On Two Wheels

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 680, 4 June 1929, Page 6

On Two Wheels

. NEWS AND NOTES T.T. Prospects

Chances of Riders and Machines Discussed There will be more interest this year than ever before in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races by keen followers of the sport outside of Great Britain, due to the number of overseas riders who will be competing. The following dates have been set for the different events: — Monday, June 10—Junior race (350 c.c.). Wednesday, June 12—Lightweight race (250 c.c.). Friday, June 14—Senior race (500 c.c.). Writing in the Sydney ‘ Daily Guar- ] dian,” Mr. S. M. Williams discusses the riders who have entered for the main events. “Arthur Simcock, who has put up so many successful rides on. the Melbourne Motordrome, is again riding this year, and will be mounted on a 493 Sunbeam in the senior race and a 347 Sunbeam in the junior race. He is Australia’s best chance as a successful representative, due to his previous experience in the Isle of Man. “Last year it will be remembered he rode exceptionally well, riding into . second place at the end of the second last of the senior event, and having the misfortune to fall in the last lap at a stage when the spectators were all in doubt as to whether he or the ultimate winner was to be successful. “In 1927 he rode into second place in the European Grand Prix at Monza, Italy, when he rode a 31- h.p. A.J.S. Despite the performance he put up in the T.T. last year, Simcock was able to avail himself of the last week of practice only, and even then rode a different machine in the race to that which he used for practising. Representative Field “South African riders are B. E. j Scott, Joe Sarkis and Don Hall. "Don Hall has been the most bril- I liant performer in South African road races lately. He won the Junior Trophy there, and led in the Senior Trophy for a considerable distance on the same machine, which was a 2g o.h. camshaft Velocette. He will be riding a Velocette in the Isle of Man. The Douglas Entries “Joe Sarkis will probably be riding a Douglas. Incidentally the Douglas team is expected, to give acute competition this year, as the machines to be used are dirt track; racing models which have proved themselves to be very fast and consistent, using ordinary petrol-benzol mixture. That the machines are suited to this type of fuel is to their advantage in the trophy events, as special racing fuels are barred. „ "Alec Bennett, winner of last year’s junior race, will again appear in this event on a Velocette, while in the senior he will ride a Sunbeam. “The Budge-Whitworth entries for the T.T. will be confined to the senior race and the riders w'ill be the same as last_ year—Graham Walker, G. E. Nott, N. G. Tyrell-Smith, and J. K. Amott. Some of the Riders “Graham Walker, it will be remembered, led last year until a few miles from home G.. E. Nott is famous for having covered 200 miles in two hours: Smith was fourth in the 1928 senior, i and Amott—a consistent trials win-1 ner—was 11th.—Actually, Amott, un- j lucky No. 13, was unable to get; started and was delayed about 11 minutes, but he finished less than 10 minutes behind the second man. Charlie Dodson, winner of the 1928 senior, and the most consistent road rider in England, will again control the destinies of a Sunbeam in the sen'or race. “Big things are also expected bt the A.J.S. entrants, as the racing models for this season have already been tested out in a practical fashion on Brooklands track since the opening meeting with much success, both in the long distance races and world's records.”