TOURIST TROPHY RACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22166, 20 July 1935, Page 11 (Supplement)

TOURIST TROPHY RACE

THRILLS IN SENIOR EVENT STANLEY WOODS' BRILLIANCY Later details of the Senior Tourist Trophy motor-cycle race in the Isle of Mail, the results of which have already been published, show that the winner, Stanley Woods, achieved a most outstanding victory on his Guzzi Italian machine. Not only did lie score a sensational win, but his amazing riding on the mountainous circuit is said to have been an exhibition of skill and daring which is unrivalled. According to the report supplied, Woods made a Herculean elfort in the last lap. A. J. Guthrie, who had passed the finishing line at the head of the lield with an average speed of 84.65 m.p.h., was at first thought to be the winner. But, while Guthrie was beginning to deliver a broadcast message, to the astonishment of all Woods came homo at terrific speed and snatched tho honours from him.

In this epic race of 264 miles, seven laps of tho circuit, tho competitors arc started at lialf-minuto intervals and tho results are based upon the cross times of their journeys, including pitstops for refuelling and other contingent delays. Guthrie, of the Norton "stable," having won the race last

year, had the position of honour at the start, whereas Woods was the 30th contestant to be clocked out. and was 15 minutes behind him. Thanks to fine weather and the improved machines old records soon began to fall, and by the end of the second lap Woods had worked his way to second position, with Rusk third. The most difficult section of the course, Snaefell Mountain, was in good order, and there was no fog, .so that the leaders were able to keep up speeds which had never before been recorded. After travelling 226} miles Guthrie was almost half-a-minuto to the good, and it seemed that he had the trophy in his grasp. It was expected that before beginning his last lap Woods would stop at the pits for petrol, but, to the amazement of the officials, he flashed past the stands at 100 m.p.h., having elected to take the only chance which remained of beating the leader, although last year he suffered loss of place because of running out of fuel before the finish. It appears that for him it was neck or nothing, and he took dangerous hairpin bends in masterly style, and on the straights kept iip speeds well above 100 m.p.h. So* by such desperate efforts, he was able to claim the prize and se% a new record for the course, 84.68 m.p.h. Guthrie, on a Norton, ran him very close with 84.65 m.p.h., and Rusk was third at 83.53 m.p.h. Duncan, on another Norton, came fourth, and fifth and-sixth places were taken by German riders on N.S.TJ. machines. Prior, to this victory Woods had been prominent as a Norton rider, but it seems that he has unquestionably made the most brilliant exhibition of his career on the Italian cycle ivhich he rode in this year's race. That machine is radically different from those used by most other contestants, and has a "V," twincylinder engine mounted in a novel type of frame.