| Tommy Robb | |
| Nationality: | Northern Ireland |
| Gp Active Years: | 1957 - 1959, 1961 - 1973 |
| Gp Teams: | Honda |
| Gp Race Starts: | 88 |
| Gp Race Wins: | 3 |
| Gp Podiums: | 28 |
| Gp Total Points: | 368 |
| Gp Poles: | 0 |
| Gp Fastest Laps: | 2 |
| Gp First Race: | 1957 250cc Ulster Grand Prix |
| Gp First Win: | 1962 250cc Ulster Grand Prix |
| Gp Last Win: | 1973 125cc Isle of Man TT |
| Gp Last Race: | 1973 125cc Isle of Man TT |
Tommy Robb (born 14 October 1934) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Northern Ireland.
Robb began riding in trials and scrambles during 1950. His first event was a road time-trial riding a 197 cc James. He then competed on Irish grasstracks, winning six national titles and a 25-mile sand race between 1954 and 1956, before turning to short circuits on tarmac and road-racing. His first road race was at Lurgan Park, outside of Belfast, in 1957 riding a 197 HJH. He was noticed by Belfast sponsor Terry Hill, himself a trials rider, who provided a 173 MV and a 250 cc NSU Sportmax for 1957 and 1958 with Robb finishing third in the 1957 Ulster Grand Prix and second in the 1958 race.[1] [2]
Robb was then sponsored by tuners Geoff Monty and his business partner Allen Dudley-Ward until joining the works Honda team from 1962,[1] winning his first world championship race in the 1962 250 class at the Ulster Grand Prix with two further wins at the inaugural Japanese Grand Prix in Tokyo.[1] In the 1962 season, Robb became one of the first non-Japanese riders hired by the Honda factory racing team. He enjoyed his greatest success with Honda, finishing second to his teammate, Jim Redman, in the 1962 350 world championship.[3]
In 1973, he won the Lightweight 125 TT at the Isle of Man TT races, aboard a Yamaha.[4] He was also a five-time winner of the North West 200 race in Northern Ireland.
Towards the end of his competitive riding, Robb established a road-race school in conjunction with former Motor Cycle magazine journalist and retail motorcycle shop owner David Dixon, using Yoshimura-equipped CB250, and CB450 Hondas, with Dixon being the UK importer and distributor of Yoshimura tuning equipment.[5] [6]
In 1964, Robb's daughter Corienne won the annual Miss Pears competition - a year's modelling and a cash prize.[7]