ANY motorcyclist who can lay claim to five championship titles and an incredible 37 individual race wins in only his second season of competition deserves a few lines.

Ian Walker, now 58, from Sunnybrow, near Crook, is the man in question and his first interest in bikes came as a 12-year-old and an old 175 BSA which he rode around at every opportunity.

Eighteen months later, the 'Beeza' was forgotten as Ian, a keen ornithologist, came upon a young kestrel that had fallen from its nest. For the next three years he devoted all his time to training and flying the bird. Sadly his adopted pet was killed when vandals broke into its pen, so Ian once more took up his interest in motorcycles.

A chance meeting with one-time schoolfriend Steve Layton re-kindled his passion. Steve was racing in the 125 class and Ian obtained a roadster 250 Honda. That was soon replaced with a 750 Honda, a reward from his father to the 17-year-old for passing both bike and car road tests on successive days. An application for a competition licence soon followed but before Ian could get on the track Steve was tragically died from injuries he sustained in a fall at Scarborough.

Understandably, Ian's mother shelved further racing plans. Ian then took up coin and antique collecting until his 21st birthday when again he made it clear he wanted to race on the tracks.

A session at his local Croft circuit with a CB 750 further cemented his resolve and so with dad's help a 250 Egli-framed Yamaha was bought. Five meetings were contested at the end of 1978 with a fourth place and a broken collarbone the only rewards.

The following year he bought an old 350 TZ Yamaha and with determined riding won the New Era Novice Championship at Croft.

In 1980 he won the Laird of Croft, Count of Carnaby, Auto 66 Club 1,000, North-East 1,000 and was third in the Auto 66 250 championship.

The next year, Ian showed no signs of letting up on his monopoly of leader board placings because by the end of May 1981 he had amassed a further 26 victories and following the opening Snetterton and Croft round of the ACU Marlboro/Mitsui Clubmans Series, Ian headed both the 500 and 1,000 classes and was 15 points clear in an unassailable position.

However, fate intervened. With the opportunity of going semi-professional and a guaranteed year with Suzuki, Ian entered a race at Silverstone. It was a double point meeting and in the 1,000 class Ian led his rivals right into the closing stages until at the The Abbey Curve, he lost control of the front end of his machine and took a horrible fall.

He not only lost the leadership of the 1,000 class but, because he was hospitalised, never rode in the 500cc class so he lost that as well.

He rode in one more race and then retired.

"The riding was a long time ago,” he said, “but it is nice to remember it.”