Derek Chatterton

Derek Chatterton (Born 31 January 1945 in Lincolnshire, England) is a British former motorcycle road racer. His racing career spanned thirty years, beginning in 1961 at the age of 16. His first race was at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire on a 1949 250 cc (15 cu in) Velocette, early promise that year didn't initially translate to good results until Mallory Park at the end of the season where Derek, riding an NSU Sportmax, finished third in the Junior race collecting 'Rider of the Meeting' in the process. In 1967, riding a Ducati framed Yamaha TD1, he won the British 250cc National championship.

Chatterton is also a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His best season was in 1975 when he finished the year in 15th place in the 250cc world championship. At the inaugural 1977 Silverstone British Grand Prix, in the 500cc race Derek finished in seventh place on a Suzuki RG500. He was also a two-time winner of the North West 200 road race in Northern Ireland, winning the 250cc event in 1971 and 1975 on a Yamaha. Chatterton was a regular Isle of Man TT competitor from 1968 until 1991, his best result was a second-place finish in the 1975 Lightweight 250cc race on a Chat Yamaha. During practice for the 1991 IOM TT races he suffered a high speed crash on a Honda RS250 at Ballaspur which resulted in multiple injuries which ended his racing career. He is still involved in the World of motorcycles however, running his long-standing motorcycle business Chatterton Motors and is still active in the revival of the classic motorcycle race scene, appearing at the 1998 Dutch TT Centennial meeting at Assen, the 60th anniversary Scarborough meeting at Olivers Mount also at the 2014 Cadwell Park 80th anniversary meeting and more recently at the Donington Park Classic Motorcycle Festival where he paraded a Yamaha TZ 375cc racebike.

Isle of Man TT results:

1968 Lightweight 250 TT 10th Yamaha. Lightweight 125 TT DNF Mondial.

1969 Lightweight 250 TT 6th Yamaha.

1970 Lightweight 250 TT 11th Yamaha. Junior TT DNF Yamaha.

1972 Lightweight 250 TT 7th Yamaha. Junior TT 5th Yamaha. Senior TT 5th Yamaha.

1973 Lightweight 250 TT 4th Yamaha. Junior TT 6th Yamaha. Senior TT DNF Yamaha.

1974 Junior TT............... DNF Yamaha. Senior TT DNF Yamaha. Formula 750 Classic 10th Yamaha.

1975 Lightweight 250 TT 2nd Yamaha. Junior TT 5th Yamaha. Classic TT 5th Yamaha.

1976 Lightweight 250 TT 11th Yamaha. Junior TT 6th Yamaha. Senior TT DNF Yamaha.

1977 Junior 250 TT........ 25th Yamaha. Senior TT 12th Yamaha. Classic TT DNF Suzuki. Jubilee TT 7th Suzuki.

1978 Junior 250 TT...........7th Yamaha. Senior TT 7th Yamaha. Classic TT DNF Yamaha.

1979 Junior 250 TT ........ DNF Yamaha. Senior TT DNF Yamaha. Classic TT 12th Yamaha.

1980 Junior TT.................. 9th Yamaha. Senior TT DNF Yamaha.

1981 Junior TT................ DNF Yamaha. Senior TT 17th Yamaha. Classic TT 12th Yamaha.

1986 Junior TT.................14th Yamaha. Senior TT 27th Yamaha. Formula Two 13th Yamaha.

1987 Junior 250 TT...........7th Yamaha. Production DNF Yamaha. Formula Two 6th Yamaha.

1988 Junior TT................ DNF Yamaha. Production 32nd Suzuki. Formula One 21st Yamaha.

1989 Junior TT................. 7th Yamaha. Formula One 25th Yamaha.

1990 Junior TT.................16th Yamaha. Supersport 400 11th Kawasaki.