Keith Lee’s interest in Drag Racing started when his father took him to Blackbushe to watch the final event of the first Drag Festival series in 1964. It made a big impression on the youngster – especially the sight of Don Garlits and Tommy Ivo in their fuel dragsters. It also introduced him to some unusual drag bikes, including a twin-engined Triumph and the unique Drag-Waye.
His first visit to Santa Pod was the new track’s second-ever event, and which turned out to be a slalom sprint, after an 80-mile drive there! The next event he attended included one of the wildest bikes ever to run there, in the form of EJ Potter’s injected Chevy monster.
Late in 1968, Keith set out to build a motorcycle-engined dragster to compete with, but plans were frustrated by facilities at home, which proved to be too small to allow the idea to progress. Instead, a tuned 500cc Triumph engine was shoe-horned into an old Lambretta scooter, to turn it into the most powerful scooter around. This was raced over the period 1971 to 1973, when he was already becoming involved in the reporting and photography side of the sport.
In 1971, the BDR&HRA initiated a system of area reps, to help promote local interest in the sport, and Keith volunteered to cover Berkshire and Oxfordshire. He had already got to know Peter and Erica Bartlett; and it was Peter who first encouraged him to start writing.
December 1971 saw the first issue of Drag Racing News published, and just a few months later Keith started writing the race reports and other features. This would continue for the next decade. At the end of 1972, the National Drag Racer magazine editor wanted broader race coverage than just NDRC events, and Keith was asked to provide articles. The national weekly paper, Motor Cycle, wanted someone to report on Drag Racing, which he relished – even though phoning in a race report could take two hours from a convenient phone box during the trip home after an event! Keith’s coverage grew with a regular Drag Strip column, in addition to race reports and other photo features. This association continued for over ten years, until the paper ceased. One of his enjoyable times in the mid 70’s was producing colourful drag racing features for the children’s magazine Speed and Power.
During the second half of 1973, Keith was invited to become a commentator at the Santa Pod events, and he would do so until the middle of 1982. Keith was co-opted onto the BDR&HRA committee and would also serve as a club steward for several years at events.
Over the years, Keith’s writing and photography were seen in many parts of the world, in magazines and books, as his reputation grew. He had thought seriously about writing a book on the sport, but the one from Haynes appeared, which shelved that idea.
Unfortunately, an important issue of principle at Santa Pod in 1982 caused Keith to resign as a commentator. The upshot of this, coupled with a personal loss shortly after, led him gradually to withdraw from active involvement in the sport.
In 2001 he went to Santa Pod, after Brian Johnson insisted that Keith came along to his final race there. Brian Taylor contacted Keith in 2007, when starting work on his Crazy Horses book, for which he provided a significant number of photos and information. Brian’s book was published in 2009, and the involvement revived thoughts for Keith of publishing a book of his own. He approached publisher Veloce, who were happy to publish a book on drag bikes. Drag Bike Racing from the Mid 60’s to the Mid 80’s was published in 2010. Keith was also a substantial contributor to the premier US book, which was John Stein’s Motorcycle Drag Racing: A History.
In 2010, Keith was persuaded to become editor of the bimonthly Sprinter magazine, for the National Sprint Association. The club, which dates back to 1958, was involved in the original Drag Festivals. He filled that position for five years, assisted by his wife Annie. When he became involved with Dragstalgia, it was agreed with Santa Pod that it would be a nod to this history to name the historic bike class the NSA Shootout. 2012 saw a photobook published, entitled British Drag Racing in the 1970s.
With the launch of Dragstalgia, Keith was invited to oversee the bike class, which has since seen many historic machines brought back to life for this popular event. It also saw him simultaneously juggling commentating and photographing the bikes when they ran! In 2018, he was presented with the Peter Crane Spirit of ’76 award for services to Dragstalgia.
In 2013, Keith approached Custom Car editor Dave Biggadyke about the possibility of including a few nostalgia-based features. These regular features are now heading towards the 100 mark! Several bike features have also appeared in the pages of Classic Bike magazine.
Keith had helped the Hall of Fame by supplying many images to improve the web site, and also the pictures for the distinctive Gala backgrounds. The late chairman, Stu Bradbury, invited Keith to join the panel of selectors in 2014, having previously become a historical adviser.
The urge to produce a major work of his own resulted in the self-designed and published book, Mister Six – The story of Drag Racing legend Dennis Priddle, which was published in 2018. To complement this well-received book, John Hobbs & The Age Of The Twins was completed in 2022. Annie must also take much credit for her help during research and especially proof-reading the books. These heavily illustrated books finally satisfied Keith’s desire to accurately bring back to life an important slice of the sport’s history on both two wheels and four.
It is for his myriad contributions to UK Drag Racing for almost its entire existence – behind the camera and on the keyboard, in the commentary box, in the committee room and as an official, and even, briefly, on the track – that Keith Lee is inducted into Membership of the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame.
Profile edited by the BDRHoF