A NEWPORT-born motorbiker racer who became a world champion in his chosen sport is to have his achievements immortalised in print.

In 1961, Gary Hocking rode to global success in the sport's 350cc and 500cc categories before a range of factors prompted his retirement, followed by a switch to car racing.

That latter career proved tragically short however, as he was killed during practice for the Natal Grand Prix in South Africa shortly before Christmas 1962. He was just 25 years old.

Roger Hughes, from Christchurch, Newport, has spent two years immersed in research for a book on Mr Hocking's life that he hopes will be published next year - and he is hoping Argus readers might be able to help him solve a mystery that has arisen from his efforts.

In the aftermath of his untimely death, an award - known as the Gary Hocking Trophy - was awarded annually on behalf of the now defunct Newport and Gwent Motor Club, for the best achievement in road racing.

Mr Hughes unearthed a cutting from the Argus from the mid-1960s showing the inaugural winner, Malcolm Uphill from Caerphilly, being presented with the trophy by Mr Hocking's mother Marjorie.

"It's a very handsome trophy and I'd love to be able to track it down," said Mr Hughes, a former BBC sports reporter and producer of sports programmes, who now works in a freelance capacity.

"The cutting is the only clue I have though, because the club doesn't exist anymore.

"I don't know how many other people won the trophy, and most importantly, who the last winner was. If it is still around, it is likely to be with them or their family."

Mr Hughes hopes his biography on Mr Hocking, who lived with his family in Newport until they emigrated to what was then called Rhodesia - currently Zimbabwe - when he was 10, will be published next year.

Mr Hocking, born in 1936, stayed in Rhodesia when the rest of the family moved back to Newport in the mid-1950s. They had emigrated in 1947 when his father got a job on the Rhodesian railways.

His first motorbike was a means of transport to and from his factory apprenticeship in the city of Bulawayo, where on Saturday afternoons he used to race around the streets with friends. During this time he was spotted by a motorbike racer called Ken Robas, who set him on the road to a career in the sport.

"He spotted that Gary had the talent to succeed and he had the contacts to help him," said Mr Hughes.

By the end of the decade he was making his mark alongside some of the sport's greatest names, including Geoff Duke and John Surtees, winning Isle of Man TT titles and many other major races, which resulted in his becoming a dual world champion in 1961.

Disillusionment with aspects of the sport on and off the track prompted his early retirement, and that switch to motor car racing was cruelly cut short after just a few months.

Several years ago, Mr Hughes came across Mr Hocking's grave in Christchurch cemetery, Newport, and his intrigue at the gravestone's inscription, which mentions the world titles, eventually led to his current project.

"A lot of the other motorcycle champions going back many years, including Gary Hocking's contemporaries, have had books written about them," said Mr Hughes.

"He is well known and remembered in the world of motorcycle racing, but the more I learned about his story, the more convinced I became that it is worth telling."

If you have any information about the Gary Hocking Trophy contact the Argus at newsdesk@southwalesargus.co.uk, call 01633 777134 or tweet @southwalesargus