Welcome to Harold Tapscott.com 

This site takes a brief look at the life and racing career of my dad, Harold and shares some of the moments we will always remember...

Harold was born July 17, 1921 in Glen Huntly, Melbourne, Victoria and went to school at Port Kembla, New South Wales

He left Port Kembla in 1932 and returned to Melbourne.

Harold first started racing in 1939 at Croydon, Victoria in a scrambles meeting. Here he is competing there in a race the same year.

 Here's Harold leading at Yarrambat, Victoria 1940

The start of a Scramble at Yarrambat, Victoria 1940

Competing in a Miniature TT race at Baxter, near Frankston, Victoria, early 1940's

Harold, Herb Nelson and Harold's brother Alex, Spring Vale, Victoria, 1940

He held the track record on 8 circuits in Australia at various times in his career. He was Jubilee grass track champion in 1952. 

Harold came first in the Victorian Grand Prix meeting, placed twice at Bathurst, first in the Queensland 1952 Grand Prix.

He also won the Victorian Sports Award in 1946.

On a 350 ES BSA at the second creek crossing in a Scramble at Moroney's Hill, Oakley 1946

Harold on a 350 BSA at Keilor, 1946

Hazel Kyker, Harold and Beryl at Templestowe, Victoria scramble 350 BSA, 1946

Harold helped start the Nunnawading motorcycle club in 1946 where he was president for several years and was made a life member the 1960's.

His first road race was in 1947 at Fisherman's Bend, Victoria

In 1948, he took up speedway racing after racing dirt bikes for 10 years and went to England and Europe.

He obtained a contract from Wimbledon speedway who loaned him out to Hastings speedway in Sussex where he raced for the season in 1949.

This is the Hasting team taken at Plymouth, England, 1949 (Harold is on the left in the back row)

His fare was paid from Australia plus starting money, point money, travelling expenses and accommodation whilst in England.

Harold's first day at the Hasting club, England, 1949

He rode on 15 speedway circuits in Europe, including up to 26 starts a week from Plymouth in the south to Great Yarmouth in the North and most tracks in between.

Here he is with team mate Ken Middleditch (Ken's on the left) at the start of a speedway meeting, Swindon, England 1949

With team manager Charlie Dugard at Swindon, 1949

Speedway at Swindon, England, 1949 

Winning the 1949 All Powers Scramble championship at Gordonville, Victoria 1949 on a 500 BSA Empire Star

This accident excluded him from future speedway racing although he had offers from the two companies in England for the 1950 season.

Here he is being interviewed in hospital at Ballarat after an accident at Victoria Park where he was involved in a collision at around 90 miles an hour, slid off his bike and hit a post. 

Harold's injuries that day included fractured ribs on left side, he tore his spleen to pieces. The post he hit also slid down the left hand side of his spine and severed the transverse process from 1 to 6.

His spleen was removed and he suffered a thrombosis on the lung, then was paralysed down the left side for 10 months. 

After recovering from this accident, he concentrated on road racing, scrambles and miniature TT's in Victoria and Queensland, where he rode until he retired in 1953.

After he returned to racing, the first time out he entered in a scramble race in Victoria, won his 4 races.

Competing in a road race at Ballart airstrip, 1951

Road Racing at Darley 1951 350 IOM BSA Gold Star

In full flight, Short circuit at Oxley, 1952

After winning the Queensland Grand Prix on a 350 IOM BSA Gold Star, 1952

Harold was previously scramble champion for 5 years in Victoria. He also rode in road races in Victoria, Bathurst NSW and Lowood Queensland. 

He suffered 35 fractures ranging from fractured collar bone from a push bike accident in 1932 to the racing years (including a total of 6 collar bone fractures). Harold's final accident was on his motorised push bike in 2003 (another collar bone fracture).

After retiring from active competition, he limited his riding to trail riding and later on touring on bikes ranging from a BMW R100RS, two XJ650 Yamahas,  a CX 500 Honda and a Yamaha 350RDLC in 1988.

Harold with his1973 BMW R100RS

At a motorcycle rally with his1975 Honda CX500

He was invited to do a demonstration ride on a works 7R AJS at Winton, Victoria, around 1980

After he stopped riding motorcycles, he found a new interest. This is a picture of his dog Chas.

Thankyou for visiting this website which shares just a small part of the motorcycle riding career of my dad, Harold Tapscott.

Warmly,