German Motor-Cycle Ace

Northern Advocate, 29 July 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

German Motor-Cycle Ace

The success of Germany’s motorcycling ace, G. Meier, fn the British "Senior” Tourist Trophy race was not unexpected for it was realised that his supercharged two-stroke twin-engined “8.M.W.” was a particularly fast machine, and in the absence of an official "Norton” team in this year'a “Senior,” the German champion, barring accidents, looked the logical winner. Meier, by his success, made history, for it is the first occasion that

a foreign rider and machine has won this classic event. Meier’s average speed was 89.38 m.p.h.—a record for the 2G4 miles Isle of Man “T.T.” From the word “go,” Meier set a terrific pace, reeling off his first circuit (37;; miles) in 25mm 4sec from a standing start. Riding brilliantly and consistently, the German crack then lapped in 24rnin 57sec, 25mm 4sec, 25 min 4Gsec (.which included a stop of 17soc at his pit for petrol) and 25miu 14sec. How fast these twisty, hilly, bumpy circuits were negotiated, is shown by the fact that the record lap for the course is 24min 52 3-ssec—--90.75 m.p.h.

Meier, by these fast circuits, established a commanding lead that ensured his success, and he ran home a comfortable winner by just on 2i minutes from an English rider in J. West (.8.M.W.-Dunlop), who averaged 88.22 m.p.h. There was a great struggle fox third place between Stanley Woods (Velocette-Dunlop) and F. L. Frith (Norlon-Dunlop). At the start of the last lap. Woods led Frit.i, but, the latter gained 22 seconds during the circuit and beat Woods home by six seconds.

Although Meier established a record for the "Senior.” by covering the 2C4 miles in 2hrs 57min, he failed to better H. L. Daniell’s remarkable lap of 24min 52 2-3 sec, recorded during the final circuit ox last year's "Senior,” when that rider USiorton-Dunlop) won the classic from Stanley Woods by 15 sec, and averaged 89.11 m.p.h. This year, Darnell had the misfortune to have machine trouble which caused his retirement.

G. Meier, who is a lieutenant in the German Army, has had a particularly successful racing career on the Continent. Last August, he won the European Grand Frix from H. Daniell. Meier’s average being 82. G m.p.h. and Daniell’s 85.4 m.p.h. It Is likely that Meier will, in the near future join up with the famous German Auto-Union car racing team.

Mr D. T. Fitzgerald (Wellington) and Mr O. B. McMahon, who worked their passages from New Zealand tc England, have brought a second-hand motor-cycle with which to tour and a couple of sleeping bags in which to camp by the roadside, state's “The Post’s” London correspondent. After seeing Great Britain they hope to go on to the Continent.