The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle sport event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907, and is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world.
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of the twentieth century and large national events were often given the title Grand Prix, The foundation of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme as the international governing body for motorcycle sport in 1949 provided the opportunity to coordinate rules and regulations in order that selected events could count towards official World Championships. It is the oldest established motorsport world championship.
After his win in the 1949 Isle of Man Clubman event, Geoff Duke entered the 1950 Isle of Man TT only to find himself racing against formidable opposition in his first Senior TT, not only from his experienced Norton team mates, Artie Bell, Harold Daniell and Johnny Lockett, but also Les Graham on an AJS Porcupine, Reg Armstrong and Bob Foster on Velocettes. Geoff was wearing a new set of one-piece leathers and he beat them all, breaking both lap and race records in the Senior, and finishing second in the Junior TT. It was the beginning of a spectacular racing career for Geoff Duke.[2]
Geoffrey Ernest Duke was a British multiple motorcycle Grand Prix road racing world champion. Born in St. Helens, Lancashire, after retirement from competition he was a businessman based in the Isle of Man. He raced several brands of motorcycle: Norton, Gilera, BMW, NSU and Benelli.
Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival, an annual event traditionally held over the last week in May and the first week in June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festival that takes place on the Friday of race week with 'The Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars trophy' awarded to the winner.
Arthur James Bell was a British motorcycle road racer who became known for his short post-World War II Isle of Man TT career that came to notice with his second-place finish in the 1947 Isle of Man TT on a second-hand 500cc Norton he bought himself on which he led for three of the seven laps.
The Norton team had the new Featherbed frame on their racing bikes that had excellent handing characteristics. It was another Norton ridden by Artie Bell that won the Junior, with Norton occupying the first three places of the Senior and Junior races. The Lightweight TT went to the Italian bikes, with first and second being Dario Ambrosini on a Benelli, and Maurice Cann on a Moto Guzzi, respectively.
The featherbed frame was a motorcycle frame developed by the British Norton motorcycle company to improve the performance of their racing motorcycles around the twisting and demanding Isle of Man TT course in 1950. It was considered revolutionary at the time, and the best handling frame that a racer could have. Later adopted for Norton production motorcycles, it was also widely used by builders of custom hybrids such as the Triton, becoming legendary and remaining influential to this day.
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a Southern European country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean sea and traversed along its length by the Apennines, Italy has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. The country covers a total area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi), and land area of 294,140 km2 (113,570 sq mi), and shares open land borders with France, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino. Italy has a territorial exclave in Switzerland (Campione) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea (Lampedusa). With around 60 million inhabitants, Italy is the fourth-most populous member state of the European Union.
Established in 1911, Benelli is one of the oldest Italian motorcycle manufacturers. It once manufactured shotguns, although this part of the business is now a separate company.
As in 1949, four Clubman races were included in this year's festival; Clubman 1,000 cc, Clubman Senior, Clubman Junior and Clubman Lightweight.[3]
The BSA Gold Star is a motorcycle made by BSA from 1938 to 1963. They were 350 cc and 500 cc single-cylinder four-stroke production motorcycles known for being among the fastest bikes of the 1950s. Being hand built and with many optional performance modifications available, each motorcycle came from the factory with documented dynamometer test results, allowing the new owner to see the horsepower produced.
The 1949 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the first round of the Grand Prix World Championship that was held in the Isle of Man.
Robert Leslie (Les) Graham was a British motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1930s and 1940s. He won the inaugural Grand Prix motorcycle racing 500 cc World Championship in 1949.
Andrew James Guthrie was a Scottish motorcycle racer.
In the 1948 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy festival Harold Daniell, lap record holder since 1938, failed to finish the 1948 Senior TT on his Norton, and victory went to Norton team member, Artie Bell, the flying Ulsterman. Norton dominated, taking the first three places, losing fourth to Geoff Murdoch's AJS, and then filling the next four places. There were thirty three Nortons in a field of fifty six.
The 1947 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the first race festival since 1939 due to the interruption of World War II. With the restart of racing, the ACU decided to add three Clubman-class races for production machines in Lightweight, Junior and Senior categories, making the festival a six-race event. It held in 9-13 June.
Harold Daniell was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and auto racing driver. He competed in the 1940s and 1950s. On retiring from racing he owned a Norton motorcycle dealership in Forest Hill, London.
Robert MacGregor McIntyre was a Scottish motorcycle racer. The first rider to clock an average speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) on the Snaefell Mountain Course, Mcintyre is also remembered for his five motorcycle Grand Prix wins which included three wins at the Isle of Man TT Races, and four victories in the North West 200. McIntyre died nine days after injuries sustained racing at Oulton Park, Cheshire in August 1962.
The 1954 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the second race in the 1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and proved highly controversial for TT Course and race changes. The 1954 Junior TT was the first race where the official race distance was reduced from 7 laps to 5 laps. The 1954 Senior TT Race was stopped at half distance due to the weather conditions on the Mountain Section of the course.
Walter Leslie Handley born in Aston, Birmingham, known as Wal Handley, was a champion British inter-war motorcycle racer with four wins at the Isle of Man TT Races in his career. Later he also raced cars in the 1930s, and died in a World War II aircraft accident while serving as pilot with the Air Transport Auxiliary.
The 1952 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the start of Bob McIntyre's association with the Isle of Man, when he came second in the Junior Clubman TT that year. Irishman Reg Armstrong won his first Senior TT event as well as coming in second in the Junior TT race on a Norton. Armstrong, as a Norton works rider, was back-up to Geoff Duke who came first in the Junior race.
Manliffe Barrington Monkstown, County Dublin, was an Irish motorcycle racer famous for winning Isle of Man TT races twice in his career.
William Raymond Amm was a Rhodesian professional motorcycle racer known for two motorcycle Grand Prix wins and three wins at the Isle of Man TT Races in his career. After signing for the 1955 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season to ride for MV Agusta, Amm was killed in his first race for MV Agusta in Italy in 1955.
William Doran was an English professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He started racing in 1946, finishing in twenty-third position in his first Manx Grand Prix and placed second in the 1948 Senior TT race on private Nortons.
Conor Cummins is a Manx motorcycle road racer who rides extensively in British racing events, competing in the British Superstock Championship, as well as in specialist closed-road events at his home Isle of Man TT races and in Northern Ireland. He currently competes aboard a Honda CBR1000RR and a Honda CBR600RR. He was born during TT week in 1986, and became a professional rider in 2006. His father William 'Billy' Cummins contested the TT and Manx Grand Prix events and is still road racing.
The Superstock TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival. The event for production based motor-cycles racing on treaded road tyres is based on the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship specifications.
Denis Jack Robert Parkinson was an English Grand Prix motorcycle road racer of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and a founder member and President of the Wakefield and District Motor Sports Club, and won the 1947 Isle of Man TT Clubmans Junior TT on a 350cc Norton, and the 1953 Senior Manx Grand Prix.
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