500 WINS WITH HONDA

Two years later on the 23rd April 1961 at the Montjuich Park circuit in North Eastern Spain, Tom Phillis on his Castrol R30-lubricated Honda 125 took the first of the 500 wins. Little did he know that 500 world championship wins later in 2007 Honda motorcycles - lubricated by Castrol’s latest engine oil, Castrol Power1, would be continuing to win races and leading the World Superbike and World Supersport Championsips. Phillis won three other races in 1961 giving him the overall 125 championship for that season.

The following year was a bumper season for race wins and championships; with the Castrol-lubricated Hondas taking world championship victories in the 125s with Luigi Taveri and the 250s and 350s with Jim Redman. With 25 race wins in total, 1962 still remains as one of the most successful road racing seasons ever for Honda and Castrol.

1963 saw two more world championship titles for Redman in the 250s and 350s, whilst Taveri picked up scraps in the 50s and 125s, scraps that in 1964 he would convert into a 125cc world championship win. Redman again dominated the 350 Championship in 1964 and 65, giving him 4 consecutive world championships in the same formula - a feat as yet only recently bettered by Mick Doohan and Valentino Rossi.

After such a convincing run Redman decided that 1966 would be his last season and he would concentrate on the 500cc championship. Where Redman left off, Mike Hailwood took over, with back to back Championship wins in 66 and 67 on both his Honda 250 and Honda 350. Castrol was of course continuing to support the Honda works team with Castrol ‘R’ and it was with this oil that Luigi Taveri took yet another 125cc World Championship in ’66.

1967 saw Honda withdraw from Motorcycle Racing; with 131 race wins and 15 championships in the first 10 years of their racing partnership with Castrol, both companies having proved they were an impressive force to be reckoned with.