TOURIST TROPHY RACES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 172, 23 July 1929, Page 17

TOURIST TROPHY RACES.

The world's classic motor cycle road speed carnival for the Tourist Trophy was held recently on the Jsle of Man, which is a few hours' steamship trip oil' the coast of England. _Tho results of the three races which comprise the series are always awaited with interest by those who follow the development of the motor cycle. The junior race for machines of up to 350 c.c. consisted of seven lays of the,circuit —each lap being 37£ miles—a total distance of 264,] miles. This event was won by P. O. Hicks, riding a Velocette, who broke all records for the course by covering the distance in 3h 47m 235, averaging 00.71 m.p.h., and establishing a new lap record at an average speed of 70.0,') m.p.h.; W. L. Handley (A.J.S.), who finished second was only 34 seconds behind the winner, and put in a wonderful spurt in an endeavour to overtake Hicks, streaking past the grandstand at 99 miles an hour. Alex Bennett who won this event last year—and established a lap record of 70.2S miles per hour—finished third. In last year's race Bennett's time was 3h 50m '525, and his average speed GB.CS miles per hour. The second T.T. race, a light-weight class (under 250 c.c.) resulted as follows: L. A. Crabtrec (Excelsior), first; K. Tremlow (Dot), second, and P. A. Longman (O. K. Supreme), who won this event last year, third'. Pictro Ghersi of Italy, riding a Gussi, did the fastest lap (372 miles) at an average' speed of 66.2 miles per hour, and bettering the lap record of 64.0 miles per hour established by Longman last year. This is a wonderfully good performance for a light machine. The Senior T.T. considered the premier event of motor cycling is the final of the series. Forty-seven competitors started in this event which resulted in a victory for C. J. P. Dodson (Sunbeam), who won the same race last year. His time was 3h 39m 595, and he attained the record average speed of 72.05 miles an hour. Alex Bennett (Sunbeam) was second in 3h... 44m 475, with H. Tyrell Smith (Rudge) third, in 3h 45m 375. Art Simeock, the Australian rider, Avas a member of the Sunbeam team that, for the second year in succession carried off the senior team prize. Simeock is the first Australian to have completed the full course of this severe contest. Only those Australians who have been fortunate enough to witness these events can have any conception of what remarkable races they are. The pluck and skill of the riders,/their astounding cornering and the wonderful organisation are unequalled in any other event 'of a similar nature held in the world. The speed at whitfi the riders take the hairpin and other corners is almost unbelievable and the writer has witnessed 40 to 50 riders—mostly in Indian-file—but sometimes in twos and three, descend' a long incline at from 80 to 90 miles an hour, and take a turn around a telegraph post with hardly any perceptible slacking of speed; each rider only missing the post with his elbow by inches. The certainty With which each competitor approached and skimmed past that telegraph post was indeed an object lesson of devilish cool and skilful riding. Much of the 37 miles circuit is only a narrow road bordered on both sides by ugly looking walls built of .stones. That so few serious accidents have occurred on

this hilly and circuitous course is indeed a tribute to the men and the machines they ride. One of the most astonishing things about this wonderful race is that, although the circuit u- *0 tricky, the speed averages attained are increasing year by year, thus demonstrating that the knowledge and experience gained by the makers of the machines taking part in these race** ha<s a beneficial effect on the power, acceleration and braking of their later models. Great interest is taken in England over the races and many special trains and steamships are chartered to take care of the big crowd of spectators who make the trip to the Isle of Man from all parts of England, Scotland and Ireland to witness"the blue riband events. A feature of the organisation, associated with the promotion and running of the races is the elaborate system of posting the progress of every contestant in the large fields that start in each race. A most elaborate scoring board ha* been erected opposite the grandstand at the starting and finishing po«it. Thts board is linked up with telephone stations at many points around the 'M miles circuit, thus' enabling the -staff that manipulates the scoring board to acquaint the big •crowd of 'spectators with the progress made by each rider,- as he advances around the cour.se. A large map of the circuit is displayed above the. board, on which, the cheeking stations at various points are marked.