UNITED KINGDOM: EXCITING WINS FOR BRITAIN AND WEST GERMANY IN THE ISLE-OF-MAN T.T. WORLD MOTORCYCLING CHAMPIONSHIP WITH RACE'S FUTURE STATUS IN JEOPARDY.

Record ID: 337121

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: EXCITING WINS FOR BRITAIN AND WEST GERMANY IN THE ISLE-OF-MAN T.T. WORLD MOTORCYCLING CHAMPIONSHIP WITH RACE'S FUTURE STATUS IN JEOPARDY.
  • Date: 4th June 1975
  • Summary: 1. LV Riders lined up at start of Junior T.T. 0.06 2. CU No. 10 Charlie Williams (eventual winner) 0.11 3. SV PAN Nos. 1 & 2 Herron (Ireland) and Mortimer (G.B.) start 0.17 4. RV Other riders move up 0.21 5. SV PAN Nos. 3 & 4 move up & start 0.26 6. SV PAN No. 29 Alexander (Ireland) at bottom Bray Hill 0.29 7. SV PAN No. 40
  • Embargoed: 19th June 1975 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ISLE-OF-MAN, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVAB5PIIBQRKCKPSKNWSEFLWWFHG
  • Story Text: After being delayed for a day by gale-force winds, rain and hail, two events in the annual Isle-of-Man T.T. World Motorcycling Championships were raced on Tuesday (3 June) resulting in exciting victories for riders from Britain and West Germany.

    The whole future of the T.T. -- recognised as one of the world's foremost ??? motorcycle racing events -- is in jeopardy. Watching Tuesday's races was Italian Mario Paglia, President of International Motor Cycle Federation's F.U.M. road racing division, who is examining the controversial 373/4-mile-long (50.5 - Kilometre) Isle-of-Man mountain course following allegations by world-class riders that it is too dangerous. If he agrees, the F.I.M. congress could, in October, deprive the T.T. of its World Championship status.

    The course has claimed the lives of 107 riders in its 64-year history. The latest fatality was recorded just before the start of this year's T.T.

    The first race on Tuesday was the 350 c.c. Junior T.T., which was won by Britain's Charlie Williams. It was his fourth T.T. victory in three successive years. But the popular rider gave his followers some anxious moments as he fought an enthralling duel with Alex George of Scotland.

    At one time William's Yamaha seized...but then freed itself again. And, on the final lap, one of its two cylinders stopped firing for a time. British riders on Yamahas took the first six places in the race.

    In what was described as one of the greatest T.T. sidecar battles ever seen at the Isle-of-Man, Britain's team of rider mac Hobson and Gordon Russell lost to West German ace Rolf Steinhausen and his passenger Josef Hubber on a Bush-Koing, in the 500-c.c. event by a mere four seconds after 114 miles of racing. Both teams broke the race record and Hobson shattered the lap record by 22 seconds. The Englishmen were robbed of victory when their Yamaha failed to fire immediately at the start.

    The only casualties of the day's racing were Britain's Alex George and George Foggery, who where both flown to hospital by helicopter with minor injuries after separate crashes in the Junior T.T. race.

    SYNOPSIS: Riders line up for the start of the three-fifty C.c. Junior T.T. event at the Isle-of-man World Championship motorcycling meet.

    A confident pre-race favourite -- Britain's Charlie Williams on a Yamaha.

    ... And the race begins with Ireland's Tom Herron and Britain's Chas Mortime first away -- also both on Yamahas.

    The race had been postponed for twenty-four hours because of galeforce winds, rain and hail. But -- by Tuesday -- the sun was shining and racing conditions were ideal.

    Around the Union Mill bends -- Number Ten -- Charlie Williams, sets the pace.

    A rider whips through a bend heavily protected by hay bales..a feature of new safety precautions at this year's T.T.

    Despite mechanical problems that twice threatened to knock him out of the race, Williams takes his fourth T.T. victory in three years at an average speed of over a hundred-and-four-miles-per-hour. British riders filled the first six places.

    The five-hundred c.c. sidecars were the next racers on the day's programme.

    First away -- Britain's Hobson and Russell and West Germany's Schauzu and Kalauch.

    Watching this year's events at the Isle-of-man was Italian Mario Paglia, President of the International Motor Cycle Federation's road racing division.

    It's claimed the course is too dangerous -- if he agrees .. the T.T. could lose its World Championship status.

    After one of the greatest sidecar battles ever seen at the Isle-of-Man, West Germany's Rolf Steinhausen and Josef Huber crossed the line just ahead of Britain's Mac Hobson and Gordon Russell. Both teams broke the race record and the Englishmen shattered the lap record.

    After the tense day's racing former T.T. champions Geof Duke and Mike Hailwood take the chequered flag for their own brand of two-man team.
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