John Guest

Written by AMCA OFFICE Tuesday, 18 October 2011 00:00

Former AMCA 250 Champion Johnny Guest from Tipton died last Thursday (13th October) after a long illness at his home in the Midlands.

John who was 69 won the AMCA Scrambles Championship in 1968, 69 and 70 riding a 250 Husqvarna. He helped start a local club Dudley Vikings but later moved to a new club Bilston Crusaders who won the AMCA Inter club team competition in 1966 and 1968 whereby 3 riders from each club competed at every event throughout the season. He also won the prestigious Ray Edwards Trophy at the Brownhills Circuit in 1968 and 69. In 1966 he was one of the stars in the AMCA’s ITV “World of Sport” Winter Televised Scrambles held at Brownhills, winning the first team race for AMCA GB against a Dutch team and the following year he won another team race to help the AMCA win both event he travelled abroad in the late 60’scompeting in the European IMBA Championships in Belgium, Holland and Germany finishing second overall in 1968 which was followed by third in 1969 and eighth in 1970 and 1971 and in 1972 rode in Switzerland.
After retiring John helped with operating the first AMCA start gate and worked every evening at the AMCA HQ in Walsall building race control trailers as the AMCA expanded to 20 motocross events each week, start gates were then supplied to all events and they needed 4 wheeler trailers which again were built by John and Pete Reed in the AMCA Workshops. Together they built 40 trailers, apart from the sport John attended Midland Shows with his vintage Rolls Royce.
John was a true clubman who believed in putting something back into the sport from which he gained so much enjoyment, very rarely missing a meeting in over 15 years riding always with the AMCA. A great character and sympathies go to his family and especially Jill who cared for him during his illness.

The funeral is on Friday (21st October) at St Martins & St Pauls Church, Owen Street, Tipton at 12:45. A get together will take place afterwards at the Tipton Sports & Social club, Sedgley Road, Tipton.