Malcolm Ernest Uphill (15 April 1935 – 15 August 1999)[1] was a Welsh professional motorcycle racer. He competed in British national-level short-circuit and in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.[2] Uphill was the first competitor in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races to achieve a 100 mph average lap speed on a production motorcycle.[3][4]
A native of Caerphilly, Wales, Uphill later lived at Heol, Trecastle and was educated at Twyn Secondary Modern School. Apprenticed at the Rhymney former railway works near Caerphilly, he worked as a fitter/turner/erector for British Rail.[3][5] In 1965, Uphill achieved a double win in the 350 cc 'Junior' and 500 cc 'Senior' races at the Manx Grand Prix.[6] His best season in world championship competition was in 1968 when he finished in ninth place in the 250cc world championship.[2]
In 1969, he teamed with Percy Tait to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race for production (road-based) machines and at the 1969 Isle of Man TT, Uphill won the 750 Production class on a Triumph Bonneville with a 100 mph lap, which prompted renaming of the Dunlop K81 motorcycle tyre as the TT100.[3][7][8][6] He also won the 750 Production class at the 1970 North West 200 held in Northern Ireland followed by the 1970 TT 750 production class on a Triumph Trident.[6][9]
Uphill died aged 64 in 1999 of asbestosis.[3] In 2011 a pub named The Malcolm Uphill was opened by Wetherspoons in Caerphilly town centre,[10] and in 2013, following local fundraising, a bronze plaque dedicated to Uphill's memory was installed on a wall close to the pub location at Station Terrace.[11]
