Sad death of Vaughan Semmens - Brummie legend!
By TMX Archives on 14th Sep 16
Vaughan Semmens, who died on Saturday aged 65 after a lengthy battle with cancer, was one of a swathe of fast young motocrossers seeded into the original Top 30 British Open Championship in 1975.
A Brummie lad from Great Barr, Vaughan made his name as a spectacular performer on Greeves and Bultaco machinery at national meetings in the early seventies with his broad-shouldered, forceful riding style.
Semmens and fellow Midlanders Roger Harvey and Rob Hooper, plus other emerging talents like Graham Noyce and Pete Mathia, galvanised those early years of the British Open series.
Vaughan campaigned the distinctive orange and maroon colours of Oxfordshire dealer Doug Wheeler throughout the late seventies.
Their finest season came in 1979 when this small private team took on the 250cc GPs, Vaughan accompanied by wife Gaynor and loyal mechanic John Cox.
At the opening round – in front of 50,000 sun-kissed Spanish fans at Sabadell, outside Barcelona – Vaughan charged to a sensational fourth place in the first moto! Further strong performances in Italy and France were followed by fourth overall in the sandy whoops of the Finnish GP.
A stunning first race rostrum behind new world champion Hakan Carlqvist and runner-up Neil Hudson round the scarily fast, stony hard-pack of Bilstein in Germany proved Vaughan's versatility and helped seal 12th place in the world – the only privateer inside the top 20.
This Herculean effort was duly rewarded when team manager Dave Nicoll selected Semmens for his Motocross des Nations squad alongside Noyce, Hudson and Hooper.
And back in the demanding sandy whoops of Ruskeasanta, outside Helsinki, Semmens somehow pushed his Maico 100 yards across the line after it ran out of fuel in the first moto, salvaging a vital 14th place to the loudest applause of the day and helping the brave Brits to second place behind Belgium.
Vaughan's top-flight career was cruelly cut short by a crash at Frome that broke his femur and after retiring from racing he went on the road as a rep for Putoline Oils.
He leaves behind Gaynor – who shared those wonderful continental adventures – and their children Craig and Rebecca. To them our condolences for their loss.
Vaughan's funeral will take place at noon on Thursday, September 29th, at Perry Barr Crematorium in Birmingham and afterwards at the Fairlawns Hotel on Little Aston Road, Aldridge.
