Don Godden Explained

Don Godden
Birth Date:13 November 1936
Birth Place:Blackburn, England
Death Place:Dartford, England
Indivhonour1:Long Track World Champion
Indivyear1:1969
Indivhonour2:British Grasstrack Championship
Indivyear2:1965, 1967, 1972
Indivhonour3:South-Eastern Centre Championship
Indivyear3:1959, 1962, 1965, 1974
Indivhonour4:Lydden International
Indivyear4:1968
Indivhonour5:Wimborne Whoppa
Indivyear5:1970, 1973, 1974, 1975
Indivhonour6:German Longtrack Silver Helmet
Indivyear6:1971, 1973
Indivhonour7:Teterow Bergring Cup Winner
Indivyear7:1962, 1964.

Don Vincent Godden (born 13 November 1936 - 28 May 2011) was a Motorcycle rider who 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 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

European Grasstrack Championship

British Grasstrack Championship Podiums

References