1948 Isle of Man TT
Encyclopedia
In the 1948 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy
festival Harold Daniell
, lap record holder since 1938, failed to finish the 1948 Senior TT
on his Norton
, and victory went to Norton team member, Artie Bell
, the flying Ulsterman. Norton dominated, taking the first three places, losing fourth to Geoff Murdoch's AJS
, and then filling the next four places. There were thirty three Nortons in a field of fifty six.
Artie Bell also came third in the Junior TT
with Freddie Frith
taking the flag for first place, and A. R. (Bob) Foster coming second, both on Velocette
s. Maurice Cann won the Lightweight with his DOHC 250 cc Moto Guzzi
, followed by Roland Pike on a Rudge.
Three Clubman races were again included, for the second year, in the festival with the Clubman Senior race allowing entires of bikes up to 1,000 cc engine capacity.
Later in 1948, at the FICM
(later called FIM) meeting in London
, it was decided there would be a motorcycle
World Championship
along Grand Prix lines. It would be a six-race annual series with points being awarded for a placing, and a point for the fastest lap of each race. There would be four classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. In the past a Grand Prix had been an individual race. In 1949 for the first time, starting with the Isle of Man TT, a series of Grand Prix races would decide who would be the 1949 World Champion
.
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
festival Harold Daniell
Harold Daniell
Harold Daniell was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1940s and 1950s...
, lap record holder since 1938, failed to finish the 1948 Senior TT
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festival and takes place on the Friday of race week. The Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars...
on his Norton
Norton (motorcycle)
Norton is a British motorcycle marque, originally from Birmingham, founded in 1898 as a manufacturer of "fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade". By 1902, they had begun manufacturing motorcycles with bought-in engines. In 1908, a Norton-built engine was added to the range...
, and victory went to Norton team member, Artie Bell
Artie Bell
Arthur James Bell was an Irish motorcycle road racer became known for his short, yet brilliant, post-World War II Isle of Man TT career that came to notice with his second place finish in the 1947 Isle of Man TT on a second-hand 500cc Norton he bought himself on which he led for three of the seven...
, the flying Ulsterman. Norton dominated, taking the first three places, losing fourth to Geoff Murdoch's AJS
AJS
AJS was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the Wolverhampton, England, company A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records, and after the firm was sold the name continued to be used by Matchless, Associated Motorcycles and Norton-Villiers on...
, and then filling the next four places. There were thirty three Nortons in a field of fifty six.
Artie Bell also came third in the Junior TT
Junior TT
The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June...
with Freddie Frith
Freddie Frith
Frederick Lee "Freddie" Frith OBE was a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion. A former stonemason and motor-trader dealer was a stylish rider and five times winner of the Isle of Man TT...
taking the flag for first place, and A. R. (Bob) Foster coming second, both on Velocette
Velocette
Velocette is the name given to motorcycles that were made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling far fewer hand-built motorcycles than the giant BSA, Norton or Triumph concerns...
s. Maurice Cann won the Lightweight with his DOHC 250 cc Moto Guzzi
Moto Guzzi
Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It is one of seven brands owned by Piaggio.Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its central historic role in Italy's motorcycling manufacture, its prominence worldwide in motorcycle racing, and a series of...
, followed by Roland Pike on a Rudge.
Three Clubman races were again included, for the second year, in the festival with the Clubman Senior race allowing entires of bikes up to 1,000 cc engine capacity.
Later in 1948, at the FICM
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....
(later called FIM) meeting in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, it was decided there would be a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
World Championship
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
along Grand Prix lines. It would be a six-race annual series with points being awarded for a placing, and a point for the fastest lap of each race. There would be four classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. In the past a Grand Prix had been an individual race. In 1949 for the first time, starting with the Isle of Man TT, a series of Grand Prix races would decide who would be the 1949 World Champion
1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the inaugural F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of six Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 600cc...
.
Junior TT (350cc)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Freddie FrithFreddie Frith Frederick Lee "Freddie" Frith OBE was a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion. A former stonemason and motor-trader dealer was a stylish rider and five times winner of the Isle of Man TT... |
Velocette | 81.59 mph | 3:14.33.6 |
| 2 | Bob Foster Bob Foster (motorcyclist) Alfred Robert "Bob" Foster was a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.Foster's win on a unit-construction New Imperial in the 1936 Isle of Man TT was the last time that Great Britain won a Lightweight TT.... |
Velocette | 79.55 mph | 3:19.12.6 |
| 3 | Artie Bell Artie Bell Arthur James Bell was an Irish motorcycle road racer became known for his short, yet brilliant, post-World War II Isle of Man TT career that came to notice with his second place finish in the 1947 Isle of Man TT on a second-hand 500cc Norton he bought himself on which he led for three of the seven... |
Norton | 78.97 mph | 3:20.50.6 |
| 4 | Johnny Lockett Johnny Lockett Johnny Lockett was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1940s and 1950s.He competed in the 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season riding on a 500cc Norton bike and finished seventh overall with 13 points, 17 points behind fellow British rider and teammate... |
Norton | 78.80 mph | 3:21.06.8 |
| 5 | Maurice Cann Maurice Cann Maurice Cann was a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He entered his first Manx Grand Prix in 1931, and in 1938 competed in his first Isle of Man TT. Cann won the 1948 Lightweight TT aboard a Moto Guzzi. He competed from 1949 to 1952 in the Grand Prix world championships... |
AJS | 77.27 mph | 3:25.06.6 |
| 6 | Eric Briggs Eric Briggs Eric Briggs is a former professional boxer whose career started in 1972 and lasted up until 1999. The boxers he fought against were Fred Taufua, Lance Revill and Darryl Carrick etc. These days he runs the Briggs boxing gym at Atarau on New Zealand's West Coast.-References:... |
Norton | 77.13 mph | 3:25.27.6 |
| 7 | Leslie Graham Leslie Graham For the English footballer and manager see Leslie Graham Robert Leslie Graham DFC was a British motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1930s and 1940s... |
AJS | 76.97 mph | 3:25.54.2 |
| 8 | Eric Oliver Eric Oliver Eric Staines Oliver was an English motorcycle racer best remembered as four time FIM Sidecar World Champion, riding a Norton. His passenger in 1949 was Denis Jenkinson... |
Velocette | 76.94 mph | 3:25.58.8 |
| 9 | S M Miller |
Norton | 76.11 mph | 3:28.12.0 |
| 10 | Tommy McEwan |
AJS | 76.06 mph | 3:28.20.4 |
Lightweight TT (250cc)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maurice Cann |
Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It is one of seven brands owned by Piaggio.Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its central historic role in Italy's motorcycling manufacture, its prominence worldwide in motorcycle racing, and a series of... |
75.12 mph | 3:30:49.0 |
| 2 | Roland Pike |
Rudge | 71.85 mph | 3:40.33.2 |
| 3 | Doug St.J Beasley |
Excelsior | 67.68 mph | 3:54.09.0 |
| 4 | Ben Drinkwater Ben Drinkwater Reuben Thomas 'Ben' Drinkwater born Rochdale, Lancashire, England a railway signalman and motor-cycle racer who competed in the Isle of Man TT Races and the Manx Grand Prix.... |
Moto Guzzi | 66.6 mph | 3:57.56.2 |
| 5 | Ray Petty |
New Imperial New Imperial Motors Ltd New Imperial was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded by Norman Downes in Birmingham, between 1887 and 1901, and became New Imperial Motors Ltd in 1912, when serious production commenced. New Imperial made innovative motorcycles that employed unit construction and sprung heel frames long... |
66.26 mph | 3:59.11.0 |
| 6 | Jock McCredie |
Excelsior | 64.98 mph | 4:03:52.2 |
Clubmans Senior TT
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack D Daniells |
998 Vincent HRD Vincent Motorcycles Vincent Motorcycles was a British manufacturer of motorcycles from 1928 to 1955. Their 1948 Black Shadow was at the time the world's fastest production motorcycle... |
80.51 mph | 1.52.29.6 |
| 2 | F Phil Heath |
998 Vincent HRD | 79.58 mph | 1:53.49.0 |
| 3 | Cyril A Stevens |
490 Norton | 76.01 mph | 1:59.03.4 |
Clubmans Junior TT
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ronnie J Hazlehurst |
Velocette | 70.33 mph | 2.08.47.2 |
| 2 | G W Robinson |
AJS | 70.02 mph | 2:09.21.6 |
| 3 | Milton Sunderland |
Norton | 69.58 mph | 2:10.13.4 |
Clubmans Lightweight TT
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monty Lockwood |
Excelsior | 64.93 mph | 1.44.37.6 |
| 2 | Bill G Dehany |
Excelsior | 63.35 mph | 1:47.13.8 |
| 3 | Ron Carvill |
Triumph | 62.53 mph | 1:48.38.0 |
Senior TT (500cc)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artie Bell Artie Bell Arthur James Bell was an Irish motorcycle road racer became known for his short, yet brilliant, post-World War II Isle of Man TT career that came to notice with his second place finish in the 1947 Isle of Man TT on a second-hand 500cc Norton he bought himself on which he led for three of the seven... |
Norton Norton (motorcycle) Norton is a British motorcycle marque, originally from Birmingham, founded in 1898 as a manufacturer of "fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade". By 1902, they had begun manufacturing motorcycles with bought-in engines. In 1908, a Norton-built engine was added to the range... |
84.969 mph | 3:06.31.0 |
| 2 | Bill Doran Bill Doran (motorcyclist) William Doran was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His best season was in 1951 when he won the Dutch TT and finished the year second to Geoff Duke in the 350cc world championship. Doran won two Grand Prix races during his career. A crash during Thursday evening practice for the 1952 Isle of Man... |
Norton | 80.338 mph | 3:17.16.0 |
| 3 | Jock A Weddell |
Norton | 79.564 mph | 3:19:11.2 |
| 4 | Geoff G Murdoch |
AJS AJS AJS was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the Wolverhampton, England, company A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records, and after the firm was sold the name continued to be used by Matchless, Associated Motorcycles and Norton-Villiers on... |
78.513 mph | 3:21.51.2 |
| 5 | Noel Pope |
Norton | 78.039 mph | 3:23.04.8 |
| 6 | C W (Bill) Petch |
Norton | 77.806 mph | 3:23.41.2 |
| 7 | Henry Pinnington |
Norton | 77.343 mph | 3:24.54.6 |
| 8 | Jack Brett Jack Brett Jack Brett was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed from 1949 to 1960 in the Grand Prix world championship. He won his only world championship race in the 500cc class at the 1952 500cc Swiss Grand Prix, riding an AJS... |
Norton | 77.307 mph | 3:24.59.8 |
| 9 |  Omobono TenniOmobono Tenni Tommaso Omobono Tenni was an Italian motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed The Black Devil, he was a multiple Italian Motor Cycle champion, who raced to 47 victories for Moto Guzzi from 1933 till 1948, the year he died from an accident during practice for the Swiss GP.-Early years:Omobono Tenni was... |
Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It is one of seven brands owned by Piaggio.Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its central historic role in Italy's motorcycling manufacture, its prominence worldwide in motorcycle racing, and a series of... |
76.857 mph | 3:26.12.2 |
| 10 | Eric Oliver Eric Oliver Eric Staines Oliver was an English motorcycle racer best remembered as four time FIM Sidecar World Champion, riding a Norton. His passenger in 1949 was Denis Jenkinson... |
Velocette Velocette Velocette is the name given to motorcycles that were made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling far fewer hand-built motorcycles than the giant BSA, Norton or Triumph concerns... |
76.648 mph | 3:26.45.4 |