THE JUNIOR RACE

THE I.O.M. TOURIST TROPHY.

THE JUNIOR RACE

ON last year’s form everyone was inclined to expect another Rudge victory in this year’s Junior. In the I.O.M., however, victory is not easily gained or held and although this year’s Rudge machines were slightly faster than before, the Norton camp have found a great deal more speed in their latest design than their rivals had bargained for.

When their very strong team is also taken into account, the result is not altogether surprising. It is not long since Hunt won the Amateur Road Racefon his first visit to the island, and since then he has graduated into the very first rank of riders.

He won the 1931 Junior Race in Si minutes inside last year’s time, and also lowered the lap record to 30m 5. secs., a speed of 75.27 m.p.h.

Conditions during practice were nearly always against high speeds, and when the day of the Junior proved to be fine and dry it was obvious that practice times were go’ng to be no criterion.

At ten o’clock No. 1, W. H. T. Meageen (Velocette), pushed off, but had difficulty in starting. Hunt, with No. 3, followed closely with a good getaway, and one by one the fifty riders followed him.

Meageen held his lead on the road to the Mountain and was the first man through the start. Then Hunt came, having cut down the gap, and some later numbers were evidently not going to let the lead be easy to hold. NOtt kept up the Rudge reputation with a lap in 31m. 8s. (72.73 m.p.h.) but it did not get him better than 4th place on this lap behind Hicks and his A.J.S. Actually Hunt, although by now travelling very fast indeed, had to stop to replace a loose plug terminal on his first lap and so lost valuable seconds which put him back to 8th place. The first lap order was :

1st. J. H. Simpson (Norton), 30m. 39s. 73.88 m.p.h.

2nd. S. Woods (Norton, 30m. 55s. 3rd. F. G. Hicks (A.J.S.), 31m. 7s. 4th. G. E. Nott (Rudge), 31m. 8s.

5th. J. Guthrie (Norton), 31m. 18s. 6th. C. J. P. Dodson (E.xcelsior J.A.P.), 31m. 26s.

Thus the opening of the race showed Nortons in a very strong position. Challenged only by solitary Rudge and .A. J .5. riders, and the reliable Velocettes, a few places down the list. The high speeds of the opening lap were soon to be eclipsed however, for Hunt making up for lost time, did 3cm. 2Cs, for his second lap (74.65 m.p.h.). Vie Austin (Douglas), Bray (Douglas) and Tolley (Montgomery) were already out of the race, but the Notions were still to the fore. Other unfortunates included Lind and S. M. Williams (Velocettes) and S. A. Crabtree (Excelsior). Hunt s fast lap has pulled him up to 5th place and the order was now :

1st. J. H. Simpson (Norton), lh. Om. 51s., 74.42 m.p.h.

2nd. S. Woods (Norton), 1h. litt. 38s-. 3rd. F. G. Hicks (A.J.S.), 1h. Itn. 46s.

4th. G. E. Nott (Rudge), lh. lm. :59s. 5th. P. Hunt (Norton), lh. 2m. Os. 6th. C. J. P. Dodson (Excelsior J.A..P.),

lh. 2m. 2s.

At the end Of the second lap lightning fill-ups were made by Hunt, Nott, Guthrie and Woods, but the leaders, in spite of the small gap between them, remained the same. Mellors (New Imperial) was going well and lying .8th, while Renier, the Belgian rider of a Velocette, was putting up a fine show.

After 3 laps, Simpson, riding as well as he ever has, in spite of a bad crash on the continent last year, still held his lead but Hunt’s lap times were closing up the gap between them. The Rtidges had bad luck when Tyrrell-Smith ran out of fuel on the mountain for some unknown reason, and Hicks sttuck trouble and fell out of the running. The third lap showed Guthrie had pulled up 3 places, the order being :-

1st. J. H. Simpson (Norton), lb. 31m. 51s. 74.36 m.p.h. 2nd. S. Woods (Norton), lh. 32m. 24s. 3rd. G. E. Nott (Rudge), lb. 32m. 41s. 4th. J. Guthrie (Norton), Ih..32m. 49s. 5th. P. Hunt (Norton), lh. 32m. 55s. 6th. C. J. P. Dodson (Excelsior J .A.P.),

lb. 33m. 8(1.

Stanley Woods was showing once more that *given the speed, he can ride with the best, and the four Nortons in the first six places were covered by just over a minute. Hunt may or may not have known this, but he was determined to make up for his unfortunate stop, and on his fourth lap put up the wonderful time of 30m. 5s. (75.27 m.p.h.), thus breaking all previous Junior records, and leaving a mark for next year’s event. This lap pulled him up to second place, While a finelap by Guthrie put him third ahead of Nott s Rudge. Jimmy Simpson seemed to be slowing. slightly, but still led after 4 laps when the leaders were :

1st. J. H. Simpson (Norton), 2h. 2m. 36s, 73.89 m.p.h.

2nd. P. Hunt (Norton), 2h. 2m. 58s. 3rd. J Guthrie (Norton), 2h. 4m. 10s. 4th.. G. E Nott (Rudge), 2h. 4m. 18s. 5th. S. Woods (Norton), 211. 4m. 27s. 6th. G. W. Walker (Rudge), 2h. 8m.

14s. Graham Walker was riding a steady race, but no one could catch the Nortons. Simpson slowed more with some trouble which later proved to a partially choked jet and Hunt took the lead. Stanley Wood had dropped back, but the Nortons still held an almost unassailable position, and after 5 laps held the first 3 places. The5th lap leaders were :

1st, P. Hunt (Norton), 2h, 33m. 54s. 73:55 m.p.h.

2nd. J. H. Simpson (NOrton), 2h. 34m. Rs.

3rd. J. Guthrie (Norton), 211. 34m. 42s. 4th, G. E. Nott (Rudge), 2h. 35m. 33s. 5th. S. Woods (Norton), 2h, 35m. 48s. 6th. G. W. Walker (Rudge), 21n. 39m.

41s.

In the next lap poor Jimmy Simpson was overtaken by the Nemesis which has. dogged the steps of his I.O.M. career, and the clearing of a choked jet caused his lap to take ‘-44 minutes, and he fell to 12th, while Nott took third place. The 6th lap order was :

1st. P. Hunt (Norton), 3h. 4m. 68. 73.80 m.p.h.

2nd. J. Guthrie (Norton)„ 3h. 6m. 7s. 3rd. G. E. Nott (Rudge), 3h. 7m. 30s. 4th. S. Woods (Norton), 3h. 8m. 30s. 5th. G. W. Walker (Rudge), 3h. 11,m.

58s.

6th. W. H. T. Meageen (VelOcette),. 3h. 13m. 40s.

The last lap produced no startling .changes, and Hunt concluded his wonderful ride with a lap in 30m. 15s., only 10s. outside his own record, and Guthrie followed him 3 minutes later.

Jimmy Simpson, game to the last in spite of his wretched luck, put in a lap in 31m. 22s. and pulled in 4 places. Nott brought his Rudge into third place, and Another wonderful race was over.

RESULTS.

TROPHY AND REPLICA ‘WINNERS.

1. P. Hunt (Norton) , 3h. :34m. 21s. 73.94 m.p.h.

2. J. Guthrie (Norton), 3h. 37m. 26s. 72.90 m.p.h.

3. G. E. Nott (Rudge), 3h. 39m. is. 72.37 m.p.h.

4. S. Woods (Norton), 3h. 42m. Is 71.39 m.p.h.

5. G. W. Walker (Rudge), 3h. 43m. 19s. 70.98 m.p.h.

6. C. J. P. Dodson (Excelsior-J.A.P.), 3h. 47m. 47s. 69.58 m.p.h.

7. A. G. Mitchell (Velocette), 3h. 48m. us. 69.46 m.p.h.

8. J. H. Simpson (Norton), 3h. 49m. 30s. 69.06 m.p.h. 9. G. E. Rowley (A.J.S.), 3h. 49m. 32s. 69.05 m.p.h. •

10. E. A. Mellors (New Imperial), 3h. 49m. 38s. 69.02 m.p.h.

11. H. J. Willis (Velocette). 3h. 50m. 30s. 68.76 m.p.h.

12. E. R. Thomas (Velocette), 311. 51m. 39s. 68.42 m.p.h.

13. M. Ghersi (New Imperial), 311. 53m. 37s. 67.85 m.p.h.

14. G. E. Himing (A. J.S.), 3h. 54m. 8s. 67.70 m.p.h.

15. T. Simister (Velocette), 3h. 54m. 12s. 67.68 m.p.h. OTHER FINISHERS.

16. P. A. Renier (Velocette), 3h. 56m. 51s. 66.92 m.p.h.

17. L. Higson (Rudge), 3h. 57m. 16s. 66.80 m.p.h.

18. D. Brewster (Velocette), 3h. 58m. 52s. 66.35 m.p.h.

19. Somerville Sikes (Velocette), 3h. 59m. 53s. 66.07 m.p.h.

20. W. H. T. Meageen (Velocette), 4h. 11m. 14s. 63.09 m.p.h.

21. T. Spann (Raleigh), 4h. 14m. 50s. 62.20 m.p.h.