St. John's Short Course
Encyclopedia
The Short Course describes a road-racing circuit used for the Isle of Man TT
held between 1907
and 1910
. The Isle of Man TT races were run in a time-trial
format on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald
(the parliament of the Isle of Man).
The first motor-cycle race was held on 28 May 1907 over 10 laps of the Short Course of 15 miles 1,470 yards and was for road-legal touring motor-cycles with exhaust silencers, saddles, pedals and mud-guards.
The startline was situated in the village of St John's in the Isle of Man. The Short Course was based on a number of public roads on the Isle of Man including the primary A1 Douglas
to Peel road, A3 Castletown to Ramsey
road and the primary A4 Peel to Kirk Michael Coast Road. The highest point of the course is on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road at St John's Chapel situated on the Cronk-y-Voddy straight at 780 ft above sea level.54°14′27"N 4°36′23"W
an Act of Parliament placed a speed restriction of 20 mph on automobiles the Secretary of the Automobile Car Club of Britain and Ireland approached the authorities in the Isle of Man for the permission to race automobiles on public roads. The Highways (Light Locomotive) Act 1904 gave permission in the Isle of Man for the 52.15 mile Highlands Course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Trial.
For the 1905 Gordon Bennett Car event it was decided to run a trial for motor-cycles the day after for a team to represent Great Britain in the International Motor-Cycle Cup Races. An accident at Ramsey Hairpin
forced-out one of the pre-race favourites and the inability of the motor-cycle competitors to climb the steep Mountain Section of the course forced the organisers to use a 25 mile section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course. This ran from Douglas using the primary A5 Douglas to Port Erin road to Castletown. Then from Castletown to Ballacraine
using the A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road and returned to the start at the Quarterbridge
in Douglas via Crosby
and Glen Vine
along the current Snaefell Mountain Course
in the reverse direction using the A1 Douglas
to Peel road.
During the 1906 International Cup for Motor-Cycles held in Austria, the event was plagued by accusations of cheating and sharp practices. During a conversation on the train journey home between the Secretary of the Auto-Cycle Club, Freddie Straight, Charlie Collier
and Harry Collier
brothers of the Matchless
Motor-Cycles and the Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars lead to a suggestion for a race the following year for road touring motor-cycles based on the automobile races held in the Isle of Man on closed public roads. The new race was proposed by the Editor of "The Motor-Cycle" Magazine at the annual dinner of the Auto-Cycle Club held in London on 17 January 1907. It was proposed that the races would run in two classes with single-cylinder machines to average 90 mpg and twin-cylinder machines to average 75 mpg fuel consumption. To emphasise the road touring nature of the motor-cycles there were regulations for saddles, pedals, mudguards and exhaust silencers.
was the first of the Isle of Man TT races. The races took place on 28 May 1907 over the St John's Short Course. The race was ten laps of the 15 mile 1,430 yards course a total of 158 1/8. miles.
It was at 10 am on the Tuesday 28 May 1907 that 25 riders started in pairs in a time-trial format for the 1907 Isle of Man TT Race for road-legal touring motor-cycles with exhaust silencers, saddles, pedals and mud-guards. The race and the single cylinder-class was won by Charles R.Collier riding a Matchless
motor-cycle in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 8 seconds at an average race speed of 38.21 mph. His brother, Harry Collier also riding a Matchless motor-cycle had problems with an engine seziure on lap 2 and eventually retired on lap 9.
The 1907 Twin-Cylinder class and overall race was initially led by Rem Fowler
riding a Norton motor-cycle. The overall lead fell away as Rem Fowler suffered a number of problems with drive belts and sparking-plugs and on lap 7, crashed at nearly 60 mph at the "Devil's Elbow
" on the Kirk Michael to Peel section of the course when a tyre burst. Fowler nearly gave up, but was told by a spectator that he led the twin-cylinder class by 30 minutes from Billy Wells and went on to win at an average race speed of 36.22 mph and set the fastest lap of the race at 42.91 mph.
For the 1908 race the fuel consumption was raised to 100 mpg for single-cylinder machines and 80 mpg for twin-cylinder machines and the use of pedals was banned. The race was won by Jack Marshall
on a Triumph motor-cycle at an average speed of 40.49 mph. For the 1909 event the fuel consumption regulations was abandoned along with the use of exhaust silencers. The single-cylinder machines where limited to a capacity of 500cc and the twin-cylinder machines to a 750cc engine capacity. Due to the concern over increasing lap-speed, the 1910 event saw the capacity of the twin-cylinder machines reduced to 670cc. However, Harry Bowen riding a BAT twin-cylinder motor-cycle increased the lap record to an average speed of 53.15 mph, later crashing-out of the 1910 event on the wooden banking at Ballacraine
.
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...
held between 1907
1907 Isle of Man TT
The 1907 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the first of the Isle of Man TT races. The races took place on 28 May 1907 over the Short Course...
and 1910
1910 Isle of Man TT
The 1910 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races took place on the Short Course .-500cc Single & 670cc Twin Results Open Class final standings:Thursday 26 May 1910 – 10 laps St John's Short Course....
. The Isle of Man TT races were run in a time-trial
Time trial
In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...
format on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald
Act of Tynwald
An Act of Tynwald is a statute passed by Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man.-Structure:Acts of Tynwald are structured in a similar format to Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Commencement:...
(the parliament of the Isle of Man).
The first motor-cycle race was held on 28 May 1907 over 10 laps of the Short Course of 15 miles 1,470 yards and was for road-legal touring motor-cycles with exhaust silencers, saddles, pedals and mud-guards.
The startline was situated in the village of St John's in the Isle of Man. The Short Course was based on a number of public roads on the Isle of Man including the primary A1 Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
to Peel road, A3 Castletown to Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
road and the primary A4 Peel to Kirk Michael Coast Road. The highest point of the course is on the primary A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road at St John's Chapel situated on the Cronk-y-Voddy straight at 780 ft above sea level.54°14′27"N 4°36′23"W
History
Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with the Gordon Bennett Trial and were originally restricted to touring automobiles. As the Motor Car Act 1903Motor Car Act 1903
The Motor Car Act 1903 introduced registration of motor cars and licensing of drivers in the United Kingdom and increased the speed limit.-Context:...
an Act of Parliament placed a speed restriction of 20 mph on automobiles the Secretary of the Automobile Car Club of Britain and Ireland approached the authorities in the Isle of Man for the permission to race automobiles on public roads. The Highways (Light Locomotive) Act 1904 gave permission in the Isle of Man for the 52.15 mile Highlands Course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Trial.
For the 1905 Gordon Bennett Car event it was decided to run a trial for motor-cycles the day after for a team to represent Great Britain in the International Motor-Cycle Cup Races. An accident at Ramsey Hairpin
Ramsey Hairpin
Ramsey Hairpin is situated between the 24th Milestone and 25th Milestone road-side markers on the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT Races on the A18 Snaefell Mountain Road in the parish of Lezayre in the Isle of Man....
forced-out one of the pre-race favourites and the inability of the motor-cycle competitors to climb the steep Mountain Section of the course forced the organisers to use a 25 mile section of the Gordon Bennett Trial course. This ran from Douglas using the primary A5 Douglas to Port Erin road to Castletown. Then from Castletown to Ballacraine
Ballacraine
Ballacraine is situated between the 7th Milestone and 8th Milestone road-side markers on the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT Races on the junction of the primary A1 Douglas to Peel road and the A3 Castletown to Ramsey road in the parish of German in the Isle of Man.The road...
using the A3 Castletown to Ramsey Road and returned to the start at the Quarterbridge
Quarterbridge, Isle of Man
Quarterbridge is situated between the 1st Milestone and 2nd Milestone road-side marker on the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT Races on the junction of the primary A1 Douglas to Peel road, A2 Douglas to Ramsey and the A5 Douglas to Port Erin road which forms the boundary...
in Douglas via Crosby
Crosby, Isle of Man
Crosby is a small village 6 km west of Douglas, Isle of Man on the Isle of Man. It has a population of about 900. The River Dhoo flows through the village.-Village:...
and Glen Vine
Glen Vine
Glen Vine is a small village on the Isle of Man in the parish of Marown. The village is also is a point on the Isle of Man TT course.The Church of England parish church for Marown is St Runius church in Glen Vine...
along the current Snaefell Mountain Course
Snaefell mountain course
Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course is a road-racing circuit used for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix Races held in the Isle of Man from 1911 and 1923 respectively. The racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald...
in the reverse direction using the A1 Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
to Peel road.
During the 1906 International Cup for Motor-Cycles held in Austria, the event was plagued by accusations of cheating and sharp practices. During a conversation on the train journey home between the Secretary of the Auto-Cycle Club, Freddie Straight, Charlie Collier
Charlie Collier
Charles R. Collier Plumstead, London a British motorcycle racer famous for winning the Isle of Man TT races 2 times in his career. Along with his brother Harry Collier he raced Matchless motor-cycles manufactured by his father's company H.Collier & Sons...
and Harry Collier
Harry Collier
Harry Collier was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.-Playing career:Originally from Ivanhoe, Victoria, Collier played for the Collingwood Football Club, debuting in 1926...
brothers of the Matchless
Matchless
Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins...
Motor-Cycles and the Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars lead to a suggestion for a race the following year for road touring motor-cycles based on the automobile races held in the Isle of Man on closed public roads. The new race was proposed by the Editor of "The Motor-Cycle" Magazine at the annual dinner of the Auto-Cycle Club held in London on 17 January 1907. It was proposed that the races would run in two classes with single-cylinder machines to average 90 mpg and twin-cylinder machines to average 75 mpg fuel consumption. To emphasise the road touring nature of the motor-cycles there were regulations for saddles, pedals, mudguards and exhaust silencers.
First Race 1907
The 1907 Isle of Man Tourist TrophyIsle 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...
was the first of the Isle of Man TT races. The races took place on 28 May 1907 over the St John's Short Course. The race was ten laps of the 15 mile 1,430 yards course a total of 158 1/8. miles.
It was at 10 am on the Tuesday 28 May 1907 that 25 riders started in pairs in a time-trial format for the 1907 Isle of Man TT Race for road-legal touring motor-cycles with exhaust silencers, saddles, pedals and mud-guards. The race and the single cylinder-class was won by Charles R.Collier riding a Matchless
Matchless
Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins...
motor-cycle in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 8 seconds at an average race speed of 38.21 mph. His brother, Harry Collier also riding a Matchless motor-cycle had problems with an engine seziure on lap 2 and eventually retired on lap 9.
1907 Single Cylinder TT Race
Tuesday 28 May 1907 – 10 laps (158 ⅛ miles) – Short Course.| Rank | No | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 |  Charlie CollierCharlie Collier Charles R. Collier Plumstead, London a British motorcycle racer famous for winning the Isle of Man TT races 2 times in his career. Along with his brother Harry Collier he raced Matchless motor-cycles manufactured by his father's company H.Collier & Sons... |
3½ hp Matchless Matchless Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins... |
38.21 mph | 4:08.08.2 |
| 2 | 2 | Jack Marshall Jack Marshall Sir John Ross Marshall, GBE, CH, , generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. After spending twelve years as Deputy Prime Minister, he served as the 28th Prime Minister for most of 1972.... |
3½ hp Triumph | 36.60 mph | 4:19.47.3 |
| 3 | 1 | Frank Hulbert |
3½ hp Triumph | 35.50 mph | 4:27.49.4 |
The 1907 Twin-Cylinder class and overall race was initially led by Rem Fowler
Rem Fowler
Harry Rembrandt "Rem" Fowler was a British motorcycle racer famous for winning the twin-cylinder class of the 1907 Isle of Man TT Race .A toolmaker by trade, H...
riding a Norton motor-cycle. The overall lead fell away as Rem Fowler suffered a number of problems with drive belts and sparking-plugs and on lap 7, crashed at nearly 60 mph at the "Devil's Elbow
Devil's Elbow, Isle of Man
Devil's Elbow is a hairpin bend situated on the primary A4 Peel to Kirk Michael Coast Road in the parish of German in the Isle of Man.The A4 Coast Road follows the west coast of the Isle of Man and the Devil's Elbow hairpin intersects Glion Cam a small wooded glen and former quarry which are...
" on the Kirk Michael to Peel section of the course when a tyre burst. Fowler nearly gave up, but was told by a spectator that he led the twin-cylinder class by 30 minutes from Billy Wells and went on to win at an average race speed of 36.22 mph and set the fastest lap of the race at 42.91 mph.
1907 Twin-Cylinder TT Race
Tuesday 28 May 1907 – 10 laps (158 ⅛ miles) – Short Course.| Rank | No | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rem Fowler Rem Fowler Harry Rembrandt "Rem" Fowler was a British motorcycle racer famous for winning the twin-cylinder class of the 1907 Isle of Man TT Race .A toolmaker by trade, H... |
Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion... -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... |
36.21 mph | 4:21.52.8 | |
| 2 | W.H. 'Billy' Wells |
Vindec | 32.30 mph | 4:53.44.5 | |
| 3 | W.M.Heaton |
Rex | 30.50 mph | 5:11.03.5 |
For the 1908 race the fuel consumption was raised to 100 mpg for single-cylinder machines and 80 mpg for twin-cylinder machines and the use of pedals was banned. The race was won by Jack Marshall
Jack Marshall
Sir John Ross Marshall, GBE, CH, , generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. After spending twelve years as Deputy Prime Minister, he served as the 28th Prime Minister for most of 1972....
on a Triumph motor-cycle at an average speed of 40.49 mph. For the 1909 event the fuel consumption regulations was abandoned along with the use of exhaust silencers. The single-cylinder machines where limited to a capacity of 500cc and the twin-cylinder machines to a 750cc engine capacity. Due to the concern over increasing lap-speed, the 1910 event saw the capacity of the twin-cylinder machines reduced to 670cc. However, Harry Bowen riding a BAT twin-cylinder motor-cycle increased the lap record to an average speed of 53.15 mph, later crashing-out of the 1910 event on the wooden banking at Ballacraine
Ballacraine
Ballacraine is situated between the 7th Milestone and 8th Milestone road-side markers on the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT Races on the junction of the primary A1 Douglas to Peel road and the A3 Castletown to Ramsey road in the parish of German in the Isle of Man.The road...
.