way country restaurant. Brian was fishing with the ladle in this great bucket when he came out with a whole chicken leg, foot and all! Shirty Sr told him to be careful as he imagined how that foot looked when it went into the pan - with a great ball of muck round it!
Brian, may he rest in peace, opted out of Paella that day...