The 250 Miles Chiltern Enduro

Organised by the UK Racing 50cc Club

 My introduction to 50cc racing was through and with the help of Dick Chalaye of A H Tooley, London who imported the Itom 50cc racers, the late Mr Geoff Bedford and also the late Brian Woolley. My thanks go to Mr John Tickell who supplied my 50cc DEMM racing machine.

Picture of Vic Dedden & Mick Wollett.

A race that the motorcycle racing enthusiasts did not think was possible: for tiny 50cc engines to complete 250 miles of hard racing. Well I remember it as if it were yesterday because I was there 38 years ago and here is my story.

At this time I live at Bush Hill Park, Enfield. The morning was bright and sunny when I pulled away in my A40 Racing Equip van with a nearly new DEMM Dick Dick 50cc racer fixed in the back. We started out for the 90 mile drive to Snetterton: stopped for breakfast at the Red House cafe on the A11, meeting many more enthusiasts all with their bikes, going to the same place for a good day out.

On arriving at Snetterton, about 10am, the weather was quite warm and it was like going into a hornet's nest with all the 50cc engines buzzing around. Then came the start of the practice laps. Mick Woollett my co-rider and I, if you can remember he was a journalist for the Motor Cycle News, went through our practice with no trouble at all, except maybe it was not the height of comfort. We made some adjustments to the seating arrangements here and there to make things a bit better.

Then the time came for the "Big Off", there were 43 starters on the starting grid; everything was quiet waiting for the flag to drop to send us all into an unknown experience of 250 miles of these small engines being flat out for 5 hours.

(The picture is of Vic Dedden with Mick Woollett journalist and author. (co/rider)

The drop of the flag was at 12 noon and we all started by foul means or fair. I was thrilled to be one of the first away. I had never told many of my friends that I was using Molyslip mixed with my fuel but it paid off. Not once did Mick or I feel the engine tighten up and we both rode very hard, keeping it flat out where possible.

We knew from pit signals that there was a challenge for the lead. K. I. Johnson and A. D. Bone took the lead for 4 laps but with the demand of top speed racing, their engine gave up with a blown head gasket so they had to retire. That then put little Bill Ivy and Thomas in the lead and they did not relinquish it, but they were found to be guilty of an offence in the paddock and were disqualified. This meant that Mick Woollett and I were declared the winners.

We completed 90 laps in 5hrs 14 min. at an average speed of 47.7 mph.

After being gently persuaded to have a go at Classic Racing in 1997, my first season was spent wondering why I gave up my road going Fizzie (you know that enviable thing called reliability).

For the 1999 season some more luck will see me on a short stroke, Minarelli competition engine with 6 speed close ratio box pushing out 14bph at 15000, (thank you Nick Mills) My special thanks go to Steve Bedford who kept me going (especially pre competition engines).

I wish everyone involved with the Racing 50 Enthusiasts Club "Good Luck" including that man JEEP who has been a source of strength in helping Steve pull the club together. Well done to Nick Mills for winning the Championship this year. Hope to see everyone out there next season and more besides.