Frederick James Walker

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frederick James Walker (1876 - 19 May 1914) Kingstown, Co Dublin, Ireland an Irish motorcycle racer who competed at the Isle of Man TT Races.

A hat manufacturer by trade, Frank Walker competed at the 1914 Isle of Man TT races and riding a Royal Enfield motorcycle in the Junior TT Race. After leading on the first lap, Frank Walker suffered tyre problems and eventually fell to 6th place. After regaining 3rd place by lap 5, Frank Walker ran wide at Hillberry Corner into a ditch and was thrown over the handle-bars. After regaining his motorcycle, Frank Walker continued on the last lap and again fell at Willaston Corner on Ballanard Road after locking both wheels under braking. Again continuing the short distance to the finish, his view of the finish-line was obscured by spectators who has spilled onto the road to watch the competitors cross the finish-line.^[1] Passing the Judges-Box at the finish-line, Frank Walker continued at full racing speed through St. Ninians Crossroads and collided with a wooden barrier in Ballaquayle Road and thrown from his motorcycle and taken to hospital where he died of his injuries.^[2] Later, Frank Walker was posthumously declared a third place finisher by the ACU race committee in the 1914 Junior TT race that was won by Eric Williams.

[edit] Sources

^ TT Guide 2003 - Motor-Cycle News EMAP Publication pp19
^ pp208 The Magic of The TT. A Century of Racing over The Mountain by Mac McDiarmid.(2004)(1st Ed). Haynes Publishing. ISBN 1-84425-002-4