WCM Co-Proprietor Peter Clifford Remembers Accomplice Bob MacLean (Up to date)

Remembering Bob MacLean

By Peter Clifford

Thanks for working an obit on Bob. He was the easiest buddy and enterprise associate anybody may want for. A complete fanatic who put an enormous quantity of effort into supporting so many riders. He had super success racing within the U.S. with Wealthy Schlachter, Kork Ballington, Wayne Rainey and many others. earlier than we began the World Championship Motorsports (WCM) 500cc Grand Prix workforce.

Then he enabled us to do unbelievable issues as WCM, changing into the perfect privateer 500cc workforce with riders that included Peter Goddard, Niall Mackenzie, Neil Hodgson, Andrew Stroud, Mark Willis and Kirk McCarthy which gained us Yamaha’s respect in order that they supplied us the manufacturing facility bikes in 1997. Then, with riders comparable to Luca Cadalora, Troy Corser, Simon Crafar, Regis Laconi, Garry McCoy, John Hopkins, Jean-Michel Bayle and Alex Hofmann we gained GPs and competed for the 500cc World Championship.

WCM co-owner Bob MacLean receives the workforce trophy after rider Simon Crafar gained a 500cc Grand Prix on one of many workforce’s Pink Bull Yamaha YZR500s at Donington Park, 1998. Lou Martin photograph/courtesy WCM.

When the category switched to MotoGP and Yamaha couldn’t provide us with bikes, we constructed the WCM MotoGP machines and ran Chris Burns, David de Gea, James Ellison, Franco Battaini and Youichi Ui.

Bob did all of this and constructed an enormous inhabitants of associates world wide, far past the riders concerned: The workforce members all appeared as much as Bob and appreciated his fantastic drive and good humor in addition to unwavering assist. Bob MacLean was distinctive and really particular. Could he relaxation in peace…