ISLE OF MAN RACES.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 19391, 17 August 1928, Page 5

ISLE OF MAN RACES.

NO FOREIGN MACHINES. In this year's International Tourist Trophy motor-cycle races, held in the Isle of Man. there was not a single foreign machine contesting, which was something of.a triumph for the British motor-cycle manufacturers. Last year the supremacy of the British motorcycle was seriously challenged by Italian competitors, and a few years ago the foreign contingent used to be quite strong. This year's races were marked by bad weather and a notably large number of retirements. The failure of so many machines is not so remarkable when it is borne in mind that speeds continue to increase. The light-weight race, for machines with engines up to 250 c.c., was won at the speed of 62.9 m.p.h.—an improvement of 25 per cent, since the race was inaugurated seven years ago. In the case of the junior race, which is confined to machines with engines up to 350 c.c, the winner averaged 68.65 m.p.h., 1.46 m.p.h. faster than last year, 1.95 m.p.h faster than the year, before, and 3.5 m.p.h. faster than in the 1925 event. This points to the speed of the 350 c.c. motor-cycle—which is generally considered to be the most popular type having reached anything but finality. A noteworthy feature of the races was that not a single engine was supercharged—?the "blower" not yet having invaded the sphere of motor-cycle road racing, in spite of the very great amount of interest and large entries which the numerous motor-cycle "classics" attract. The popularity of the "one-lungers" doubtless accounts! for this. ' In the T.T. races a slight tendency towards the wider adoption of overhead camshafts was noticed, but it was significant that two manufacturers who had tried them in the past reverted to push-rod valve operation for this year's events. Overhead-camshaft engines, however, scored heavily in the junior race. In the light-weight race no, machines with overhead camshaft engines were entered, whilst in the senior race the machines which ran first, and second were of the singlecylinder pu6h-Tod-operated o.h.v. pattern. The water-cooled twin twostroke type of engine scored a notable come-back by finishing in third place.