Derek "Nobby" Clark was born Sept. 29, 1936, in Bulawayo. He studied engineering at Bulawayo Technical High School and did his apprenticeship for Rhodesia Railways. As a vibrant motorcycling counter-culture developed in Zimbabwe, Clark's high-school friend, Gary Hocking, built a reputation first on the streets of Bulawayo then on local racetracks.<--more--!>
Hocking's exploits ultimately took him to Europe, and he encouraged Clark to follow. In 1960, Hocking got a ride with MV Agusta and hired Clark as his tuner. That year, Hocking was runner up in 125, 250 and 350cc FIM World Championships. In 1961, he won the 350 and 500cc titles on bikes tuned by Clark.
Clark went to work for the factory Honda team and Jim Redman following Hocking's death in a Formula One car crash in 1962. He stayed with Honda, where he worked with Hailwood, and then joined a Yamaha satellite team in 1971. The following year, he moved to the Yamaha factory team.
Clark is the third member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame class of 2012 to be announced. He joins the late Rod Bush, KTM North America president and industry visionary, and pioneering female motocrosser Sue Fish. The rest of the 2012 inductees will be announced in random order in the coming weeks.
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