#ThrowbackThursday

Albert Robert “Bob” Foster was born on 16 March 1911. He started to race in the thirties. His top achievement was a victory at the Isle of Man in 1936 Lightweight TT race (250cc) on a New Imperial. After Second World War he was back on the track at the first event held on the Isle of Man in 1947 and clinched another win, this time in the Junior TT (350cc), on a Velocette at 80.311 mph average speed. In 1949 he aligned in the newly-created “Grand Prix Championship of the World”. He took part in the TT with his Velocette obtaining a 6° place in the Junior TT, but did not finish the Senior TT race in which he was racing on a Moto Guzzi.  A clutch problem took him out on lap 7, but before he had established a new lap record with 25m14s at 89,75 mph. However he took the second place in the Dutch GP in Assen and Belgian GP in Spa-Francorchamps. 1950 did not start very successfully for him at the TT as he did complete neither the Senior nor the Junior race. But he achieved three wins (Spa, Assen and Belfast-Clady) and a second place (Bremgarten), clinching the 350cc World title with 30 points. He also raced in the 500cc class in Spa (7° place) and in Monza where he finished 15th, both on an AJS. In 1951, being 40 years old, he just took part in the TT: he took the 6th place in the Junior TT but wasn’t lucky in the Lightweight TT. He then quit competition. He passed away on 22 March 1982 aged 71.

Text Marc Pétrier – Photo FIM/Maurice Büla Collection