Don Godden

Don Vincent Godden (born 13 November 1936 – 28 May 2011) was a British motorcycle rider. He competed in longtrack and grasstrack racing. He competed in twelve World Longtrack Championship Finals and won the title in 1969. Don's son Mitchel is also a successful longtrack and grasstrack racer, as is his grandson Cameron.

Don Godden

Born	(1936-11-13)13 November 1936 Blackburn, England
Died	28 May 2011(2011-05-28) (aged 74) Dartford, England
Nationality	England
Individual honours
1969	Long Track World Champion
1965, 1967, 1972	British Grasstrack Championship
1959, 1962, 1965, 1974	South-Eastern Centre Championship
1968	Lydden International
1970, 1973, 1974, 1975	Wimborne Whoppa
1971, 1973	German Longtrack Silver Helmet
1962, 1964.	Teterow Bergring Cup Winner

Don was very much a Motorcycle racing pioneer, not only was he the first to compete regularly on the continent but was also a successful Motorcycle Racing engineer. He designed many engines for successful longtrack, grasstrack and speedway riders.

Godden engineering

Don started his engineering company in the early 1970s designing frames and then engines. His GR 500 engine was used by many top riders and it soon became a championship winning engine.

United States rider Shawn Moran won the Longtrack World Championship with the Godden engine in 1983 and twelve months later at least half of the finalist's all used this same engine. The last of the Longtrack Championships came with Marcel Gerhard in 1992. In Speedway Hans Nielsen won three world titles using the Godden engine in 1986, 1987 and 1989.

Racing career

World Longtrack Championship

• 1966 Mühldorf (5th) 7pts
• 1967 Scheeßel (Second) 13pts
• 1968 Mühldorf (Second) 16pts
• 1969 Oslo (Champion) 14pts
• 1970 Scheeßel (Second) 26pts
• 1971 Oslo (7th) 10pts
• 1972 Mühldorf (10th) 9pts
• 1973 Oslo (4th) 19pts
• 1974 Scheeßel (6th) 13pts
• 1975 Gornja Radgona (8th) 11pts
• 1976 Mariánské Lázně (12th) 5pts
• 1977 Did not compete
• 1978 Mühldorf (14th) 8pts

European Grasstrack Championship

• 1978 Hereford (Third) 23pts

British Grasstrack Championship Podiums

• 1962 Evesham (Second)
• 1964 Sleaford (Third)
• 1965 Braintree (Champion)
• 1967 Folkestone (Champion)
• 1972 Burton Constable Hall (Champion)

References

• "Don Godden". Grasstrack GB. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
• "Godden Engineering". goddenengineering.co.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
• "The Godden Story | Speedway Racers". cybermotorcycle.com. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
• "Godden Speedway motorcycle History". speedwaygodden.tripod.com. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
• "Godden Weslake". Bike EXIF. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
• "History". Lydden Hill. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
• "1974 Motorcycle speedway - Ole Olsen (speed record) - Don Godden Won Grasstrack". thexvid.com. Retrieved 10 June 2018.