1937 Isle of Man TT
Encyclopedia
The 1937 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy
saw Freddie Frith
break the 90+ mph lap for the first time during the Senior TT
with a speed of 90.27 mph on his Norton
beating Stanley Woods
by only 15 seconds. Frith also beat Wood in the Junior TT
but only with a second placing.
The popular Jimmie Guthrie
, who was killed during the German Grand Prix
later that year, won Junior race but retired in the Senior TT at the Cutting, where a memorial was erected. The location, on the uphill climb from Ramsey
to the Bungalow, on the Mountain Course
, is now known as the Guthrie Memorial.
Harold Daniell
who had been a works rider for AJS
entered the 1937 TT with a three-year-old Norton
tuned by his brother-in-law, Steve Lancefield which gave him a fifth place, a finishing position he also achieved in the Junior TT.
In the Lightweight TT Omobono Tenni
becomes the first foreigner to secure a victory in an Isle of Man TT race on his Moto Guzzi
.
Senior TT
Junior TT
Lightweight TT
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...
saw Freddie Frith
Freddie Frith
Frederick Lee "Freddie" Frith OBE was a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion. A former stonemason and motor-trader dealer was a stylish rider and five times winner of the Isle of Man TT...
break the 90+ mph lap for the first time during the Senior TT
Senior TT
The Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festival and takes place on the Friday of race week. The Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars...
with a speed of 90.27 mph on his 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...
beating Stanley Woods
Stanley Woods
Stanley Woods Dublin, an Irish motorcycle racer famous for 29 motorcycle Grand Prix wins and winning the Isle of Man TT races 10 times in his career. He was a past pupil of The High School, Dublin. Stanley started racing in 1921 on a Harley Davidson...
by only 15 seconds. Frith also beat Wood in the Junior TT
Junior TT
The Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June...
but only with a second placing.
The popular Jimmie Guthrie
Jimmie Guthrie
Andrew James "Jimmie" Guthrie was a Scottish motorcycle racer famous for 19 motorcycle Grand Prix wins and 3 victories in the North West 200 and 6 wins at the Isle of Man TT Races in his career.-Biography:...
, who was killed during the German Grand Prix
German motorcycle Grand Prix
The German motorcycle Grand Prix, first held in 1925, is since 1952 part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Championship.- History :The first two Großer Preis von Deutschland races were held at Berlin's AVUS before moving to the new the purpose-built Nürburgring which was used in its full...
later that year, won Junior race but retired in the Senior TT at the Cutting, where a memorial was erected. The location, on the uphill climb from 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...
to the Bungalow, on the 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...
, is now known as the Guthrie Memorial.
Harold Daniell
Harold Daniell
Harold Daniell was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1940s and 1950s...
who had been a works rider for AJS
AJS
AJS was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the Wolverhampton, England, company A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records, and after the firm was sold the name continued to be used by Matchless, Associated Motorcycles and Norton-Villiers on...
entered the 1937 TT with a three-year-old 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...
tuned by his brother-in-law, Steve Lancefield which gave him a fifth place, a finishing position he also achieved in the Junior TT.
In the Lightweight TT Omobono Tenni
Omobono Tenni
Tommaso Omobono Tenni was an Italian motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed The Black Devil, he was a multiple Italian Motor Cycle champion, who raced to 47 victories for Moto Guzzi from 1933 till 1948, the year he died from an accident during practice for the Swiss GP.-Early years:Omobono Tenni was...
becomes the first foreigner to secure a victory in an Isle of Man TT race on his Moto Guzzi
Moto Guzzi
Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It is one of seven brands owned by Piaggio.Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its central historic role in Italy's motorcycling manufacture, its prominence worldwide in motorcycle racing, and a series of...
.
Senior TTSenior TTThe Senior Tourist Trophy is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June. The Senior TT is the Blue Riband event of the festival and takes place on the Friday of race week. The Marquis de Mouzilly St. Mars...
(500cc)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freddie Frith Freddie Frith Frederick Lee "Freddie" Frith OBE was a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing World Champion. A former stonemason and motor-trader dealer was a stylish rider and five times winner of the Isle of Man TT... |
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... |
88.21 | 2.59.41.0 |
| 2 |  Stanley WoodsStanley Woods Stanley Woods Dublin, an Irish motorcycle racer famous for 29 motorcycle Grand Prix wins and winning the Isle of Man TT races 10 times in his career. He was a past pupil of The High School, Dublin. Stanley started racing in 1921 on a Harley Davidson... |
Velocette Velocette Velocette is the name given to motorcycles that were made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England. One of several motorcycle manufacturers in Birmingham, Velocette was a small, family-owned firm, selling far fewer hand-built motorcycles than the giant BSA, Norton or Triumph concerns... |
88.09 | 2:59.56.0 |
| 3 | John H. White | Norton | 83.97 | 3:08.44.0 |
| 4 | E A (Ted) Mellors Edward Ambrose Mellors Edward Ambrose Mellors , born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, was an international motorcycle road racer who rode in the Manx Grand Prix in 1927 and the Isle of Man TT from 1928 to 1939... |
Velocette | 86.68 | 3:09.24.0 |
| 5 | Harold Daniell Harold Daniell Harold Daniell was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1940s and 1950s... |
Norton | 83.61 | 3:09.33.0 |
| 6 | Jock West Jock West John Milns "Jock" West, MBE was a Grand Prix motorcycle racer from Great Britain.-Motorcycle career:West was born in Belvedere, Kent to an English father and a Scottish mother. He initially concentrated on grasstrack racing on an Ariel motorcycle and, was successful enough that the Ariel factory... |
BMW BMW motorcycles BMW's motorcycle history began in 1921 when the company commenced manufacturing engines for other companies. Motorcycle manufacturing now operates under the BMW Motorrad brand... |
81.5 | 3:14.28.0 |
| 7 |  J C Galway |
Norton | 80.26 | 3:17.28.0 |
| 8 | Les Archer Les Archer Leslie James Archer was a leading motorcycle racer of the 1920s, competing in long distance speed trials, hill climbs and scrambles, now known as motocross.... |
Velocette | 76.96 | 3:25.55.0 |
| 9 | Noel Pope | Norton | 76.73 | 3:26.22.0 |
| 10 | J Williams | Norton | 75.62 | 3:29.35.0 |
Junior TTJunior TTThe Junior TT is a motorcycle road race that takes place during the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual event at the end of May and beginning of June...
(350cc)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jimmie GuthrieJimmie Guthrie Andrew James "Jimmie" Guthrie was a Scottish motorcycle racer famous for 19 motorcycle Grand Prix wins and 3 victories in the North West 200 and 6 wins at the Isle of Man TT Races in his career.-Biography:... |
Norton | 84.43 mph | 3.07.42.0 |
| 2 | Freddie Frith | Norton | 83.29 | 3:10.17.0 |
| 3 | John H. White | Norton | 82.54 | 3:12.00.0 |
| 4 | Stanley Woods |
Velocette | 82.33 | 3:12.30.0 |
| 5 | Harold Daniell | Norton | 78.77 | 3:21.12.0 |
| 6 | Ernie Thomas | Velocette | 78.63 | 3:21.34.0 |
| 7 | H. G. Tyrell Smith H. G. Tyrell Smith Henry George Tyrell-Smith was an Irish motorcycle road racer. He was born in Co Dublin and studied at Trinity College, Dublin for a BSc degree. He raced at the Isle of Man TT from 1927 to 1939, and between 1929 and 1936 competed in the German Grand Prix... |
Excelsior Excelsior Motor Company Excelsior, based in Coventry, was a British bicycle, motorcycle and car maker. They were Britain’s first motorcycle manufacturer, starting production of their own ‘motor-bicycle’ in 1896... |
77.25 | 3:25.10.0 |
| 8 | George Rowley | AJS AJS AJS was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the Wolverhampton, England, company A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records, and after the firm was sold the name continued to be used by Matchless, Associated Motorcycles and Norton-Villiers on... |
76.82 | 3:26.18.0 |
| 9 | J C Galway |
Norton | 75.98 | 3:28.25.0 |
| 10 | J Williams | Norton | 75.4 | 3:30.11.0 |
Lightweight TTLightweight TTThe Lightweight TT was a motorcycle road race that was part of the Isle of Man TT festival; an annual motor-cycle event at the end of May and beginning of June. Between 1949 and 1976, the Lightweight TT Race was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. The event was dropped from the 2005...
(250cc)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Omobono TenniOmobono Tenni Tommaso Omobono Tenni was an Italian motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed The Black Devil, he was a multiple Italian Motor Cycle champion, who raced to 47 victories for Moto Guzzi from 1933 till 1948, the year he died from an accident during practice for the Swiss GP.-Early years:Omobono Tenni was... |
Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It is one of seven brands owned by Piaggio.Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its central historic role in Italy's motorcycling manufacture, its prominence worldwide in motorcycle racing, and a series of... |
74.72 mph | 3.32.06.0 |
| 2 | S Wood | Excelsior | 74.5 | 3:32.43.0 |
| 3 | Ernie Thomas | DKW DKW DKW is a historic German car and motorcycle marque. The name derives from Dampf-Kraft-Wagen .In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Zschopau, Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW... |
73.17 | 3:36.36.0 |
| 4 | Les Archer Les Archer Leslie James Archer was a leading motorcycle racer of the 1920s, competing in long distance speed trials, hill climbs and scrambles, now known as motocross.... |
New Imperial New Imperial Motors Ltd New Imperial was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded by Norman Downes in Birmingham, between 1887 and 1901, and became New Imperial Motors Ltd in 1912, when serious production commenced. New Imperial made innovative motorcycles that employed unit construction and sprung heel frames long... |
72.98 | 3:37.09.0 |
| 5 |  Siegfried Wünsche |
DKW | 72.47 | 3:38.42.0 |
| 6 | Chris Tattersall | CTS | 69.25 | 3:48.52.0 |
| 7 | C V Moore | New Imperial | 67.39 | 3:55.10.0 |
| 8 | S V Smith | Excelsior | 66.3 | 3:59.03.0 |
| 9 | Les G Martin | Cotton | 65.1 | 4:03.26.0 |
| 10 | N Cook | OK-Supreme OK-Supreme OK-Supreme was a British motorcycle manufacturer from 1899 to 1939 located in Birmingham. Grass-track racing versions of the machines continued to be available until 1946.-History:... |
DNF | DNF |