1954 Isle of Man TT

  1954 Isle of Man TT Races
Race details
Race No 2 of 9 races in the
1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.
Date 10–18 June 1954
Location Douglas, Isle of Man
Course Road Course
37.73 mi / 60.20 km
Senior TT 500cc
Pole Position Fastest Lap
2. Geoff Duke 3. Ray Amm
95.97 mph 89.82 mph
Podium
1. Ray Amm
2. Geoff Duke 3. Jack Brett
Junior TT 350 cc
Pole Position Fastest Lap
2. Fergus Anderson 3. Rod Coleman
91.63 mph 91.51 mph
Podium
1. Rod Coleman
2. Derek Farrant 3. Bob Keeler
Lightweight 250 cc
Pole Position Fastest Lap
2. Werner Haas 3. Werner Haas
90.69 mph 91.22 mph
Podium
1. Werner Haas
2. Rupert Hollaus 3. Reg Armstrong

The 1954 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the second race in the 1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and proved highly controversial for course and race changes. The 1954 Junior TT was the first race where the official race distance was reduced from 7 laps to 5 laps. The 1954 Senior TT Race was stopped at half distance due to the weather conditions on the Mountain Section of the course.

The first world championship event for the 1954 Isle of Man TT Races was the 350cc Junior TT Race. The race was led on lap 1 by Fergus Anderson from Gilera team-mate Ken Kavanagh by 10 seconds and Ray Amm riding for Norton a further 6 seconds adrift in 3rd place. On lap 2, Fergus Anderson retires at Kirk Michael with an engine problem and Ken Kavanagh retires at the pits with an engine mis-fire on lap 3. The race is now led by Ray Amm by 24 seconds from Rod Coleman riding for AJS motor-cycles. However, Ray Amm retires at Barregarrow on lap 5 allowing Rod Coleman to become the first New Zealander[1] to win an Isle of Man TT Race at an average race speed of 91.54 mpg.

The new 10 lap (107.90 miles) Side-Car TT held on the Clypse Course is led from start to finish by Eric Oliver and passenger Les Nutt riding a Norton side-car outfit with a "dust-bin"[2] fairing at an average speed of 68.87 mph. The Norton outfit of Bill Boddice/J.Pirie hits a bank at Creg-ny-Baa and flips-over on lap 7, but continues on to finish the race in 6th place.[3] The winner of the 1954 Lightweight TT race, Werner Haas crashed at Governor's Bridge on lap 1 of the 1954 Ultra-Lightweight TT Race, also held on the Clypse Course.[3] This allowed Rupert Hollaus to win the race in 1 hour, 33 minutes and 3.4 seconds at an average race speed of 69.57 mph.

In deteriorating weather conditions and with reduced visibility on the Mountain Section of the course the 1954 Senior TT Race is held after a short delay and starts at mid-day. Despite the conditions, Geoff Duke riding the works Gilera sets a time of 25 minutes and 41 seconds an average speed of 81.18 mph and leads Ray Amm riding for Norton by 14 seconds on lap 1.[4] On the second lap, Geoff Duke laps in 26 minutes and 23 seconds at an average speed of 86.97 mph and Ray Amm laps at an average speed of 86.49 to reduce the lead to just 2 seconds.[5] Further heavy rain and low cloud on the Mountain Section reduces speed further and the conditions cause 'John Grace' and Ted Frend to retire at the TT Grandstand on lap 2 and Ray Amm uses "feet-down"[3] tactics on the slower corners. The leader, Geoff Duke decides to refuel on lap 3. Ray Amm in second place goes straight through without stopping and laps in 25 minutes and 28 seconds at an average speed of 88.93 mph and now leads Geoff Duke by 32 seconds.[5] At the Windy Corner on lap 4, the visibility is down to 20 yards and a decision is made to stop the race because of the conditions. This allows Ray Amm, due to refuel at the TT Grandstand on lap 4, to win the 1954 Senior TT Race in 1 hour, 42 minutes and 46.8 seconds at an average race speed of 88.12 mph. The controversial decision by race organisers to stop the 1954 Senior TT Race on lap 4, just as the weather started to improve, was protested by the Gilera management.[5] This was on the grounds that the works Norton team were told of the decision allowing Ray Amm to lead the race on lap 3, but the official protest was rejected by the race organisers.[6] During lap 1 of the 1954 Senior TT Race, Simon E. Sandys-Winsch riding a Junior Velocette crashed at the Highlander and died in hospital a few days later.[3]

Contents

Race results

1954 Clubmans Senior Results

10 June 1954 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)

Rank Rider Team Speed Time
1 Alistair King BSA 85.76 mph 1:45.36.0
2 J Ben Denton BSA 85.69 mph 1:45.41.6
3 Ewan Haldane BSA 85.26 mph 1:46.12.2
4 Tony A Ovens Triumph 84.47 mph 1:46.42.2
5 M R Baigent BSA 84.74 mph 1:46.51.8
6 Percy Tait BSA 84.58 mph 1:47.05.0
7 Dave Chadwick Norton 83.20 mph 1:47.05.0
8 Eric Cheers Triumph 76.53 mph 1:58.20.0
9 Len R King Triumph 82.92 mph 1:50.17.2
10 Eddie Dow BSA 81.40 mph 1:50.33.0

1954 Clubmans Junior Results

10 June 1954 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)

Rank Rider Team Speed Time
1 Phillip Palmer BSA 81.83 mph 1:50.39.4
2 Des A Wright BSA 81.68 mph 1:51.50.8
3 Jimmy W Davie BSA 81.66 mph 1:50.54.4
4 A Sandy Bowie BSA 81.56 mph 1:51.06.0
5 Geoff Tanner Norton 81.54 mph 1:51.04.0
6 George E Arnold BSA 81.20 mph 1:51.30.8
7 Jimmy Buchan BSA 80.75 mph 1:52.08.6
8 Willie Gibson BSA 80.05 mph 1:53.08.0
9 J Muir Norton 79.70 mph 1:53.08.0
10 Bill Robertson BSA 78.37 mph 1:55.33.0

1954 Isle of Man Junior TT 350cc final standings

14 June 1954 – 5 Laps (188.56 Miles) Mountain Course.

Place Rider Number Country Machine Speed Time Points
1 Rod Coleman New Zealand AJS 91.51 mph 2:03.41.8 8
2 Derek Farrant Britain AJS 90.14 mph 2:05.35.0 6
3 Bob Keeler Britain Norton 90.03 mph 2:04.43.6 4
4 Leo T Simpson New Zealand AJS 89.17 mph 2:06.58.8 3
5 Peter A Davey Britain Norton 88.13 mph 2:08.26.4 2
6 John R Clark Britain AJS 90.49 mph 2:08.26.4 1

1954 Isle of Man Lightweight TT 250cc final standings

14 June 1954 – 3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.

Place Rider Number Country Machine Speed Time Points
1 Werner Haas Germany NSU 90.88 mph 1:14.44.4 8
2 Rupert Hollaus Austria NSU 89.99 mph 1:15.28.6 6
3 Reg Armstrong Britain NSU 89.92 mph 1:15.31.8 4
4 Hermann Paul Müller Germany NSU 88.87 mph 1:16.25.6 3
5 Fergus Anderson Britain Moto Guzzi 86.48 mph 1:18.32.2 2
6 Hans Baltisberger Germany NSU 86.46 mph 1:18.33.6 1

1954 Isle of Man Ultra-Lightweight TT 125cc final standings

16 June 1954 – 10 Laps (107.90 miles) Clypse Course.

Place Rider Number Country Machine Speed Time Points
1 Rupert Hollaus Austria NSU 69.57 mph 1:33.03.4 8
2 Carlo Ubbiali Italy MV Agusta 69.52 mph 1:37.07.4 6
3 Cecil Sandford Britain MV Agusta 66.35 mph 1:37.35.8 4
4 Hans Baltisberger Germany NSU 65.78 mph 1:38.25.2 3
5 Ivor Lloyd Canada MV Agusta 62.68 mph 1:43.16.6 2
6 Brian Purslow Britain MV Agusta 60.84 mph 1:46.24.6 1

1954 Sidecar TT final standings

16 June 1954 – 10 Laps (107.90 miles) Clypse Course.

Place Rider Number Country Machine Speed Time Points
1 Eric Oliver/Les Nutt Britain Norton 68.87 mph 1:34.00.2 8
2 Fritz Hillebrand/M.Grünwald Germany BMW 67.48 mph 1:35.56.2 6
3 Willi Noll/Fritz Cron Germany BMW 65.22 mph 1:39.16.4 4
4 Walter Schneider/H.Strauss Germany BMW 64.45 mph 1:40.27.4 3
5 Jacques Drion/Inge Stoll France Norton 61.91 mph 1:41.18.8 2
6 Bill Boddice/J.Pirie Britain Norton 62.28 mph 1:43.22.8 1

1954 Isle of Man Senior TT 500cc final standings

Friday 18 June 1954 – 4 Laps (301.84 Miles) Mountain Course.

Place Rider Number Country Machine Speed Time Points
1 Ray Amm 93 Rhodesia Norton 88.12 mph 1:42.46.8 8
2 Geoff Duke 76 Britain Gilera 87.19 mph 1:43.52.6 6
3 Jack Brett 56 Britain Norton 86.04 mph 1:45.15.2 4
4 Reg Armstrong 53 Britain Gilera 86.63 mph 1:45.45.6 3
5 Rudy Allison 64 South Africa Norton 83.85 mph 1:48.06.6 2
6 Gordon Laing 22 Australia Norton 83.85 mph 1:48.37.2 1

Notes

Sources

  1. ^ [1] MNZ.co.nz Roll of Honour 1950–1959 (Retrieved 18 December 2006)
  2. ^ Official TT Guide 2004
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 19 June 1954
  4. ^ Official TT Race Guide 2004 page 43
  5. ^ a b c Island Racer 2004 page 115
  6. ^ Official TT Guide 2005
  7. ^ Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 29 May 1954
  8. ^ Isle of Man Examiner page 1 dated 4 June 1954
  9. ^ Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 22 May 1954
  10. ^ p.19 TT 2003 Race Guide. Motor-Cycle News.
  11. ^ Isle of Man Weekly Times dated 5 June 1954

External links