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Difference between revisions of "Isle of Man TT"
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==The 1920s== | ==The 1920s== | ||
Motor-Cycle racing in the Isle of Man did not restart after the end of the First World War until 1920. Changes where made to the | Motor-Cycle racing in the Isle of Man did not restart after the end of the First World War until 1920. Changes where made to the Snaefell mountain course and competitors now turned left at Cronk-ny-Mona and followed the primary A18 Mountain Road to Governors Bridge with a new start/finish line on Glencrutchery Road which lengthened the course to 37 ¾ miles. | ||
The 1920 Junior TT Race included for the first time a new Lightweight class for motor-cycles of 250cc engine capacity. The Lighweight class of the 1920 Junior TT race was won by R.O Clarke riding a [[Levis (motorcycle)|Levis]] and he may have won the event overall but crashed at the 33rd Milestone on the last lap, finishing fourth overall. The 1921 Senior TT race was won by Howard Davies riding a 350cc Junior TT Race motor-cycle by a margin of 2 minutes and 3 seconds from Freddie Dixon and [[Hubert Le Vack]]. For 1922 the ACU introduced for 250cc motor-cycle a [[Lightweight TT]] race and the first winner was [[Geoff S.Davison]] riding a Levis motor-cycle at an average race speed of 49.89. The 1922 Junior TT Race was won by local Isle of Man competitor [[Tom M.Sheard]] riding an AJS motor-cycle at an average race speed of 54.75 mph. Despite crashing twice, a broken exhaust and a fire in the pits, [[Stanley Woods]] riding a [[Cotton (motorcycle)|Cotton]] managed to finish in 5th place in the 1922 Junior TT Race. In the 1922 Senior TT Race, Alex Bennett riding a Sunbeam motor-cycle led all 6 laps from start to finish to win from [[Walter Brandish]] riding a Triumph. | The 1920 Junior TT Race included for the first time a new Lightweight class for motor-cycles of 250cc engine capacity. The Lighweight class of the 1920 Junior TT race was won by R.O Clarke riding a [[Levis (motorcycle)|Levis]] and he may have won the event overall but crashed at the 33rd Milestone on the last lap, finishing fourth overall. The 1921 Senior TT race was won by Howard Davies riding a 350cc Junior TT Race motor-cycle by a margin of 2 minutes and 3 seconds from Freddie Dixon and [[Hubert Le Vack]]. For 1922 the ACU introduced for 250cc motor-cycle a [[Lightweight TT]] race and the first winner was [[Geoff S.Davison]] riding a Levis motor-cycle at an average race speed of 49.89. The 1922 Junior TT Race was won by local Isle of Man competitor [[Tom M.Sheard]] riding an AJS motor-cycle at an average race speed of 54.75 mph. Despite crashing twice, a broken exhaust and a fire in the pits, [[Stanley Woods]] riding a [[Cotton (motorcycle)|Cotton]] managed to finish in 5th place in the 1922 Junior TT Race. In the 1922 Senior TT Race, Alex Bennett riding a Sunbeam motor-cycle led all 6 laps from start to finish to win from [[Walter Brandish]] riding a Triumph. | ||
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In 1924 an [[Ultra-Lightweight TT]] Race was introduced for motor-cycles of 175cc engine capacity following the introduction of a Lightweight TT Race in 1922. The 1924 Ultra-Lightweight TT was allowed to begin with a massed-start for competitors rather than pairs for the normal time-trial format of the Isle of Man TT Races. The first winner of the Ultra-Lightweight TT in 1924 was Jock Porter riding a [[New Gerrard]] motor-cycle at average speed of 51.20 mph. The Lightweight TT and the Senior TT Races of 1924 where run in conjunction and Eddie Twemlow (the brother to Ken Twemlow) riding a New Imperial motor-cycle won at an average race speed of 55.44 mph. The Senior TT Race of 1924 like the Junior TT Race of the same year was also run at record breaking pace and was the first with a race average speed over 60 mph and was won by [[Alec Bennett]] riding a [[Norton]] motor-cycle. | In 1924 an [[Ultra-Lightweight TT]] Race was introduced for motor-cycles of 175cc engine capacity following the introduction of a Lightweight TT Race in 1922. The 1924 Ultra-Lightweight TT was allowed to begin with a massed-start for competitors rather than pairs for the normal time-trial format of the Isle of Man TT Races. The first winner of the Ultra-Lightweight TT in 1924 was Jock Porter riding a [[New Gerrard]] motor-cycle at average speed of 51.20 mph. The Lightweight TT and the Senior TT Races of 1924 where run in conjunction and Eddie Twemlow (the brother to Ken Twemlow) riding a New Imperial motor-cycle won at an average race speed of 55.44 mph. The Senior TT Race of 1924 like the Junior TT Race of the same year was also run at record breaking pace and was the first with a race average speed over 60 mph and was won by [[Alec Bennett]] riding a [[Norton]] motor-cycle. | ||
After numerous retirements in 1924, Wal Handley won the 1925 Junior TT Race over 6 laps of the Mountain Course for [[Rex-Acme]] motor-cycles at an average speed of 65.02 mph. Later in the week Walter Handley became the first TT rider to win two races in a week when he won the Ultra-Lighweight TT Race again on a Rex-Acme motor-cycle. The 1925 Senior TT Race was sensationally won by Howard Davis while competing against the works teams with a motor-cycle of his own manufacture a [[HRD Motorcycles]]at an average speed of 66.13 mph. Further changes occurred in 1926 with the scrapping of the Side-Car and Ultra-Lightweight TT Races from the lack of entries. Most of the TT Course had now been tarmacked including the Snaefell Mountain Section. Another change in 1926 was the ban on alcohol based fuels forcing competitors to use road petrol. Despite these changes the prestige of the Isle of Man TT Races had encouraged the Italian motor-cycle manufacturers [[ | After numerous retirements in 1924, Wal Handley won the 1925 Junior TT Race over 6 laps of the Mountain Course for [[Rex-Acme]] motor-cycles at an average speed of 65.02 mph. Later in the week Walter Handley became the first TT rider to win two races in a week when he won the Ultra-Lighweight TT Race again on a Rex-Acme motor-cycle. The 1925 Senior TT Race was sensationally won by Howard Davis while competing against the works teams with a motor-cycle of his own manufacture a [[HRD Motorcycles]]at an average speed of 66.13 mph. Further changes occurred in 1926 with the scrapping of the Side-Car and Ultra-Lightweight TT Races from the lack of entries. Most of the TT Course had now been tarmacked including the Snaefell Mountain Section. Another change in 1926 was the ban on alcohol based fuels forcing competitors to use road petrol. Despite these changes the prestige of the Isle of Man TT Races had encouraged the Italian motor-cycle manufacturers [[Bianchi]], [[Garelli]] and [[Moto Guzzi]] to enter. The 1926 Lightweight TT Race produced one of the most notorious events in the history of the Isle of Man TT Races described by the "The Motor-Cycle" Magazine as the "''Guzzi Incident''."<ref>''Italian Racing Motor-Cycles'' by Mick Walker pp145</ref> The Italian rider [[Pietro Ghersi]] was excluded from second place for using a different sparking-plug in the engine of his Moto Guzzi. The 1926 Senior TT Race produced the first 70 mph lap and was again set by Jimmy Simpson on an AJS motor-cycle in 32 minutes and 9 seconds an average speed of 70.43 mph. | ||
More changes occurred in 1927 with a fatal accident during practice to [[Archie Birkin]] a brother to Tim Birkin of the Bentley Boys fame. The corner in Kirk Michael where the accident occurred was renamed [[Birkin's Bend]] and from 1928 practice sessions where held on closed-roads. The newly developed 'positive-stop' foot gear-change by [[Velocette]] gave Alex Bennett his fifth TT Race win in the 1928 Junior TT Race at an average race speed of 68.65 mph from his team-mate [[Harold Willis]]. The 1929 Lightweight TT Race was led for 5 laps by Pietro Ghersi on a Motor Guzzi competing in his first TT race since the disqualification in the 'Guzzi Incident' of 1926. Despite Pietro Ghersi setting the fastest lap at an average speed of 66.63 mph, engine failure gave the win to Syd Crabtree. During the 1929 Senior TT Race a number of riders crashed at [[Greeba Castle]] after Wal Handley clipped the hedge and crashed. This included Jimmy Simpson, Jack Amott riding for Rudge and Doug Lamb who latter died of his injuries on the way to [[Nobles Hospital]]. Charlie Dodson completed a Senior TT double by winning the 1929 Senior TT Race at an average race speed of 72.05 mph. | More changes occurred in 1927 with a fatal accident during practice to [[Archie Birkin]] a brother to Tim Birkin of the Bentley Boys fame. The corner in Kirk Michael where the accident occurred was renamed [[Birkin's Bend]] and from 1928 practice sessions where held on closed-roads. The newly developed 'positive-stop' foot gear-change by [[Velocette]] gave Alex Bennett his fifth TT Race win in the 1928 Junior TT Race at an average race speed of 68.65 mph from his team-mate [[Harold Willis]]. The 1929 Lightweight TT Race was led for 5 laps by Pietro Ghersi on a Motor Guzzi competing in his first TT race since the disqualification in the 'Guzzi Incident' of 1926. Despite Pietro Ghersi setting the fastest lap at an average speed of 66.63 mph, engine failure gave the win to Syd Crabtree. During the 1929 Senior TT Race a number of riders crashed at [[Greeba Castle]] after Wal Handley clipped the hedge and crashed. This included Jimmy Simpson, Jack Amott riding for Rudge and Doug Lamb who latter died of his injuries on the way to [[Nobles Hospital]]. Charlie Dodson completed a Senior TT double by winning the 1929 Senior TT Race at an average race speed of 72.05 mph. | ||