Richard H. Dale (25 April 1927 – 30 April 1961), known as Dickie Dale, was a

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

road racer born in

Wyberton __NOTOC__ Wyberton is a village in Lincolnshire, England. It lies just south-west of Boston, and on the B1397 – the former A16 London Road – between Boston and Kirton. The A16 bisects the village. The population of the civil p ...

near Boston, Lincolnshire, England. In 1945 he was drafted into the

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

and served as a flight mechanic, and bought his first motorcycle, a 1939 AJS Silver Streak, while stationed at

RAF Cranwell Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the Royal Air Force College (RAFC), which trai ...

. He competed in the inaugural 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. Dale was a victor in the 1951

North West 200 The International North West 200 is a Northern Irish motorsport event established in 1929 for road racing motorcycles held on a street circuit known as ''the Triangle'' between the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast ...

. His best seasons were

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

and

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

when he finished in second place in the 350cc world championship, both times behind his

Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production. Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its historic role in Italy's motorcycling ma ...

teammate

Bill Lomas Bill Lomas (8 March 1928 – 14 August 2007) was an English Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer. He was a two-time List of Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champions by year, World Champion and a two-ti ...

. Dale also competed in the 500cc class aboard

's famous V8 Grand Prix bike. He died on the way to hospital in a helicopter, after crashing during the 1961

Eifelrennen The Eifelrennen was an annual motor race, organised by ADAC Automobile Club from 1922 to 2003, held in Germany's Eifel mountain region even before the Nürburgring was built there. History Starting from 1922, the first races were held on a 33 ...

race at the

Nürburgring The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Formula One, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around t ...

in what was then

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

.Dickie Dale career profile at Motorsport Memorial
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References

1927 births 1961 deaths People from Wyberton British motorcycle racers English motorcycle racers English expatriates in Germany 250cc World Championship riders 350cc World Championship riders 500cc World Championship riders Isle of Man TT riders Motorcycle racers who died while racing Sport deaths in Germany {{England-motorcycle-racing-bio-stub