31 Dec 2013

Bonhams - Barry Sheene, Gary Nixon, ‘Tepi’ Lansivouri

It was nice having you around
let's meet in 21000410
Be safe tonight
 
Zoran found the perfect safety gear for New Years Eve on Bonhams
 
Lot 244Ω
Barry Sheene - A Bell racing helmet,
Sold for £5,520 (€6,599) inc. premium 
 
Barry Sheene - A Bell racing helmet,
in black, red and gold with applied number ‘7’, ‘Bell’ and ‘Anderstorp Racing Club’ logos. Decorated with trademark ‘Donald Duck’ emblem and ‘Barry Sheene’ lettering, tinted visor, Barry Sheene’s trademark cigarette hole, applied SHCA certified sticker number 1372063, race worn with evidence of crash damage and loss to interior.

The first helmet to carry his famous number '7', Barry presented it to Merv Wright in 1975 as being the one he wore in his infamous Daytona crash. Recent research, however, suggests that he actually wore it during the 1974 Daytona 200 and subsequent season. He also wore it during the 1974 Swedish Grand Prix where he had a spectacular spill - in the rain - also taking out Giacomo Agostini, thus gathering the ‘scars’ on this helmet. Note Barry’s trademark ‘fag’ hole in the chin-bar. As a dedicated smoker, he usually had his last minute ‘puff’ on the starting line. At the 30-second warning he threw out the cigarette and then quickly covered the hole with a piece of duct-tape kept on the fuel tank.
 
 
Lot 247Ω
Gary Nixon - A Bell racing helmet,
Sold for £920 (€1,099) inc. premium 
 
Gary Nixon - A Bell racing helmet,
in white and blue with applied number ‘9’ and ‘Bell’ logos, SHCA certified sticker number 4040375, clear visor, race worn with evidence of crash damage. Gary Nixon was a US Suzuki teamster for 1974/75 and close friend of Barry Sheene’s for almost 30 years. He was wearing this helmet when he suffered an horrendous crash at the Suzuki factory test track in 1974. Gary was testing a new XR14 (RG500) – arranged by Barry Sheene – with a view towards participating in the World Championship series in 1975. Following a sudden seizure of the engine, Gary crashed and was unavoidably run-over by factory test-rider Ken Araoka. The obvious tyre mark, on the front of the helmet, is from Araoka’s bike. Gary’s injuries – documented in Barry’s 1975 Daytona crash video – essentially ended his long and illustrious professional career, although he is still competing today. This helmet was given to Merv Wright by Gary in 1974.




Lot 245AΩ
‘Tepi’ Lansivouri - A Boeri Sport/Bell racing helmet,
Sold for £632 (€756) inc. premium 
 
‘Tepi’ Lansivouri - A Boeri Sport/Bell racing helmet,
in blue and red with applied ‘Marlboro’ and ‘Boeri Sport’ logos, plaster gauze patch to the top, applied SHCA certified sticker number 2091298, race worn.

This is the helmet of Finnish rider Teuvo ‘Tepi’ Lansivouri, close friend and fellow countryman of the late, great Jarno Saarinen. After numerous victories in various classes of World Championship races in 1972/73/74, Tepi was teamed with Barry Sheene on factory Suzukis in 1975. He also joined Sheene and Nixon on the US Suzuki team for the same year. Following Barry’s spectacular Daytona crash during practice and Gary Nixon’s withdrawal from the race, due to his lingering injuries from his factory testing crash, Tepi was left holding the fort for the big event. From 1st off the line ‘Tepi’ was in the lead at his first scheduled pit stop, which became a 28-second wait due to a necessary chain adjustment. In an attempt to retake the lead from Agostini, Tepi slid-off without injury in the infield but was unable to restart. This helmet given to Merv Wright by Tepi in 1975.