Dr Joseph Bayley

When aged 13, Joseph Bayley watched the first post 1914/18 war motorcycle race meeting at Brooklands, (run by Bemsee), in April 1920. Over the next 12 years, he attended eighty more BMCRC events there. From 1932, visits were less frequent, but included the penultimate meeting in June 1939.

During that time, he owned a 1000cc Zenith-JAP which had lapped at over 107mph. In 1929, with the aid of ace tuner Lawrence Hartley, he developed the first ever V-twin engine with forward exhaust, rearward inlet ports, for the Croft-Cameron framed 1000cc JB Special, used for his personal road transport.

Famous close friends were Harold Daniell, Eric Fernihough, Jock West, and Jack Williams, (father of Peter). Harold and Joe tended to ride out rather fast on their local A20 which attracted the attention of Kent Constabulary apparently.

After the 1939/45 war, he included medical officer duties for Bemsee and spectating with his son at Brands Hatch, then a grass track. For 45 years until his death in 2000, he enjoyed the sprint successes of the Cole-Bayley Douglas. This 1928 machine continues in competition to this day.

The club are indebted to Dr Bayley's family for providing the bound volumes of Brooklands programs scanned and used in the database and for use of extracts of his book The Vintage years at Brooklands