The 1950 Isle of Man T.T.

to us motorcycle fans the aisle of men halfway  between England and Ireland is just about the most important place in the world you see  it's the home of our Tourist Trophy [Music] races motorcycles for the aisle of  man racing motorcycles and Riders mechanics spare parts managers and  workshops all to keep them on the road young Jeff Duke of the nor Works team  meets the boat bringing Harold Daniel across and Joe Craig their team manager he's also  the engine designer back home in Birmingham now M those bikes they're the new Norton  but far outnumbering the official Works teams are the private sponsors like Ted pink  with the ajs comes Leslie Graham 1949's world champion ah here's a foreign machine a goodsy  twin from Italy Phil Heath he makes riding more or less a full-time job Harry Hinton and  Eric mcferson Australians journalist Bob holiday that's me just a fact racing motorcycles  can't be ridden under ordinary traffic conditions and getting them away from the key side is often  done with a side carrier or at the end of a rope [Applause] the organizers of the races are  the autocycle Union at their office Riders must sign on and collect their machine numbers  for the first practice at a quarter to 5 am. [Music] here comes the ajs team Bill Darren makes  his second appearance on the island as a manufacturer's entry Les Graham would have won the  1949 senior TT if ignition travel hadn't stopped him do you know the quickest  known method of warming oneself up choose a cold morning and then push  a racing motorcycle that doesn't want to start this bulbous looking machine is an Italian goodsy written by Bob Foster he made the  fast his lap in last year's senior race now the timekeepers settle down with a cup of  cocoa to wait for the first man round 1 and 1 half miles from the start is the send over  Braden bridge and then there's a twisty half mile to Union Mills a second gear corner and  a favorite watching point at sby Bridge Bill Daren has a planed stop to let George Rowley and  some ajs Fitters Al to the carburetor setting [Music] there's a double hair pin at Governor's Bridge  and then it's only a half mile back to the timing box well the first man should be around any moment [Music] now on fine mornings three laps  can be got in before A4 6 then a red flag is shown at the timekeeper box and no  Rider is allowed to start another lap soon after a fast car goes around the  course to open the roads to public [Music] traffic now the postmortem begins how did the  engine feel was the gearing about right what was the course like after a 's absence but it's in  the Coco tent that the discussion really [Music] starts look there's W Sila from Salan on the  left cromy mandas with Francis beer to CRA tuna and Nigel spring manager of a fleet of  vets Jeff Duke GP ham also from San Leslie Graham and now home to [Music] breakfast between  practice periods the bikes are pretty well taken apart and put together again usually in Backstreet  Racing Stables like this one for private owners of ajs machines on the stand there is the well-known  model 7R the boy racer Nigel spring has velets in both Junior and senior races one of Spring's  Riders is on the left there re Armstrong from Dublin and here's Bob Foster coming out of the  goodsy stable where the machines are serviced by Italian mechanics gsies have always been a strong  challenge to British leadership senior Caro on the right there is the designer there's a shortage  of British machines for the lightweight class so a few enthusiasts build  their own like this Beasley special and the re made and ridden by  re Geeson the Norton hot favorits and wi hope of single cylinder fans see  that new duplex frame practice time is very precious so during the day machines are  exercised along the runways of jerby Airfield that's Frank fry with his  vet and Ted friend looking at Graham senior Mount the twin  cylinder double knocker [Music] ajs very good here's Arty Bell Johnny Lockett  and Harold Daniel talking Shar as usual there's Albert M the tall ballish one and re Armstrong that's only not in the front there and  on the right Jimmy Simpson and rub harvison all former TT Riders and these types You'll  Always Find in the bar of an evening the trade Representatives way the way but for those  tradem men it's not all fun in games in back street depos many hours must be put in and much  solid work done for instance brakes take a lot of punishment during racing here's where they're  kept up to scratch new Linings fitted carefully machined to size and there must be no risk of  tire failure either so Fitters work long hours TR wheels and refitting tires if the job isn't  properly done well a Rider's life may be in danger Precision work this racing engines are fitted  with rev meters to show crankshaft speeds they must be frequently checked and maintained  here are some clubmen amateurs on standard production motorcycles who ride in their  own series of Club men's races what they lack in equipment they make up in enthusiasm  many manufacturers like to encourage these amateurs and here watching Clubman bikes being  prepared are James leak and Tom wittington of BSA [Music] during the Saturday and Sunday before race week  The Spectators arrive Douglas becomes crammed with racing addicts and the roads swarm with  motorcycles enthusiasm is well pretty infectious hours before the race crowds make their way to  the best vantage point often the quickest and sometimes the only way is along the racing circuit  but first let's have a look at the TT [Music] circuit after a steep descent and a sharp rightand  bend the road twists almost continuously to Glenn hen at the top of Craig Willis Hill there's a  long straight then fast gentle bends to balaf hump Bridge a very fast straight for a mile  or two then twisty again to Ramsey and the start of the mountain climb it's seven miles  uphill to The Bungalow and then a fast winding run with short Four B stretches downhill to  Governor's Bridge hair pins in the end of the lap on Monday the junior race for 350cc machines  was held on Wednesday the Clubman events now it's Friday the senior TT and the climax of a week  of speed as the Riders get ready for the race the grandstanding closure fills up but this  is something of a social occasion too there's Douglas Terry president of the manufacturers Union  and that's Phil Vincent of the Vincent hrd company Jimmy Alexander an xtt Rider of pre-1914 vintage  Gilbert Smith Norton's managing director with Rex mcandless who designed their bike's frame Harold  Daniel is the oldest man on a Works Norton and lap record holder Jeff Duke the youngest with  his pit attendant Dr Steve darbishire J West ajs team manager and since Daren broke his  leg in practice West team consists of Les Graham a likely winner and Ted friend  shaking hands with Johnny lurani from Italy Bob Foster among the favorites too and re  Armstrong an Irishman of 22 should be up with the leaders 30 minutes to go 15 of them  allowed for warming up engines on a half mile stretch of road between  Governor's Bridge in the Grand [Music] St 10 minutes to go from the  parade to the starting grp [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] it won't belong now the lieutenant governor of  the a of man Sir Jeffrey brummit has arrived and chance to the Riders out in front number one  is Harold Daniel after Daniel the rest will be sent off at 10-second intervals only  a few seconds to go nerves are keyed up there's the maroon and the flags down  will the engine start will it yes he's off 40-year-old Daniel perhaps the wildest  man on the course today has clear roads and seven laps before him let's follow him  around the first lap down Bray Hill at over 100 mph and on to quter bridge where  it's bottom gear for Daniel and easy with a throttle 1 and 1 half miles from the  start and he's banking sharply over Braden Bridge fast stuff along the Mile Stretch  to Union Mills way he goes heading for Crosby back at the grand stand the  flag is dropping every 10 seconds number 10 is RT Matthews riding a vet  11 W Hall Triumph 12 RF Walker Norton number 13 is missed in case anyone's  superstitious number 14 Jim kenty sh a Norton and here goes Ted friend on  the twin cylinder ajs nickname the porcupine from the spike Finning on the cylinder [Music] head Bella crane 8 mil Round Here Comes  Daniel down to bottom gear and hard acceleration on the way out through the F stretch to Glenn  Helen and here's Daniel taking the corner in as neat a style as you'll ever see no fireworks and  no time wasted Foster gets ready to give it the gun she's fired on the gsies away Foster scsy  May well be the fastest machine on the course today separated by only 20 seconds comes  atie Bell on The Works Norton [Music] a scrap will develop between them  if Bell can catch up the leeway Daniel still gobbling up the miles and  sending up a spray of dust on the Full Throttle stretch to the 13th Milestone  and then on through the village of Kirk Michael luck of the draw gives Jeffrey  Duke number 57 he starts 80 seconds behind teammate Johnny locket  and 160 seconds after artti Bell and the same interval 160 seconds ahead of the  AJR star Leslie Graham on number [Music] 73 back to Daniel the hump Bridge had balaf and now he's  pass the halfway Markus at salby with about 17 more miles to go to the end of the lap past Ginger  Hall one of the most deceptive sections of the course Rams is about sea level and in the  next 7 miles Daniel will have climbed to 40 00 ft round Rams a hairpin first and  now comes the section where the more skill Riders gain their biggest Advantage  there are many highspeed bends calling for courage and precise judgment and  a few S Bends like this the goose neck the last of the seniors is away and now comes  the mass start of the lightweights machines with 250 cubic cm engines half the size that is  of the seniors there's going to be some close scrapping amongst those 25 babies but we leave  the lightweights to their race and get back to Daniel he's at the top of the mountain  and crossing the railway lines at The Bungalow now for the downhill run keple  [Music] gate Kate's Cottage and making 12 M hour down to the right hand sweep  at CR Nar through grandish hillbury and seiners corner and here he is at Governor's Bridge half a mile more and he's completed the  first lap 89.6 3 mph from a standing start and as Daniel starts on his second lap let's have  a look around the course at some of the others here has Ted friend of kep gate Ary Bell number  41 is at the Bungalow and has already passed B 39 Jeff Duke is at the goose neck in front there there goes Les Graham over salby bridge  and here has bell crossing the line at the end of his first lap Johnny locket comes along  exactly 80 seconds later that makes them level on time and now Jeffrey Duke 24 minutes  47 seconds beats Daniel's 91 mph lap record but it won't count officially because the starting  grid is 70 yard ahead of the timing line hello trouble already Matthews has just completed the  lap and must call it a day here are the definite leaders at the end of the first lap first Jeff  Duke second Harold Daniel a dead heat for third place between Arty Bell and Johnny Lockett fifth  Les gram and sixth Bob Buster and now lap two there's bills and Brett at balaf there's re  Armstrong taking his vet through keple gate Glenn Helen and mandus riding what looks  like a good race on his b tune Norton Dicky Dale for Kirk Michael the Inseparable  a is Morrison with Hinton behind him at the Bungalow ansman Tommy mccuan  comes up to Ginger Hall bills again but now he's reached Ramsey Governor's  Bridge is a good watching point and here's Albert M are McDonald number six and Jim  swarbrick the New Zealander nine no that man's not running out  of Road he's just a traveling Marshal end of the second lap and here's  Ted friend in for fuel hello the Marshalls telling off Grahams assistant for trying to  help us well Dukes you through in a moment and there he goes to complete his  second lap this will surely be a record is what we' been waiting for Jeff Juke  has broken the record by lapping in 24 minutes 21 seconds an average speed of 93 Miles hour Branden  bridge and re Armstrong going well in eighth place and a few seconds behind yes  it's AE Bell Hing second place to Duke and here comes Duke himself cutting down the  starting interval conceded the Bell a Glenn Helen fostter 39 is chased by lockit 49 but fostter  seems to be having trouble and locket should pass him soon Norton have a signaling post near  ramse hapin and the end of this lap should be the Norton replenishment stop and here comes Johnny  lockit that's odd wasn't it yes no that's darn queer oh there he goes and by cnar  he's pass Foster and that's the end of that [Music] [Applause] scrap Juke is Du at  the signaling station now is this him wrong again that was mandas about now the beginning  of the fourth lap most Riders stop for for fuel they have a slick drill that includes filling  petrol and oil tanks maybe a change of goggles and certainly a few hurried words all in under  half a minute that was Daniel in and out in 24 seconds here's Bell the board shows  him just where to stop it's easy to misjudge their stopping business when  you're more in tune with 100 Mil hour and here's young re Armstrong  still holding eighth place on a velocet and now here comes Jeff  Duke he's written a magnificent race so far at an average speed of 92 and 3/4 M hour he pulls it Norton back  onto compression for the restart now Armstrong's off Bob Foster number 39 comes  in and Duke's away again that was an incredibly quick fill up 20 seconds at the most here's Gra hello he's doing more than the  routine fill up he's bending down attending to something up front looks like the break not  many retirements so far but number eight Jack Fletcher is turning into the gate hard luck Jack  it's always a sorry business to have to give up fourth lap leaders first Jeff Duke second ATI  Bell third Johnny Lockett fourth Carol Daniel all on Mor fifth Les Graham and sixth Bob Foster  just look at that magnificent power drift when Graham had his 550c Pit Stop he lost fourth  place to Daniel and now he's going to make it up Foster's average speed for four laps is under  88 M hour he reported carburetor trouble at his Pit Stop brige Armstrong comes up the seventh  place and now all eyes are on Duke from the time the flag sent him on his journey he's been  going like the wind this is his first senior TT but he's riding like a veteran he's perceptibly  faster than the others yet looks as safe as the safest his opening laap from a standing start was  a record Smasher at 91.3 mil an hour on lap 2 his speed was 93. not1 the slab for the pit stop at  the end of lap three brought his speed down to 92.8 n and LP four speed was 91 now he's on his  fifth lap and making his Supreme effort [Music] another record 24 minutes  16 seconds a speed of 93.33% [Music] fuel well I'm blowned while Walker sorts himself  out ay Bell Rockets down from Kate's Cottage on his sixth lap he rounds the Craig and speeds off  to brandish Walker's got going again but NEX are craned up the road the meteoric Duke is due in  a few seconds yes here he comes on the road he's only about half a minute of stern of Bell but  on corrected time he's over 2 minutes ahead Bell passes Governor's [Music] Bridge and by the time  he's reached the stands Duke is at Governor's hard luck Bob Foster he's miles behind now can only get along by holding  the carburetor he retires at the pits this lets re Armstrong up in the sixth place Charles Sanford's throttle slide  has come a drift he's pushing the half mile to the pits where he hopes to  get it put right and now the last lap nothing but a breakdown can stop  Duke winning now but can he catch up [Music] Bill bell comes through b  crane only 20 seconds before Duke it's down to 10 seconds at balaf and  by Ginger Hall Duke's only 7 seconds [Music] behind 5 Seconds at Ramsey H's Bell on the mountain and Juke must now  be almost on his [Music] tail and there he is only 3 seconds in it and 7 miles to [Music]  [Applause] [Music] go by keple gate the Gap is down to 100 yards [Music] and he's done [Music]  it arteel waves him on at Governor's Bridge and they cross the line [Music] [Applause] together  what a race Jeffrey Duke wins the fastest ever seor TT at an average speed of 92.2 7 mph  with 2 minutes 40 seconds to spare from arteel in second place Johnny Lockett makes  the third Norton and Leslie Graham is fourth [Music] [Applause] [Music]