Dave’s classic side

Now the 60-year-old racer from West Wickham is challenging strongly for glory in this season's Classic Series, aboard a sidecar with a Triumph 750cc T140 engine, despite numerous hiccups.

This weekend, Aungier and passenger Neal Bantle head to Anglesey, in Wales, for the fifth phase of the seven-round championship in which he currently lies second, eights points behind title leader and defending champion, Derek Rand.

Aungier said: "During the winter, I spent £3,000 and many hours with my old motorcycle supplier, Lenny Diggins, preparing the bike and installing a new engine for this season's classic event.

"In the middle of March, I went to a practice day at Mallory Park and after ten laps the engine blew up!

"Little was salvageable, but on the plus side I really liked the way the machine handled.

"I felt that I would be able to adapt well to riding in the kneeling style, compared to the more upright position used for vintage bikes.

"However, it meant that I had just three weeks to find and install a new engine in time for the start of the season at Mallory Park on April 11.

"Luckily my old Vintage series adversary, Tim Miles, called me and said he was rewiring a T140 chopper bike for a chap in Wales and that he might be prepared to sell it.

"Tim was right and my offer of £1,000 was accepted and we rebuilt my machine in time for the start of the Classic Series, where we just made the last practice session to qualify."

However, Aungier very nearly met with disaster, as he explained.

"After the first race warm-up lap, we were sitting on the grid waiting for the start when I noticed a spacer lying on the track, which I recognised was a part of the assembly that holds the exhaust tailpipe in place.

"The nut was gone and the bolt ready to drop out, so we had to pull off the grid and retire.

"For the second race, we decided to start at the back of the grid rather than risk getting run over in the dash to the first corner.

"Even so, we still managed to overtake half-a-dozen outfits to finish in the lower points.

"However, the Champion of Champions handicap race saw us on the front row due to our modest pace earlier in the day.

"Neal and I were learning fast about our new machine and we were able to reach the chequered flag before the 1300cc Morgans were able to catch us."

The gremlins followed Aungier when he travelled to Pembrey, in Wales, for round two in May.

Problems with the fuel pump and carburation meant the pair managed only mid-field placings in the first three scratch races, before the problems were overcome in time for the duo to notch up a fine win in race four, while finishing fourth in the Champion of Champions race.

However, more trouble was looming for Aungier. He said: "By the end of the meeting at Pembrey, the engine was making bad noises and needed another complete rebuild before round three at Lydden at the end of June.

"We worked hard in the rebuild, trying to boost the power but without risking another blow up.

"It worked as we had three wins and a fourth from the four races which, we were surprised to discover, moved us up to second place in the overall championship standings. We also took fourth place in the Champion of Champions race enabling us to maintain our lead in that series."

Cadwell Park was the venue for round four of the Classic Series, but Aungier was still being bedevilled by mechaical problems, this time when a rear disc brake binded during the first race and he and Bantle were forced to retire.

Aungier added: "I used the brakes carefully during the second race, settling for a steady fourth place to maintain our second place overall position of eight points behind Rand.

"With the problem with the brakes, it was also fortunate there were no Champion of Champions races at Cadwell, enabling us to retain our lead in that event."

Aungier then praised his old friend and mechanic from his grass track racing days, Chris Illman.

"Chris now lives in Hitchin but he contacted me during the winter after seeing an earlier article about me in the News Shopper.

"He helped me to sell the Chopper chassis on eBay and also bid for a T140 engine in America, which he had shipped over for me at a good price and is currently tuning.

"One way or another, Chris has been a great help to me this season."

However, one of Aungier's ongoing problems is finding and retaining a regular passenger.

He said: "Neal Bantle is very good but, unfortunately, he aspires to ride his own outfit next season. So I'm looking for a long-term partner for Classic and possibly F2 racing."