The Original Development Team

L to R - Dave Evans, Malcolm Heath, Brian Crighton, Dave Hickman and Simon Buckmaster.

The Original JPS Norton Team

L to R - Dave Hickman, Malcolm Heath, Trevor Nation, Brian Crighton, Steve Spray and Dave Evans

Meet the team

(from the pre season edition of JPS Norton news)

Team JPS Norton began as just two men working in their spare time with the dream of putting a Norton back on the racetracks of the world.

Now that team has grown to a size that befits a full scale assault on one of the most sought after championships on two wheels -  the World Formula One title.

The man who started it all was team development chief Brian Crighton, a former road racer and three time British 50cc Champion ion the mid 1970's.

He began development with fellow Norton engineer Dave Evans when they were not working in the factory.

Racer Malcolm Heath then joined the team as development rider and it was Malcolm who gave the bike its first outing on the track.

Engineer Dave Hickman - a former Manx Grand Prix winner joined the line up for 1988 as the team continued the development work that brought a string of seven wins and five lap records in the closing three months of the season.

Rider Trevor Nation stays with the squad for 1989 and a crack at the Formula One World Championship.  Wielding the spanners for Trevor is 24 year old Chris Clark.

Nation is joined by Nottingham's Steve Spray, the 1988 ACU Star 1300cc Champion.  His mechanic is Ray Corbett.

Team manager Nick Collis, parts machinist Bob Armshaw, dyno specialist Ted Shaw and administration ace Doreen Crighton complete the winning team.

The JPS Norton Team in 1989

L to R - Ray Corbett, Dave Evans, Dave Hickman, Brian Crighton, Gordon Jeakins and Peter Spink with riders Steve Spray (20) and Trevor Nation (5)

The Backroom Boys.....

(from the 1989 edition of JPS Norton news)

JPS Norton's Steve Spray has grabbed the headlines all season with his championship winning form, but behind the scenes a dedicated squad of race technicians - the backroom boys - have played a vital role in the success story.

Headed by Brian Crighton, the designer of the RCW JPS Norton machine, the support team have covered thousands of miles and worked hundreds of hours to get riders Steve Spray and Trevor Nation onto the start line.

"Over the course of the season we have covered over seven thousand miles in five countries," said mechanic Dave Evans, who prepares Spray's bikes with colleague Ray Corbett.

"I look after the engine and gearbox and Ray sorts out carburation, suspension, tyres and other ancillaries," he added.

"Ray and myself have worked together on and off for twenty years and by putting our skills together I think we make a good team."

Nation's JPS Norton's are looked after by Gordon Jeakins and Peter Spink, assisted by apprentice Paul Vince, while Brian Crighton and Dave Hickman oversee development projects.

"We have contested 32 events in four different championships this year while continually working on the development of what is still a very new machine, " said Evans, "but even so it hasn't been all work and no play."

Off track highlights of the year include a surprise strip-a-gram to help celebrate Dave Evans birthday in a pub near Cadwell Park circuit owned by former top racer Roger Marshall and antics with hotel furniture in Northern Ireland.

"At the North West 200 meeting in Northern Ireland we surrounded Dave Evans bed with furniture while he was asleep so he couldn't get up the following morning," recalled Ray Corbett.

"We should have know it wouldn't end there however and when we got back to our own room the following night we found Dave had completely cleared it.  We had to look all over for it.  We even found some in the bathroom!"

But the main priority for the men in the overalls was always winning the race.  Even half a day's wait in Belgian Customs wasn't allowed to interfere with preparation schedules.

"The delay came on the way to the Dutch Formula One World Championship round.  We just got the bikes out of the van, stripped them down and prepared them for the race there and then," said Ray.  "In the end we had quite a large crowd watching us work."

The Crighton Norton Team in 1992

L to R - Dave Hickman, Mike Parr, Colin Seeley, Mark Farmer, Brian Crighton, Ron Carnell (Duckhams), Craig Webb and Frank Johns (Duckhams)

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