Also returning to the track after a long hiatus was Jeff Byne and the blown double Morgo Triumph that he debuted back in 1976 (after a win on the football pools – think of a soccer-based lottery) and running a best of 8.02s in September 1979 (oh so close to the seven second clocking that British riders would repeated take aim at until Brian Johnson blew the barrier away on a blown Kawasaki in 1983).

Having broken a crank on his twin Weslake Hobbit at an event a couple of weeks previous, John Hobbs was prevented from lining up alongside Byne in a recreation of their late '70s tussles, but was still out having fun on the 500cc Triumph nine second Olympus he built back in 1967.