MADE AT THE MANX: 50s AND 60s
As part of celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Manx Grand Prix, a special ‘Made at the Manx Grand Prix’ lap will tell the story of the most successful racers to have graced the ‘Manx’ and who went on to reach great heights in the world of motorcycle racing.
World Champions and road racing greats who all made their mark at the Manx Grand Prix will take part or be represented in a spectacular story-telling parade scheduled to take place at 15:00 on Saturday 26 August.
BOB MCINTYRE
Like Cecil Sandford, Bob McIntyre only competed at the Manx Grand Prix once, but it was a more than successful appearance with the AJS-mounted rider taking first and second in the 1952 Junior and Senior races respectively, the former with a new race record almost six minutes quicker than the previous mark!
MCINTYRE TOOK 1st AND 2nd IN THE 1952 JUNIOR & SENIOR RACES, OBLITERATing THE JUNIOR RACE RECORD by 6 minutes
The tough Glaswegian then had a ten-year career at the TT, his first podium coming at his third attempt with second behind Bill Lomas in the 1955 Junior race. He had to wait two more years for his next podium appearances but they were worth the wait as, deputising for the injured Geoff Duke at the factory Gilera team, he won both the Senior and Junior races in lap and race record times. The Senior race saw him etch his name forever into the record books when he became the first rider to lap the Mountain Course at more than 100mph.
Back to privateer status for the following years, he took a third TT win in 1959 with victory in the 500cc Formula One race with further podiums coming in the 1960 Junior and 1961 Senior races although he was unlucky to retire from the lead in both the 1961 and 1962 Lightweight 250cc races when riding a factory Honda. The latter would be his last year at the TT as he sadly lost his life at Oulton Park in August that year. Former TT winner turned TV pundit Cameron Donald will ride a 500cc Gilera in honour of McIntyre, with the event set to feature in ITV4’s coverage.
PHIL READ MBE
Born in Luton in 1939, Phil Read was just 19 when he made his Manx Grand Prix debut in 1958 and immediately showed his talent with third in the Junior Snaefell race on his 350cc Norton. A year later, he finished seventh in the main Junior race and although he retired from the 1960 race, his crowning glory came in the Senior that year when he won by almost a minute and a half in a race record time.
PHIL READ WAS 19 WHEN HE MADE HIS mgp DEBUT IN 1958 AND came THIRD IN THE JUNIOR SNAEFELL RACE ON HIS 350CC NORTON
A fastest lap of 97.09mph compared more than favourably with John Surtees’ TT lap record on a works MV Agusta of 99.20mph, and Read’s credentials were proved at his very first TT when he was victorious in the Junior race ahead of Gary Hocking. His feats made him one of the few riders to win the TT at the very first attempt.
For the next decade, Read was a fixture at the front of TT races with a move to Yamaha in 1964 seeing him enjoy some of the best moments of his TT career with five wins for the Japanese manufacturer as well as setting the first ever 100mph lap of the Mountain Course on a 250cc machine. Further TT wins were taken in the 1977 Senior and Formula One races with his final outing coming in 1982 when he finished fourth in the Senior.
One of the all-time greats from Great Britain, Read – who was awarded an MBE in 1979 – was equally successful on the world stage and became the first man to win 125cc, 250cc and 500cc World Championships, ending his career with eight World titles, 52 Grand Prix wins and 121 podiums. The eight-time TT winner will be represented by Dave Roper on a 500cc MV Agusta, similar to the machine upon which he won the 1973 and 1974 500cc World Championships.
MICK GRANT
Born in 1944, Grant was a relatively late starter in racing with his one and only Manx Grand Prix appearance coming in 1969, just a year after his racing debut. It proved to be an inauspicious Mountain Course debut though as he finished 48th – and last – on his Velocette in the Senior.
GRANT’S FIRST MANX GRAND PRIX APPEARANCE CAME IN 1969, JUST A YEAR AFTER HIS RACING DEBUT
Undeterred, Grant moved on to the TT the following year and soon proved his Manx result wasn’t a true reflection of his capabilities with his first podium coming in 1972 when he finished third in the Senior. Further podiums came his way before his first victory in 1974 when he claimed the top spot in the Production race. A year later, and riding for the factory Kawasaki team, he won the Senior and broke Mike Hailwood’s eight-year old outright lap record.
Further wins, and lap records, were taken for Kawasaki in the 1977 and 1978 Classic races before a move to Honda saw him win the 1980 Formula One race. His other TT wins came in 1981 (Senior) and 1985 (Production 750cc) to make it seven in total and the Yorkshire rider, who became a successful team manager after he retired at the end of 1985, will ride his own RG500 Suzuki in the parade.
