1921 Isle of Man TT

1921 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy
Date	June 14 and 16, 1921
Location	Douglas, Isle of Man
Course	Snaefell Mountain Course ; 37.75 miles (60.75 km)
Organiser	Auto-Cycle Union
Clerk	T.W. Loughborough
Junior TT
First	Eric Williams, AJS
Second	Howard R Davies, AJS
Third	Tom Sheard, AJS
Fastest lap
	Howard Davies ; 41min. 4sec. 55.15 mph New record
Lightweight class
First	Doug Prentice, New Imperial-JAP
Second	Geoff Davison, Levis
Third	W.G. Harrison, Velocette
Senior TT
First	Howard R Davies, AJS 349cc
Second	Freddie Dixon, Indian
Third	Bert le Vack, Indian
Fastest lap
	Freddie Edmond ; 40min. 8sec. 56.40 mph New record

Last updated July 08, 2023

The 1921 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Junior 350 cc race took place on Tuesday 14 June and the Senior 500 cc was on Thursday 16 June.

In this year AJS redeemed themselves by completing a hat trick, taking the first four places for a total of six of the top ten places in the Junior 350 cc race. Works teams boosted the entries to 133 riders and machines and amongst the thousands of spectators was Stanley Woods, making his first visit to the island as a young man, who would later return to make TT history by winning 10 times.^[1]

The Junior race speeds also rose considerably over the previous year with a lap speed of more than 50 mph (80 km/h). It had been suggested that sidecar racing could start in 1921 but this idea was not well received and not implemented until 1923.^[1] It was announced there was a possibility of moving the TT races to Belgium for 1922 but the Auto-Cycle Union never made the switch.^[2]

Despite AJS motorcycles filling the first five places of the Junior race, it was punctures that decided the race outcome. The eventual winner of the 1921 Junior TT Race was Eric Williams riding an AJS in 3 hours, 37 minutes and 23 seconds, an average race speed of 52.10 mph (83.85 km/h). The race was initially led by Howard R Davies also riding for AJS who set a new lap record for the Junior race of 41 minutes and 4 seconds, an average speed of 55.15 mph (88.76 km/h). Time lost by Howard Davies mending a puncture at Windy Corner gave the lead to Jim Whalley riding a Massey-Arran motorcycle. On the last lap Whalley also punctured at Windy Corner and finished the Junior race in fifth place. New Imperial made sales-boosting news with a win in the Lightweight 250 cc class by rider Doug Prentice, coming tenth overall in the 350 cc Junior race.^[1]^[3]

More drama was to follow in the Senior event as the race-lead changed every lap between Alec Bennett riding a Sunbeam, Freddie W.Dixon riding an Indian, and Freddie Edmond riding a Triumph who set a new lap record of 40 minutes and 8 seconds, an average speed of 56.40 mph (90.77 km/h). The Senior race was eventually won by Howard Davies riding a 350 cc Junior race motorcycle, by a margin of 2 minutes and 3 seconds from Freddie Dixon and Bert Le Vack in 4 hours, 9 minutes and 22 seconds, at an average race speed of 54.49 mph (87.69 km/h).

Race results

Junior TT 350cc

Held on Tuesday, June 14, at 9:30 am over a distance of 188.75 miles (5 laps of 37.75 miles each), limited to machines of cylinder capacity not exceeding 350cc., with a class for 250 cc. engines run concurrently for The Motor Cycle cup.^[4] All 65 entries started the race (43 in 350cc class, 22 in 250cc class), comprising 33 four-stroke singles, 22 two-stroke singles, 7 Flat Twins and 3 V Twin, thirty-eight finished (25 in 350cc class, 13 in 250cc class).

The 10th International Isle of Man Tourist Trophy^[5]

Pos	#	Rider	Bike	Cyl.	Junior TT and Lightweight class race classification
Pos	#	Rider	Bike	Cyl.	Laps	Time	Speed	Prizes & Remarks
1	52	Eric Williams	2¾ hp AJS 349cc	1	5	3.37.23	52.21 mph	1st Prize - Winner of Junior Tourist Trophy, £40 and gold medal.
2	59	Howard R Davies	2¾ hp AJS 349cc	1	5	3.41.10	51.15 mph	2nd Prize - £20 and gold medal.
3	59	Tom Sheard	2¾ hp AJS 349cc	1	5	3.49.09	49.45 mph	3rd Prize - £10 and gold medal.
4	32	George Kelly	2¾ hp AJS 349cc	1	5	3.49.22	49.40 mph	Gold medal.
5	23	Jim Whalley	2¾ hp Massey-Arran 348cc	1	5	3.52.39	48.70 mph	Gold medal.
6	57	Ossie Wade	2¾ hp AJS 349cc	1	5	3.59.02	47.40 mph	Gold medal.
7	48	W. Howarth	2¾ hp DOT 346cc	1	5	4.05.14	46.25 mph	Gold medal.
8	38	Harry Harris	2¾ hp AJS 349cc	1	5	4.10.09	45.30 mph
9	39	R. Carey	2¾ hp Blackburne 348cc	1	5	4.12.14	44.90 mph
10	24	Doug Prentice	2¼ hp New Imperial (249 cc JAP)	1	5	4.12.37	44.80 mph	1st in Lightweight class - Winner of The Motor Cycle Trophy and a gold medal.
Fastest lap: Howard Davies, 41min. 4sec. 55.15 mph (New record)^[5]

Senior TT

Held on Thursday, June 16, at 9:30 am over a distance of 226.50 miles (6 laps of 37.75 miles each), limited to machines of cylinder capacity not exceeding 500cc.^[5] Out of 68 entries, comprising 52 four-stroke singles, 9 four-stroke twins, 6 two-stroke twins and 1 two-stroke single, sixty-four started the race and twenty-four finished.

The 10th International Isle of Man Tourist Trophy^[5]

Pos	#	Rider	Bike	Cyl.	Senior TT race classification
Pos	#	Rider	Bike	Cyl.	Laps	Time	Speed	Prizes & Remarks
1	2	Howard R. Davies	2¾ hp AJS 349cc	1	6	4.09.22	54.49 mph	1st Prize - Winner of Senior Tourist Trophy, £50 and gold medal.
2	65	Freddie Dixon	3½ hp Indian 498.8cc	1	6	4.11.35	54.02 mph	2nd Prize - £25 and gold medal.
3	32	Bert le Vack	3½ hp Indian 498.8cc	1	6	4.12.06	53.91 mph	3rd Prize - £15 and gold medal.
4	9	Alec Bennett	3½ hp Sunbeam 499cc	1	6	4.14.11	53.47 mph	Gold medal.
5	60	Jack Watson-Bourne	3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc	1	6	4.18.55	52.49 mph	Gold medal.
6	62	Leslie Mitchell	3½ hp Norton 490cc	1	6	4.24.04	51.46 mph	Gold medal.
7	48	Freddie Edmond	3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc	1	6	4.24.06	51.46 mph	Gold medal.
8	67	George Dance	3½ hp Sunbeam 499cc	1	6	4.24.25		Gold medal. Rode last 4 laps on top gear with a broken gearbox^[6]
9	61	Tom Sheard	3½ hp Sunbeam 499cc	1	6	4.26.42		Gold medal.
10	14	Frank Townshend	3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc	1	6	4.27.51		Gold medal.
11	34	Douggie Alexander	3½ hp Norton 490cc	1	6	4.29.30		Gold medal.
12	44	Billie Hollowell	3½ hp Norton 490cc	1	6	4.30.18		Gold medal. 1st Private entry.
13	52	Walter Brandish, Junr.	3½ hp Rover 499cc	1	6	4.30.36		Gold medal.
14	59	Harry Harris	2¾ hp AJS 349cc	1	6	4.30.53		Gold medal.
15	51	Noel Brown	3½ hp Indian 498.8cc	1	6	4.34.00		Gold medal.
16	29	George Shemans	3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc	1	6	4.34.14		Gold medal.
17	28	R.W. Stanfield	3½ hp Scott 486cc	2	6	4.39.04		1st Twin-cylinder.
18	54	Ray Braid	3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc	1	6	4.43.44
19	27	M.H. Edmunds	3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc	1	6	4.50.15
20	45	Norman Black	3½ hp Douglas 494cc	2	6	4.52.21
21	21	George Strange	3½ hp James 496cc	2	6	5.00.20
22	15	J.W. Moffat	3½ hp Scott 486cc	2	6	5.04.41
23	17	Vivian Olsson	3½ hp Sunbeam 499cc	1	6	5.21.33
24	6	Albert Milner	3½ hp Sunbeam 499cc	1	6	5.27.08
Fastest lap: Freddie Edmond, 40min. 8sec. 56.40 mph (New record)^[5]

Related Research Articles

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References

1 2 3 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 18 February 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) IOM TT The Mountain Circuit (retrieved 20 August 2006)
↑ Archived 30 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine Steam-Packet 2006 Manx GP (retrieved 20 August 2006)
↑ "Welcome to the official New Imperial Owners Association website". Archived from the original on 10 October 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2006. New Imperial Owners Association History (retrieved 16 October 2006)
↑ The Motor Cycle page 723, 9 June 1921
1 2 3 4 5 The Motor Cycle page 803, 23 June 1921
↑ The Isle of Man Examiner page 5, 26 May 1922

External links

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[IOM-1] 1 2 3 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 18 February 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) IOM TT The Mountain Circuit (retrieved 20 August 2006)

[2] Archived 30 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine Steam-Packet 2006 Manx GP (retrieved 20 August 2006)

[club-3] "Welcome to the official New Imperial Owners Association website". Archived from the original on 10 October 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2006. New Imperial Owners Association History (retrieved 16 October 2006)

[4] The Motor Cycle page 723, 9 June 1921

[The_Motor_Cycle'_page_803,_23-5] 1 2 3 4 5 The Motor Cycle page 803, 23 June 1921

[6] The Isle of Man Examiner page 5, 26 May 1922

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v t e Isle of Man TT
St John's Short Course	1907 1908 1909 1910
Mountain Course	1911 1912 1913 1914 World War I 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 World War II 1947 1948
FIM Grand Prix World Championship	1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976
Isle of Man TT Festival	1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 ~~2001~~ 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 ~~2020–2021~~ 2022 2023
Classes: Senior TT Junior TT Superbike TT Superstock TT Lightweight TT Sidecar TT TT Zero Ultra-Lightweight TT TTXGP