THE MOTOR-CYCLE TOURIST TROPHY RACES.
THE MOTOR-CYCLE TOURIST TROPHY RACES.
Although motor-cycle racing is not within the scope of MOTOR SPORT, we feel that the T.T. races have an especial appeal for motorists.
ENTRI.E,S for the June races in the Isle of Man were again meagre this year, due to the depression in the motor-cycle industry and the withdrawal of support from the Rudge factory. The numbers were 31 for the Junior and Lightweight events and 35 for the Senior, reduced, as is usually the case, by machines and riders not qualifying, and accidents during practising. Happily this year there were few.
The practise times were higher than ever, due to the faster machines and improvements to the course, notably in Glen Helen and on the Mountain Road, but this was somewhat offset by the wavy conditions of road between Glen Helen and Kirk Michael.
JUNIOR RACE. the week’s races
The first of the week’s races was dominated by the Norton entry, Woods, Guthrie, Simpson and Hunt, though Velocettes predominated in numbers with 15 entries. Only two works entries, Tyre11Smith and A. Mitchell, qualified, but either of these, with the irrepressible Handley as a lone hand, were likely place winners.
Monday was an ideal day for racing, sunny and clear on the mountains, but cooled by a breeze which prevented any melting of the road surface.
The first away was Mitchell on his Velocette, a fast man and likely to do well with an open road in front of him. Aranda, from Spain, riding the only Rudge in the race, seemed to have some difficulty in starting, otherwise the machines got away cleanly. Woods (16), winner of last year’s Junior and Senior Races, was loudly cheered as he left, as were the other members of the Norton team.
Mitchell was the first to appear at Governor’s Bridge, with Davenport (New Imperial) shortly afterwards. Tyre11Smith was next, braked hard after the hairpin and nearly came off, then Axanda and Dodson (New Imperial) who stopped and apparently changed a plug. Right on his heels was Woods (Norton), who had picked up four places. Guthrie, Handley and Simpson, were close together all doing well, but the first two were unhappy on the Bridge, which seemed loose. Hunt, who had started No. 30, came round 18th, so the Norton stable were all going strong.
1ST LAP LEADERS.
No. 16. S.Woods(Norton),29m.10s.,77.63 m.p.h. 30.P. Hunt (Norton), 29m. 18s., 77.28 m.p.b. 22. J. H. Simpson (Norton), 29m. 22s., 77.11 m.p.h.
a 20. I. Guthrie (Norton) ,29m. 26s.,77 .93 m.p.h. 21. W. I. Handley (Velocette), 29m. 429., 76.24 m.p.h.
8. E.G. TyrellSmith (Velocette), 30m. 02s., 75.39 m.p.h.
Things were certainly going according to plan in the Norton camp, the speeds being much the same as last year. Other riders were less lucky, Harding, the Manx rider being delayed five minutes near Bradden, Redfearn (Velocette) retired with a burst oil tank, and Dodson also retired. Mitchell was again first round, then cryrell-Smith, and shortly afterwards \roods. Handley retained his place, but
he was evidently slower than the Norton men each side of him Hunt dropped a place to Simpson but there was only 4 seconds in it. Davenport stopped at Governor’s Bridge with engine trouble and retired at the Start.
2ND LAP LEADERS.
No. 16. S. Woods (Norton), 58m. Is., 78.21 m.p.h. 22. J. H. Simpson (Norton), 58m. 16s., 77.72 m.p.h.
30. P. Hunt (Norton), 58m. 22s., 77.59 m.p.h.
20. j. Guthrie (Norton), 58m. 38s., 77.24 m.p.h.
21. W. L. Handley (Velocette), 59m. 20s., 76.33 m.p.h. 1. A. Mitchell (Velocette), 59m. 298., 76.13
m.p.h.
There could be no doubt as to the final outcome of the race, a Norton victory with the odds in favour of Woods or Hunt, Simpson’s driving methods being usually too much for his machine. The superb handling of man and machine on a double corner like Braddon Bridge, where the riders bank over first one way and then. the other, showed the superiority of the Wolverhampton machines and their drivers, and justifies the T.T. races as a testing ground even if not much more can be learnt in the future.
,Mellors spent a long time at Braddon Bridge trying to start his machine, the clutch of which had seized. After a long struggle he got it to fire but retired at the Start.
3RD LAP LEADERS.
No. 16. S. Woods (Norton), 1h. 26m. 57s., 78.12 m.p.h.
22. J. H. Simpson (Norton), lb. 27m. 18s., 77.81 m.p.h.
30. P. Hunt (Norton), lb. 27m. 20s., 77.78 m.p.h. 2(). J. Guthrie (Norton), 111. 271n. 45s., 77.41
m.p.h.
21. W. L. Handley (Velocette), lh. 28m. 40s., 76.61 m.p.h.
1. A. Mitchell (Velocette), lh. 28m. 44s., 76.55 m.p.h.
The standard of riding was high and this and the dry, hard surface of the course meant few accidents. Guthrie had a near shave in the early part of the race, when he touched the hedge at Hillberry and continued in the gutter for thirty yards. Pringle, an Australian rider of a Norton, who had been doing well in practise, got a front wheel skid near Greeba Bridge, his front tyre deflated and after a 50 yard broadside the rider was thrown clear, happily uninjured except for a few bruises.
Guthrie put in a lap at over 78 m.p.h., which brought him into second place, and Handley dropped a place through coming off at Quarter Bridge.
4TR LAP LEADERS. No. 16. S. Woods (Norton), lb. 56m. 40s., 77.63 at
20. J. Guthrie (Norton), lh. 56m. 54s., 77.48 m.p.h.
30. A. Hunt (Norton), lb. 57m. 7s., 77.33 m.p.h.
22. J. Simpson (Norton), lb. 57m. ’25s., 77.14 m.p.h.
I. A. Mitchell (Velocette), lb. 57m. 55s., 76.81 m.p.h.
21. W. L. Handley (Velocette), lb. 5Fnt. 9s., .76.65 m.p.h. Woods had slowed down somewhat in the fourth lap, and Guthrie, whoa.might lave been dangerous, came off at Quarter Iridge, and was passed by Simpson. The diallenge now came from Hunt, who put tp a lap of 28 min. 43 secs. (78.85 m.p.h.)
or 5 seconds better than Woods’ record lap in 1932. Two retirements occurred, West (A. J.S.) with engine trouble .and J. Adams (VOO eette) whose machine seized on the Sulby straight and got into a wobble. His leg was slightly injured, and the machine damaged,
At the end of the 5th lap Woods still had a lead of 18 seconds, but a couple of good laps could wipe out that advantage. His pit signalled him to open up, and he replied to Hunt’s challenges with a lap of 28 min. 35 seconds, an average speed of 79.22 m.p.h.
By his record lap Woods had increased his lead to 19 seconds, and his pit again gave him the O.K. signal. Starting 7 minutes before his rival, he was at Ramsay while Hunt was at Kirktnichael, so there was no time to lose. Woods crossed at 2.31, and for a long seven minutes anxious spectators watched their stop watches. At last the Governor’s Bridge signal glowed, but just too late, and Hunt crossed the line seven seconds over his starting difference, second at a speed which would comfortably have won last year’s Junior.
Simpson had his usual misfortune, retiring at Ballaugh with engine trouble.
FuquaEms.
1. S. Woods (Norton), 3h. 23m. Os., MOS m.p.h. 2. P. Hunt (Norton), 3h. 23m. Ts., 78.03
3. J. Guthrie, (Norton), 3h. 26m. lifis., 78.59 m.p.h.
4. A. Mitchell (Velocette), 3h. 28m. 488., 75.91 m.p.h.
S. H. G. Tyrell-Smith (Velocette), 3h. 30m. 2s., 75.45 m.p.h.
6. G. Emery (Velocette), 3h. 30m. us., 75.41 m.p.h.
THE LIGHTWEIGHT RACE.
20 riders staxte.d in the 250 c.c. race, and as there was no team which showed an outstanding advantage, an exciting race was expected.
An unusual amount of trouble occurred in the first lap Barrow retired with engine trouble before Ramsey, Tattersall (C.T.S.) and Weatherby (New Imperial) were also delayed on that part of the course, while Banditti (Guzzi) came off at Creg ny Baa and broke his collar-bone. Meanwhile Handley had been pursuing his usual forcing tactics and gained first place, closely chased by Duncan and Gleave. 1ST LAP LEADERS,
m. S. 24.-W. L. Handley (Excelsior) 31 55 (70.95 m.p.h.) 1O.-J. G. Duncan (Cotton) 31 56 (70.91 m.p.h.) 16.-S. Gleave (Excelsior) 31 56 8.-C. J. P. Dodson (New Imperal) 32 19 (70.06 m.p.h.) 27.-S. H. Crabtree (Excelsior) 32 30 (69.67 m.p.h.) 11.-M. Ghersi (Guzzi) 32 34 (69.53 m.p.h.) 32 34 Only 2 seconds between the first three.,
and from the leader-board the second lap looked as though it would be as close.
The battle of the three leaders continued, but Gleave gained considerably coming down the Motmtain.
2xo LAP LEADERS.
h. m. s. 16.-$. Gleave (Excelsior) 1 3 13 (71.63 m.p.h.) 24.-W. L. Handley (Excelsior) 1 3 41 (71.11 in.p h ) 10.-J. 0. Duncan (Cotton) 1 3 13 (71.07 m.p.h.) 8.C. J. P. Dodson (New Imperial) 1 4 9 (71.59 in.p,h.) 27.–S. A. Crabtree (Excelsior) 1 4 19 (70.41 m.p.h.) 11.-P. 0hersi (Guzzi) 1 4 41 (70.02 m.p.h.)
The order in the third lap did not change, but Gleave increased his lap speed to 31-11, average speed for three laps 71.96 m.p.h. This was a slight increase on last year’s speed, but did not approach Handley’s record lap in 1932. Dodson then put in a lap at 31mins. 31 secs., and moved up two places. He lost two minutes in the fifth lap through
THE SENIOR RACE.
THE greater speed of the 500 c.c. machines and the powerful skill required to hold them on the winding Manx course always gives the third day’s ‘race a character all of its own. Last year Simpson put up a record lap of 81.5 m.p.h., but in practice for the present series of races he raised this to 82.33 m.p.h. No wonder, then, that the crowds round the course were of record size and a tense feeling of expectancy was abroad.
Simpson, the first of the Norton team, was No. 15, and set off at a great pace. Hunt lost ti minutes through difficulty in starting his machine. Stanley Woods started only a few seconds behind him, and Guthrie half a minute later.
Simpson picked up 10 places in his first lap and wa, only 5 seconds below the record, but Woods outdid this.
Simpson was doing his utmost to catch Woods. His terrific riding was in vain, for Woods increased his lead by another record lap, this time at 82.74 in.p.h.
The order in the third lap remained the same, but during the fourth lyrell Smith was delayed with engine tronble, and Mitchell, on a 350 c.c. machine, replaced him on the leader board. The 5th lap saw no slackening of the pace, but increasing wind on the mountain made further records unlikely. Woods filled up in the sixth lap in the remarkable time of 17 seconds, as against Simpson’s 37 seconds. Woods and Simpson maintained their terrific pace until the end with no change in order. A last minute surprise was the arrival of P. Hunt, who finished just over 2 minutes behind the first man, in spite of his 14
a crash, but on his sixth lap he was again second, and with the retirement of Duncan with engine trouble, Davenport appeared on the Leader Road. Handley crashed and was unable to continue. The day’s racing was marred by the death of Frank Longman, who crashed at Glentrammon. A veteran rider, his death was a great sock to the many who knew him. THE RESULT
h. hi. s. 1.-S. Cleave (Excelsior) 3 41 23 (Speed : 71.59 m.p.h.) 2.-C. J. P. Dodson (New Imperial) 3 43 43 (Speed : 70.84 m.p.h.) 3.-C. H. Menders (Rudge) 3 49 8 (Speed : 69.17 m.p.h.) 4.-L. H. Davenport (New Imperial) 3 49-40 5.-S. A. Crabtree (Excelsior) 3 51,33 6.-M. Ghersi (Guzzi) 3 52 46 7.-B. F. Mellors (New Imperial) 3 53 47 8.-L. G. Martin (Rudge) 3 53 49 9.-C. B. Taylor (O.K. Supreme) 3 58_45 11.-H. G. Tyre11-Smith (O.K. Supreme) 12.-Don Hall (O.K. Supreme) 4 2 17 13. I,. P. Hill (Rudge) 4 7 10 All the above receive Replicas 14.-W. Kitchen (Rudge) 4 15 25 15.-T. Spann (New Imperial) 4 26 35
minute delay at the start, and displaced Guthrie from third position.
THE RESULT.
Ii. nt. 14.
1.-S. Woods (Norton) 3 15 35 Speed : 81.04 m.p.h.
2.-J. H. Simpson (Norton) 3 17 7 Speed : 80.41 m.p.h.
3.-P. Hunt (Norton) 3 17 43 Speed : 80.16 m.p.h.
4.-J. Guthrie (Norton) 3 19 24 Sliced: 79.48 m.p.h.
5.-0. E. Nott (Rudge) 3 23 27 Speed : 77.91 m.p.h.
6.-A. G. Mitchell (Velocette) 3 28 10 Speed : 76.14 m.p.h. Other finishers were : 7.-J. G. Duncan (Cotton) 3 29 33 8.-S. Wood (Jawa) 3 30 15 9.-H. G. Tyrel Smith (Rudge) 3 30 22 10.-J . Williams (Norton) 3 32 32 11.-G. Emery (Sunbeam) 3 32 42 12.-T. Spann (Jawa) 3 38 40
The above receive Replicas.