1938 Isle of Man TT
Encyclopedia
The 1938 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy
saw the Senior TT
lap record of 90.27 mph set by Freddie Frith
the previous year broken in 1938 when Harold Daniell
completed a lap at 91.00 mph on his Norton
, a record which would stand for 12 years. He managed to win, beating Stanley Woods
by only 14.4 seconds. Stanley Woods won the Junior, with Harold Daniell coming fifth, while Ewald Kluge on a DKW won the Lightweight. Kluge was the second Lightweight TT winning non-British rider in a row, Omobono Tenni
having won the previous year.
Between 1931 and 1937 Norton had six Senior-TT wins with the long-stroke CamShaft One (CS1) engine. Norton entered the 1938 Senior TT with a new short-stroke engine, new telescopic front forks, and won for the 7th time, with rider Harold Daniell.
Eric Oliver
, who later won 4 sidecar
World Championships, was entered this year, but retired his Norton from the Junior TT
with a broken chain.
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 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...
lap record of 90.27 mph set by 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...
the previous year broken in 1938 when Harold Daniell
Harold Daniell
Harold Daniell was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1940s and 1950s...
completed a lap at 91.00 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...
, a record which would stand for 12 years. He managed to win, 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 14.4 seconds. Stanley Woods won the Junior, with Harold Daniell coming fifth, while Ewald Kluge on a DKW won the Lightweight. Kluge was the second Lightweight TT winning non-British rider in a row, 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...
having won the previous year.
Between 1931 and 1937 Norton had six Senior-TT wins with the long-stroke CamShaft One (CS1) engine. Norton entered the 1938 Senior TT with a new short-stroke engine, new telescopic front forks, and won for the 7th time, with rider Harold Daniell.
Eric Oliver
Eric Oliver
Eric Staines Oliver was an English motorcycle racer best remembered as four time FIM Sidecar World Champion, riding a Norton. His passenger in 1949 was Denis Jenkinson...
, who later won 4 sidecar
Sidecar
A sidecar is a one-wheeled device attached to the side of a motorcycle, scooter, or bicycle, producing a three-wheeled vehicle.-History:A sidecar appeared in a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7, 1903, issue of the British newspaper Motor Cycling. Three weeks later, a provisional patent was...
World Championships, was entered this year, but retired his Norton from 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...
with a broken chain.
Senior TT (500cc)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harold Daniell Harold Daniell Harold Daniell was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who competed in the 1940s and 1950s... |
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... |
89.11 | 2.57.50.6 |
| 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... |
88.99 | 2:58.05.8 |
| 3 | 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 | 88.98 | 2:58.07.4 |
| 4 | John H. White | Norton | 87.14 | 3:01.52.0 |
| 5 | 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... |
85.92 | 3:04.27.0 |
| 6 | 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 | 84.67 | 3:07.10.0 |
| 7 | 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 | 81.39 | 3:14.43.0 |
| 8 |  J C Galway |
Norton | 81.23 | 3:15.36.0 |
| 9 | J A Weddell | Norton | 78.31 | 3:22.22.0 |
| 10 | J K Boardman | Norton | 78.28 | 3:22.28.0 |
Junior TT (350cc)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanley Woods |
Velocette | 84.08 mph | 3.08.30.0 |
| 2 | E. A. (Ted) Mellors | Velocette | 82.4 | 3:12.20.0 |
| 3 | Freddie Frith | Norton | 82.35 | 3:12.27.0 |
| 4 | John H. White | Norton | 82.14 | 3:12.56.0 |
| 5 | Harold Daniell | Norton | 80.54 | 3:16.32.0 |
| 6 | David Whitworth | Velocette | 78.49 | 3:21.54.0 |
| 7 | N Croft | Norton | 76.45 | 3:27.16.0 |
| 8 | J Williams | Norton | 76.23 | 3:27.39.0 |
| 9 |  Roger LoyerRoger Loyer Roger Loyer was a motorcycle road racer and racing driver from France. He won the 1937 250cc French motorcycle Grand Prix and the 1938 350cc French motorcycle Grand Prix.... |
Velocette | 76.1 | 3:28.15.0 |
| 10 | W H Craine | Norton | 75.58 | 3:29.42.0 |
Lightweight TT (250cc)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ewald Kluge |
DKW | 78.48 mph | 3.21.56.0 |
| 2 | S Wood | 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... |
74.38 | 3:33.06.0 |
| 3 | 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 | 73.62 | 3:35.16.0 |
| 4 | Maurice Cann Maurice Cann Maurice Cann was a British former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He entered his first Manx Grand Prix in 1931, and in 1938 competed in his first Isle of Man TT. Cann won the 1948 Lightweight TT aboard a Moto Guzzi. He competed from 1949 to 1952 in the Grand Prix world championships... |
Excelsior | 72.07 | 3:39.54.0 |
| 5 | Charlie Manders |
Excelsior | 71.68 | 3:41.06.0 |
| 6 | J W Forbes | Excelsior | 70.98 | 3:43.16.0 |
| 7 | Les G. Martin | Excelsior | 70.77 | 3:43.56.0 |
| 8 | G L Paterson | 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... |
69.62 | 3:47.39.0 |
| 9 | J C Galway |
Excelsior | 68.87 | 3:50.07.0 |
| 10 | S M Miller | 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:... |
68.65 | 3:50.51.0 |