Day of Thrills in the Isle of Man Races

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18467, 4 August 1934, Page 9

Day of Thrills in the Isle of Man Races

DOUGLAS, 1.0. M., May 31. AFTER a struggle packed with drama from start to finish the first of tlie R.A.C. “round the houses” races — the Mannin Beg—was won by Norman Black, with C. J. P. Dodson second, and George Eyston third. M.G. M'agnettc cars actually filled the first five places. Freddy Dixon, the popular favorite, was leading for 45 of the 50 laps and then ran out of petrol two miles from the pits.

Norman Black was thus recompensed, in part at least, for the heavy blows of fate on a few nights before, when his! partner, Kayo Don, was hurt, and his friend and chief helper, Frank Taylor, was killed'. Black, dressed in black overalls, his car painted black, was within inches of disaster early in the race. As he was climbing the long slope from the first of the three difficult corners a black Manx cat jumped down from a garden wall and ran into the narrow r.oad right in the path of the car. Paralysed with fright by the noise, the cat stopped dead, but Black, with a mighty swerve, had just room to pass between it and the kerb. It was A good omen. ; i

driving steadily according to Ills pre-arranged' schedule, lie went on to win by nearly two minutes from the Jkst of the rival Magnetic team, but he would have been no more than second had not fate been as unkind to Dixon and his Riley as it was kind to Black.

All-Night Preparations. Dixon had had an even greater scramble than usual to get ready tor tho race. After working on his car for most of last night he was roused at 7 o’clock this morning with tho news that his mechanic, in tightening Up a cylinder-head nut, had pulled a piece out of the head cover, and they barely got the car to the start in time.

From the flag fall the thrills began. tY. L. Handley, ex-motor-cyclist., dashed into the lead' with his team mate, Eyston, next and Dixon third, in a wild rush for the first bend, where tho route turns sharply right uphill, with a sandbagged lamp-post in the centre ot the road. All got round safely, but on the next lap Handley approached the corner at an impossible speed, and skidded into the sandbags' with a thump which for him was the end of the race.

On the eighth lap Dixon managed to pass Eyston, and' for 37 laps he was never headed. Eyston had lo stop once at his pit for minor adjustments, and later put in the fastest lap of the day, at a speed of 741 miles an hour. Wit.li five laps only to go Dixon, driving apparently well within himself, had a lead of 2min. 2flsec. over Black, Eyston being third. Then Black came into view, with Dodson and Eyston following but no Dixon. He was reported first running slowly and then stopped on the back stretch. The petrol union to a carburettor had come loose, and' when he thought he had seven gallons of fuel to spare his tank was actually Qmpty. So Black was left with a clear run in.

Eight, of the 18 starters finished with four other cars still on their feet, it was a hotly-contested race.