- Norton 'Challenge' Downunder 2009
- Croxford reunited with a Cosworth Norton for first time since 1976
- 1973 'monocoque' Norton raced in New Zealand .

Dave Croxford, 70s JPN team member raced at the Pukekohe 2009 International Classic motorcycle racing festival in New Zealand the weekend of 8th and 9th February!

Croxford paraded a Cosworth Norton owned by Jamie Waters of New York. The bike is considered the most original Cosworth in existence. Croxford of course is an ex 'John Player Norton' team rider - and ex British 350, 500 and F750 champion. It is fitting as Croxford was the only full time Norton team member to have raced a Norton Cosworth in earnest.

February 2009 was the first time a Cosworth Norton has ever been in New Zealand. It will also be the first time Dave Croxford & his wife has been in New Zealand - and the first time Dave has riden a Cosworth Norton for 33 years. Croxford brought his original JPN racing leathers - and still fits them

The John Player Nortons which Peter Williams, Dave Croxford and a select few others were riding in the mid 70s handled very well, but were down around 20 bhp on the new Yamaha TZ 700 and Kawasaki flexiflyers. The Commando motor which had started off as a 500 cc motor, with its pushrods and separate gearbox had been stretched to the limit of its development. What to do?  

Rather than try to develop a new power unit themselves, JPN boss Frank Perris commissioned technical genius Keith Duckworth of Cosworth Engineering to develop a new 750 cc twin. It's a fact that this author is related to Mike Coston ( Cos ton & Duck worth = Cosworth

The new machine was called the 'Challenge', and is based on two cylinders of the 470 hp   3 litre Formula One DFV v8 engine. The thinking was that a cut down verions of the Formula One winning Cosworth should deliver the goods. The Norton Cosworth was the great white hope for Norton and British racing motocycling fans and followers. But could it hold off the new Japaneese two stoke screamers with its 4 stroke & 4 valves per cylinder twin?

The Cosworth made its first public appearance in July '75 at a London press conference At least the motor did - it was used as a stage prop.

The bike was first raced in October '75 at a televised Brands Hatch race meeting. Because John Player had withdrawn sponsorship in 1974, the bike was ridden under the 'Norton' banner rather than as a John Player Norton team banner.   And because Peter Williams was unable to ride due to his injuries following a bad crash at Oulton park in 74, Croxford was the only full time Norton Factory team rider for the Cosworth Challenge

The Cosworth Challenge didn't get off to a particularly good start at its debut - Croxford crashed on the first corner of the first lap on the first race in a nine rider pileup. Apparently he was riding right round the outside of a bunch when somebody went down, taking all nine riders down. It must have made great TV! Crox injured himself   and couldn't make the restart. The bike was raced by Alex George the next day, but didn't finish due to the cooling system boiling over.   

Norton took the bike to Imola in April '76 but Crox didn't manage to qualify.  

The Norton team went to the Brands for the '76 TransAtlantice race where Crox did alright. The Norton team went to the IOM TT in '76, but Crox had to bow out on lap one when the oil filler cap blew off.   The bike was also raced at Silverstone in 76 by Croxford with a reasonable mid field result. But they didn't get the results they had on the '73 monocoque or the '74 spaceframe - and the lap times were slower.

With the benefit of hindsight, White, Williams and Croxford say the bike had huge potential, but the motor needed much more develoment. Period articles also say that politics also got in the way of technical design. And of course Norton went to the wall at about that time anyway. Shame really.

Only two Cosworths were built at one time, with four built altogether. Two were shipped to the States around 77 where CR Axtell was to examine the bikes potential for American dirt track racing.   The subsequent history of those bikes isnt fully certain. Jamies bike is thought to be one of the two bikes acquired by Ian Sutherland after the breakup of NVT, which were completed by ex JPN workship manager John McLaren. John remembers the bike in detail, and the numbers match up correctly.  

Two of the four Cosworths were purchased by the Britsh National Motorycle Museum, but they were completely destroyed in the fire which destroyed the museum in the early 90s. Norman White Norton rebuilt these two Cosworths in the mid 90s, and they are now back in the Museum again.  

The Cosworth story wasn't quite over though. A Cosworth was raced at Brands Hatch in May 83 in the BOT series. Spectator businessman Bob Graves was so impressed by the Cosworth bike that he obtained one of the left-over Cosworth motors, and commissioned UK company 'Xactweld' to develop a bike around the motor. It was called the 'Quantel Cosworth' after the consortium Bob was part of (and which actually purchased Cosworth from Mick Duckworth and Mike Costin)

The Quantel was taken to Dayton in '83 where Paul Lewis rode to a highly contentious 2 nd place. In '86 the bike was taken back to Daytona where Roger Marshall convincingly won against factory Ducattis, and the best of the rest.   Roger Marshalls victory in the 1988 Daytona ProTwins race and his subsequent defeat of the cream of European contenders at Spa and Assen, aboard the all British Quantel Cosworth, had now proved the original potential of the Cosworth Norton concept.

The Quantel now lives in Australia. Jamies Cosworth lives in New York and Croxford still lives in North London.

Thanks to the NZ Classic Racing Register for helping make this happen. Also to the NZ Norton Owners club - Supporters badge holders, and to Jamies Waters, without whom this would not be happening.

This article was compiled by David Bernard of Norton Racing (www.nortonracing.co.nz ) and Dave Croxford.