Isle of Man Tt Races

ISLE OF MAN TT RACES

B.R.Nicholls

All of the old cliches can be turned out both for and against the Isle of Man TT races. But whether or not the likes of Read and Agostini raced, did not seem to influence the fans who made the 1974 pilgrimage from Liverpool in record numbers. The ferry boat carried more than 3000 cars, 300 sidehacks and some 7000 motorcycles during the two weeks of practice and racing. There were not only English fans, but many Continentals, as well. For their trouble they were rewarded with five days of practice and a chaotic race week torn apart by the dreaded announcement of “mist” on the mountain.

As a result, the Saturday races were postponed until Monday and Monday’s put back until Tuesday. On Wednesday no racing was possible until 4:30 in the afternoon, when the 250 Junior took place. The Senior was run on Thursday. Fortunately, nothing interfered with the Friday program, so the week’s racing finished on time.

The race program started with Tony Rutter, last year’s winner, in the pole position, starting alongside Ken Huggett, number two.

Winter work on the Verandah secti^^ of the course had made it faster, a fa^r reflected in the 54 100-mph-plus laps recorded during practice.

Heading the pack was Charlie Williams, who stayed there until the third lap, when he retired and Rutter took over. Charles Mortimer made a challenge in one lap, during which he clocked 106.39, but ruined his motor doing so. Rutter went on to win. Behind, after the five-lap event on the 37%-mile course, was Mick Grant, with Paul Cott 3rd. The first 19 finishers all rode Yamahas.

The 750 sidecar race was set alight when Rolf Steinhausen hurtled his König around to set a new record lap from a standing start at 98.18 mph, knocking almost 19 seconds off of the time held by Klaus Enders (BMW), who was a non-starter.

But the three-lap race ended in tory for Siegfried Schauzu (BMW), who recorded his eighth TT victory, after Steinhausen retired on lap two. Second to Schauzu was his fellow countryman, Heinz Luthringshauser (BMW), with the f^tspole brothers’ Weslake outfit 3rd. ^rhe Le Mans start of the Production class races got the lOOOcc class away, with eventual winner, Mick Grant (Trident), taking an early lead and holding it. His victory was as expected as the 2nd and 3rd places of BMW men Hans Otto Butenuth and Helmut Dahne were unexpected. Their places were well-deserved, however, as the massive Munich Twins boomed around in splendid style.

Three minutes after the lOOOcc class set off, the 500s left the line, and three minutes later the 250 class. Keith Martin (Kaw), was an all-the-way winner of the 500 class, while Martin Sharpe (Yam RD250), held off a strong challenge from similarly-mounted Eddie Roberts to take 250 honors.

The 500cc sidecar race, counting toward the World Championship, was a real machine killer and had the reigning Rampion, Klaus Enders, along with ^iinhausen, out on the first lap.

Jeff Gawley (König), led Schauzu at the end of the first lap, but retired on lap two, letting Schauzu into the lead. But he, too, hit trouble on the third and final lap, allowing veteran Heinz Luthringshauser (BMW), to win his first TT.

Of the 85 entries for the race, 28 were non-starters, 31 retired, and one was classed a non-finisher.

As in the 350 race, the 250 was a case of history repeating itself, for last year’s winner, Charlie Williams, had a start-to-finish win. He was chased by Mick Grant and Charles Mortimer, with 2nd spot going to Grant after Mortimer ran out of gas and had to paddle the last few hundred yards.

Paul Smart’s transatlantic commuting proved to be a waste of time, for he had trouble almost from the start and retired at the end of the first lap. At that point, Charlie Williams led by less than two seconds over Phil Carpenter. Both were on Yamahas. The other Suzuki, ridden by Jack Findlay, wasdown in 6th place, carrying eight gallons of gasoline and racing on dry weather tires that brought about his demise when the weather turned sour.

The rain slowed Williams, though it had less effect on Carpenter, who took the lead on the third lap, with Rutter 3rd. That was the order when the flag fell.

And so to the last race of the week and the climax that in previous years had been the Senior TT. But for 1974 it would be the Formula 750 race. It had all the makings of a classic battle be-

tween the works 750 Suzukis ridden by Smart and Findlay, a pair of John Player Nortons under Peter Williams and Dave Croxford, the Kawasaki of Mick Grant and a host of Yamahas, varying in capacity from 347 to 700cc.

Initially, the race fell flat when the Suzukis and Nortons were all out by the end of lap two. Senior winner Carpenter led at the end of the first lap. Rain at Ramsey on the first lap ensured that nobody lapped over the ton. Carpenter retired on the second lap with a leaking radiator, putting Mortimer ahead. But he lost the lead to Billy Guthrie’s Yamaha at the end of the third.

Mortimer won, with Williams and Rutter in 2nd and 3rd. The crowd waved Percy Tait into 4th as though he were the race leader. Such is their affection for the 40-year-old veteran and that Triumph Trident that sounded ever so sweet, and never missed a beat or offended an ear throughout the race.

Is the TT dead? Well, not according to the showing in 1974. But there is no denying that the corridors of the FIM are echoing with the demand for safer racing conditions at the Isle of Man. But there is also no denying that it is the ultimate racing challenge. And every racer there is passionately in its favor. Time alone will tell. 0