MURRAY Walker might be approaching ‘national treasure’ status thanks to his decades of F1 (and, back in the day, Moto GP) commentaries but his dad still remains a biking legend thanks to his TT successes.
Graham Walker won a host of TTs and other road races between the wars, largely on Rudge bikes, although he also campaigned Nortons and Sunbeams. As guest of honour at a Royal Automobile Club dinner, Murray was reunited with a group of his dad’s old racers, which had been gathered from as far afield as Australia for the occasion.
According to the Royal Automobile Club, the bikes were:
1932 Isle of Man TT Senior Race, with a top speed speed of 76.36mph (finished 6th)
1933 Rudge TT replica
1934 Tyrell-Smith motorcycle (6th in the Ulster Grand Prix and won the Australian TT)
1935 TT Rudge Replica racer, one of only ten made
Walker said: ‘For once I’m almost speechless. This is absolutely astounding. My father was a great man to me. I have fifteen silver replicas of his TT bikes and to see these here together after all these years is overwhelming.’
