Freddie Frith
Encyclopedia
Frederick Lee "Freddie" Frith OBE
(born 30 May 1909 - 24 May 1988 in Grimsby
, Lincolnshire
, England
) 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
. Frith had the distinction of being one of the few to win TT races before and after the Second World War.
He won the 1935 Junior Manx Grand Prix and then joined the Norton
team for the 1936 TT Races
. It was a winning combination as he claimed the Junior TT
and finished second in the Senior TT
as well as winning the 350cc European Championship . In 1937
he went one better in the Senior and took a brilliant win and setting the first 90 mph plus lap of the Snaefell Mountain Course
.
After finishing third in the 1939 Senior
he missed the 1947 TT
due to a practice spill on a 500cc Moto Guzzi
. Turning to Velocette
s in 1948
he won the Junior Race, repeating this success a year later. Freddie also has the distinction of being the first ever 350cc World Champion in 1949
when, he won all five events of the inaugural campaign.
Freddie Frith, alongside other Riders from BSA; Ariel and Matchless Works teams, served in the army during World War 2 at the Infantry Driving & Maintenance School stationed at Keswick. They taught officers and NCOs how to ride cross-country. Sgt. Freddie Frith taught teams of four on Norton 500cc over Skiddaw in all weathers. A special treat on the last day was reserved for roadwork, following Freddie's track fast-cornering .
(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 30 May 1909 - 24 May 1988 in Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
former Grand Prix
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
road racing
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-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
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...
. Frith had the distinction of being one of the few to win TT races before and after the Second World War.
He won the 1935 Junior Manx Grand Prix and then joined the 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...
team for the 1936 TT Races
1936 Isle of Man TT
The 1936 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy saw Norton rider Jimmie Guthrie win the Senior, and come fifth in the Junior. The Junior was won by Freddie Frith in his first year on the Norton team, and the Lightweight was won by Bob Foster on a New Imperial....
. It was a winning combination as he claimed 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...
and finished second in 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...
as well as winning the 350cc European Championship . In 1937
1937 Isle of Man TT
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...
he went one better in the Senior and took a brilliant win and setting the first 90 mph plus lap of the Snaefell 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...
.
After finishing third in the 1939 Senior
1939 Isle of Man TT
The 1939 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the last race festival until 1947 due to the interruption of World War II. It was the last of ten TT victories for the 34 year old Stanley Woods in which he won the Junior TT on a Velocette at 83.19 mph and came 4th in the Senior TT race...
he missed the 1947 TT
1947 Isle of Man TT
After an eight year absence the 1947 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the first race festival since 1939 due to the interruption of World War II. With the restart of racing the ACU decided to add three Clubman class races for production machines and introduced these races for Lightweight, Junior and...
due to a practice spill on a 500cc 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...
. Turning to 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...
s in 1948
1948 Isle of Man TT
In the 1948 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy festival Harold Daniell, lap record holder since 1938, failed to finish the 1948 Senior TT on his Norton, and victory went to Norton team member, Artie Bell, the flying Ulsterman. Norton dominated, taking the first three places, losing fourth to Geoff...
he won the Junior Race, repeating this success a year later. Freddie also has the distinction of being the first ever 350cc World Champion in 1949
1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the inaugural F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of six Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 600cc...
when, he won all five events of the inaugural campaign.
Freddie Frith, alongside other Riders from BSA; Ariel and Matchless Works teams, served in the army during World War 2 at the Infantry Driving & Maintenance School stationed at Keswick. They taught officers and NCOs how to ride cross-country. Sgt. Freddie Frith taught teams of four on Norton 500cc over Skiddaw in all weathers. A special treat on the last day was reserved for roadwork, following Freddie's track fast-cornering .
Motorcycle Grand Prix results
1949 point system| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Fastest lap |
| Points | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Class | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Points | Rank | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the inaugural F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of six Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 600cc... |
350cc | 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... |
IOM 1949 Isle of Man TT The 1949 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy or I British Motorcyle Grand Prix festival were the first races of Grand Prix World Championship that were held in the Isle of Man.... 1 |
SUI 1 |
NED Dutch TT The Dutch TT is a motorcycling event, traditionally held on the last Saturday of June at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, as part of the MotoGP World Championship. In the past all classes , nowadays only the 125 cc, Moto2 and the MotoGP... 1 |
BEL Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix The Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1949 to 1990.-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:... 1 |
ULS Ulster Grand Prix The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle road race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme gave it the title Grand Prix d'Europe... 1 |
33 | 1st | 5 | |
| 500cc | 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... |
IOM 1949 Isle of Man TT The 1949 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy or I British Motorcyle Grand Prix festival were the first races of Grand Prix World Championship that were held in the Isle of Man.... NC |
SUI 5 |
NED Dutch TT The Dutch TT is a motorcycling event, traditionally held on the last Saturday of June at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, as part of the MotoGP World Championship. In the past all classes , nowadays only the 125 cc, Moto2 and the MotoGP... - |
BEL Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix The Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that was part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season from 1949 to 1990.-Multiple winners :-Multiple winners :-By year:... - |
ULS Ulster Grand Prix The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle road race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme gave it the title Grand Prix d'Europe... - |
NAT Italian motorcycle Grand Prix The Italian motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. From 1949 to 1990 the event was known as the Nations Grand Prix. It was one of the original rounds of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing calendar. The race was held exclusively at Monza... - |
5 | 11th | 0 | |
External links
- TT database rider profile iomtt.com
- TT database TT results iomtt.com