Difference between revisions of "Isle of Man TT"

Motor-Cycle racing did not return to the Isle of Man and the [[Snaefell mountain course|Mountain Course]] until September 1946 with the first post-war event the [[1946 Manx Grand Prix]].  For the [[1947 Isle of Man TT]] Races a number of changes occurred to the race schedule with the inclusion of a [[Production TT Races|Clubmans TT]] Races for Lightweight, Junior and Senior production motor-cycles.  The [[1949 Isle of Man TT]] Races was the first event of the inaugural [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing|Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship]] and [[Leslie Graham|Les Graham]] the first 500cc World Champion finished 10th in the 1949 Senior TT Race.  For the [[1951 Isle of Man TT]] the [[Ultra-Lightweight  TT]] Race was re-introduced that was won by [[Cromie McCandless]] riding a [[Mondial]] motor-cycle at an average race speed of 74.84 mph.

Motor-Cycle racing did not return to the Isle of Man and the [[Snaefell mountain course|Mountain Course]] until September 1946 with the first post-war event the [[1946 Manx Grand Prix]].  For the [[1947 Isle of Man TT]] Races a number of changes occurred to the race schedule with the inclusion of a [[Production TT Races|Clubmans TT]] Races for Lightweight, Junior and Senior production motor-cycles.  The [[1949 Isle of Man TT]] Races was the first event of the inaugural [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing|Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship]] and [[Leslie Graham|Les Graham]] the first 500cc World Champion finished 10th in the 1949 Senior TT Race.  For the [[1951 Isle of Man TT]] the [[Ultra-Lightweight  TT]] Race was re-introduced that was won by [[Cromie McCandless]] riding a [[Mondial]] motor-cycle at an average race speed of 74.84 mph.

The 1950's may be seen as a decade when the course and race changes the Isle of Man TT Races evolved into the motor-cycle event that occurs today.  Perhaps seen as the 'golden-era,' the 1950's for the Isle of Man TT Races mirrored changes in the motor-cycling industry and motor-cycling technology and the increasing globalization of not only of motor-cycle racing, but also of the motor-cycle industry.  As with the 1930's, the period from 1947 to 1959 the dominance of the British motor-cycle industry was gradually eroded by increased European competition.  Again through the 1950's this was  played-out through increased technological change.  The introduction of the [[Featherbed Frame]] or the abortive [[Norton Kneeler]] concept by the works [[Norton]] team it was not sufficient to challenge the multi-cyclinder European motor-cycles from [[Gilera]] and [[Moto Guzzi]].  Financial problems led to the demise of the Norton team and along with other traditional British motor-cycle manufacturers [[AJS]], [[BSA]], [[Matchless]] and [[Velocette]] where replaced by European competition from [[Česká Zbrojovka Strakonice|CZ]], [[DKW]], [[Ducati]], [[Mondial]], [[MV Agusta]] and [[NSU Motorenwerke AG|NSU]] at the Isle of Man TT Races.  By the end of the 1950's, the East Germany motor-cycle firm [[MZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk|MZ]] used the Isle of Man TT Races to improve their [[Walter Kaaden]] designed two-stoke technology.  The [[1959 Isle of Man TT]] Race was the first race for the fledgling Japanese [[Honda]] team when [[Naomi Taniguchi]] finished in 6th place in the 1959 125cc Ultra-Lightweight TT Race on the [[Clypse Course]] at an average race speed of 68.29 mph.

The 1950's may be seen as a decade when the course and race changes the Isle of Man TT Races evolved into the motor-cycle event that occurs today.  Perhaps seen as the 'golden-era,' the 1950's for the Isle of Man TT Races mirrored changes in the motor-cycling industry and motor-cycling technology and the increasing globalization of not only of motor-cycle racing, but also of the motor-cycle industry.  As with the 1930's, the period from 1947 to 1959 the dominance of the British motor-cycle industry was gradually eroded by increased European competition.  Again through the 1950's this was  played-out through increased technological change.  The introduction of the [[Featherbed Frame]] or the abortive [[Norton Kneeler]] concept by the works [[Norton]] team it was not sufficient to challenge the multi-cyclinder European motor-cycles from [[Gilera]] and [[Moto Guzzi]].  Financial problems led to the demise of the Norton team and along with other traditional British motor-cycle manufacturers [[AJS]], [[BSA]], [[Matchless]] and [[Velocette]] where replaced by European competition from [[Česká Zbrojovka Strakonice|CZ]], [[DKW]], [[Ducati]], [[Mondial]], [[MV Agusta]] and [[NSU Motorenwerke AG|NSU]] at the Isle of Man TT Races.  By the end of the 1950's, the East Germany motor-cycle firm [[MZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk|MZ]] used the Isle of Man TT Races to improve their [[Walter Kaaden]] designed two-stoke technology.  The [[1959 Isle of Man TT]] Race was the first race for the fledgling Japanese [[Honda]] team when [[Naomi Taniguchi]] finished in 6th place in the 1959 125cc Ultra-Lightweight TT Race on the [[Clypse Course]] at an average race speed of 68.29 mph.