Wal L Handley

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Walter Leslie Handley , (April 5, 1902 - November 15, 1941), was born in Aston, Birmingham, [1] and was a famous Inter-War motorcycle racer, that also raced cars, and died in WW II.

[edit] Motorcycle racing

[edit] OK-Supreme

He was the motorcycle messenger for the OK-Supreme factory, and in 1922 he rode an OK-Supreme in the first TT Lightweight race held at the Isle of Man TT. On his first ever lap of the Mountain Course, Handley turned right and started to ride the course in the wrong direction but was stopped by a Flag Marshall at Governor's Bridge.[2] [3] He set the fastest lap of 51.00 mph on an OK-Supreme even though he did not finish the race.[4]

In the 1923 Isle of Man TT he tried entering both the Lightweight and the Junior TT races, coming eighth in the Lightweight, but failing to finish in the Junior.

[edit] Rex-Acme

In 1922 the Rex and Acme motorcycle companies were amalgamated to form Rex-Acme. Walter Handley raced Rex-Acme motorcycles from 1924 to 1928, making them famous, and even became a company director, but left in 1928 to ride different machinery. Handley rode Rex-Acmes using the Blackburne 173 cc single, and, in the 1926 Senior TT, the Rex-Acme ohv 498 cc V twin. [5]

In 1924 he entered the Junior, Lightweight, and Super-Lightweight classes on Rex-Acme motorcycles, but failed to finish in any event. In the 1925 Isle of Man TT, entering the same races, and still riding for Rex-Acme, he won both the Junior and Super-Lightweight TT races, with a DNF in the Lightweight. That double win was the first time a rider had won two TT races in one week. [6] In 1926 he came second in the Senior TT, and third in the Junior TT, with a DNF in the Lightweight TT. In 1927 he came first in the Lightweight TT, with a DNF in the Junior TT. In 1928 his Senior and Lightweight entries both failed to finish.

[edit] A variety of machinery and accomplishments

In 1928 Motosacoche made a name in the Grand Prix, with the 350 M 35 ohc racing bike, built by Dougal Marchand, of England, ridden to two European championship titles, 350 and 500, by Walter Handley. [7]

For the 1929 Isle of Man TT he rode AJS motorcycles in the Senior and Junior, and an OK-Supreme in the Lightweight. He came second in the Junior on the AJS, and did not finish the other races.

He won the Senior Manx TT in 1930 on a Rudge, but on his last Rex-Acme ride, in the Lightweight he had a DNF. In 1931 he tried a Belgian FN in the Isle of Man Senior TT, but did not finish.

In 1932 he rode in the Senior, Junior, and Lightweight TT classes, a Rudge in each event, got second in the Lightweight, third in the Junior, and a DNF in the Senior. Handley's Corner on the Manx TT circuit was named after him. He crashed there on a Rudge in 1932.

In 1933 he rode a Velocette to seventh in the Junior, but his Excelsior failed to finish the Lightweight TT.

At the 1934 Isle of Man TT he rode a Norton in the Junior, but did not finish.[1]

An injury to a thumb caused by replacing a drive-chain at Sulby causes Wal Handley to withdraw from the 1935 TT Races.[8]

In 1937, Wal Handley lapped Brooklands at over 100 mph on a BSA Empire Star, and was awarded one of the traditional Gold Star pins for the feat. That inspired BSA to produce the BSA Gold Star model. [9]

[edit] Car Racing

He was also involved with car racing, driving Rileys. In 1931 he co-drove Freddie Dixon’s Riley at Brooklands in the 500 Miles race, but holed the crankcase.[10] In 1934 he co-drove a MG Magnette, but crashed on the banking when an axle bearing seized.[11] In the Brooklands 1934 International Trophy Race, Handley drove an MG Magnette well, until a back axle broke late in the race. [12]

He entered the 1933 Mannin Moar in an Alfa Romeo Monza 2.3 litre Straight-8, and in the 1934 Mannin Beg race he led for the first lap and retired on the second.[13] He also entered the 1935 Mannin Beg at the Isle of Man.[1]

Handley and Pat Driscoll entered a 2 litre Riley in the first ever GP road race held in Britain at Donington Park , October 5 1935, but only completed five laps of the 120 lap, 492.8 km race.[14]

He had a bad crash at the 1936 British Empire Trophy after taking over Freddie Dixon’s third placed Riley and broke an arm. [1]

[edit] World War II

He was killed, serving with the Air Transport Auxiliary as a pilot, at Kirkbampton, Cumberland 1941. [1] The aircraft involved was a Bell P-39 Airacobra which crashed on take-off.[15]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e [1] Kolumbus.fi Walter Leslie Handley (Retrieved December 10 2006)
  2. ^ "The Keig Collection: six hundred photographs from the Manx House of Keig of T.T. riders and their machines from 1911 to 1939", vol 1, pp36, Author: Keig, Stanley Robertson, Published: Bruce Main-Smith & Co 1975, ISBN 0904365050
  3. ^ ACU 1968 Isle of Man TT Race Guide
  4. ^ [2] 1922 250cc Lightweight Isle of Man TT results (retrieved 9 October 2006)
  5. ^ [3] BMCT.org The Machines (Retrieved December 10 2006)
  6. ^ [4] IOM TT Wal Handley (Retrieved December 10 2006)
  7. ^ [5]Krackowizer Motorcycle Histories (Retrieved 22 October 2006)
  8. ^ Isle of Man Weekly Times, Date: 8th June 1935
  9. ^ [6] RoadRacerX.com Sidebar Fact (Retrieved December 10 2006)
  10. ^ [7]BrooklandsTrack.co.uk 1931 500 miles race (Retrieved December 10 2006)
  11. ^ [8]BrooklandsTrack.co.uk 1934 500 miles race (Retrieved December 10 2006)
  12. ^ [9] BrooklandsTrack.co.uk 1934 International Trophy (Retrieved December 10 2006)
  13. ^ [10]TripleMRegister.org 1934 Mannin Beg (Retrieved December 10 2006)
  14. ^ [11] Kolumbis.fi 1935 Grand Prix season (Retrieved December 15 2006)
  15. ^ Title: The Magic of the TT, Author: Mac McDiarmid, Publisher: Haynes Group (Aug 2004) ISBN 1844250024
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