| Born | 13 November 1936 Blackburn, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 28 May 2011 (aged 74) Dartford, England |
| Nationality |  England |
| Individual honours | |
| 1969 | Long Track World Champion |
| 1965, 1967, 1972 | British Grasstrack Championship |
| 1959, 1962, 1965, 1974 | South-Eastern Centre Championship |
| 1968 | Lydden International |
| 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975 | Wimborne Whoppa |
| 1971, 1973 | German Longtrack Silver Helmet |
| 1962, 1964. | Teterow Bergring Cup Winner |
Don Vincent Godden (born 13 November 1936 - 28 May 2011) was a Motorcycle rider who competed in Longtrack and Grasstrack Racing. He competed in twelve World Longtrack Championship Finals and won the title in 1969. Don's son Mitchel is also a successful Longtrack and Grasstrack racer, as is his grandson Cameron.
Don was very much a Motorcycle racing pioneer, not only was he the first to compete regularly on the continent but was also a successful Motorcycle Racing engineer. He designed many engines for successful Longtrack, Grasstrack and speedway riders.
Godden engineering
Don started his engineering company in the early 1970s designing frames and then engines. His GR 500 engine was used by many top riders and it soon became a championship winning engine.
United States rider Shawn Moran won the Longtrack World Championship with the Godden engine in 1983 and twelve months later at least half of the finalist's all used this same engine. The last of the Longtrack Championships came with Marcel Gerhard in 1992. In Speedway Hans Nielsen won three world titles using the Godden engine in 1986, 1987 and 1989.
Racing career
World Longtrack Championship
- 1966
Mühldorf (5th) 7pts - 1967 Scheeßel (Second) 13pts
- 1968 Mühldorf (Second) 16pts
- 1969
Oslo (Champion) 14pts - 1970 Scheeßel (Second) 26pts
- 1971 Oslo (7th) 10pts
- 1972 Mühldorf (10th) 9pts
- 1973 Oslo (4th) 19pts
- 1974 Scheeßel (6th) 13pts
- 1975
.svg.png.webp)
Gornja Radgona (8th) 11pts - 1976
Marianske Lazne (12th) 5pts - 1977 Did not compete
- 1978 Mühldorf (14th) 8pts
European Grasstrack Championship
- 1978
Hereford (Third) 23pts
British Grasstrack Championship Podiums
- 1962 Evesham (Second)
- 1964 Sleaford (Third)
- 1965 Braintree (Champion)
- 1967 Folkestone (Champion)
- 1972 Burton Constable Hall (Champion)
References
- "Don Godden". Grasstrack GB. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- "Godden Engineering". goddenengineering.co.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- "The Godden Story | Speedway Racers". cybermotorcycle.com. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- "Godden Speedway motorcycle History". speedwaygodden.tripod.com. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- "Godden Weslake". Bike EXIF. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- "History". Lydden Hill. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- "1974 Motorcycle speedway - Ole Olsen (speed record) - Don Godden Won Grasstrack". thexvid.com. Retrieved 10 June 2018.