Ballington Unkorked by Kork Ballington

Redline Books always seem to not only find a book subject/author that is not only brilliant, original or any other adjective you want to use, but then present the story in a style and format that makes you want to pick up the book and read it. So it is with the autobiography of Kork Ballington, that has had every visitor to my house pick it up and start reading through it, whether a motorcyclist of not!

For me this elongated hardback it is a brilliant trip down memory lane as the multiple World Champion charts his racing career, the highs and lows in the modest, yet totally professional way that he always went about his racing. The 200 plus pages are liberally spread with early black and white photos and colour shots that will bring back memories of any racing fan in the seventies and early eighties.

Despite the green of the cover and the occasional green page to remind you of his long association with Kawasaki, the pages tell you he raced all Japanese makes at some stage and even a 250 Ducati.

The well laid out text reminds you of his UK associations with the likes of sponsor Sid Griffiths and the fact that he was the 1982 British Shellsport 500cc Champion on a KR500, despite hailing from South Africa.

But, of course it was the smaller 250 and 350 KR Kawasaki’s that really gave him his fame, taking both World Championships in 1978 and 1979.Only eighteen riders have achieved this feat since GP racing started in 1949 and he is one of only fourteen to do the double in the same year. As you might expect all the wins and race results are chronicled at the rear of the book to keep the historians happy.

Now retired and living in Australia Ballington looks back on his time in a style that will have you not wanting to put the book down. But if you do, thanks to the layout it is easy to dip in and out of. He gives you some idea of the complexities of the sport, technically physically and mentally. Not only that, but the danger at a time when the words ‘rider safety’ were not even on anybodies lips!

As Kenny Roberts says in his forward, just like his racing, ‘when he did, he did it right’. Kork and Redline have certainly done it right with this excellent book.

Highly recommended, not only for the race fan, but anybody who has an interest in motorcycling and the above all the people behind the stories.

A bargain at £29.95 ISBN 0-9544357-5-3 www.redlinebooks.co.uk

Review by Ian Kerr