1939 Isle of Man TT
{{Short description|Annual motorcycle racing event}}
File:Georg Meier Isle of Man TT 1939.jpg]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
The 1939 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the last races until 1947 due to the interruption by World War II. It was also the last of ten Isle of Man TT victories for the 34-year-old Stanley Woods{{cite web|url=http://www.mcb.net/ttraces/ttraces.html |title=Isle of Man TT Circuit |accessdate=2006-10-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116004452/http://www.mcb.net/ttraces/ttraces.html |archivedate=16 November 2006 }} MCB A Brief History of the TT Races (Retrieved 28 October 2006) in which he won the Junior TT on a Velocette at 83.19 mph and also finished in 4th place in the Senior TT race. The 250cc Lightweight TT race was a first time winner for Ted Mellors and the Benelli marque. The Senior TT race was won by the German competitor Georg Meier on a supercharged 500cc BMW Type 255 motor-cycle.Daily Express page 15 Saturday 17 June 1939
The Austrian competitor Karl Gall riding for the works BMW team crashes at Ballaugh Bridge during an evening practice session and later dies of his injuries and the effects of pneumonia in hospital.Isle of Man Weekly Times page 8 T.T. RIDER DIES FROM INJURIES Saturday 17 June 1939 “Inquest of Karl Gall.”
Junior TT (350 cc) Race final standings
Monday 12 June 1939 – 7 laps (264.133 miles) Isle of Man TT Mountain CourseMona’s Herald page 6 STANLEY WOODS’ TENTH WIN Tuesday 13 June 1939
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| Rank ! No ! Rider ! Team ! Speed ! Time | |||||
| | 1 | {{flagicon|IRL}} Stanley Woods | Velocette | 83.19 mph | 3:10.30.0 | |
| | 2 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Harold Daniell | Norton | 83.13 mph | 3:10.38.0 | |
| | 3 | {{flagicon| Nazi Germany}} Heiner Fleischmann | DKW | 82.51 mph | 3:12.28.0 | |
| | 4 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Ted Mellors | Velocette | 82.34 mph | 3:12.28.0 | |
| | 5 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} David Whitworth | Velocette | 79.58 mph | 3:19.09.0 | |
| | 6 | {{flagicon| Nazi Germany}} Siegfried Wünsche | DKW | 78.87 mph | 3:20.57.0 | |
| | 7 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Maurice Cann | Norton | 78.78 mph | 3:21.10.0 | |
| | 8 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} S. (Ginger) Wood | Velocette | 78.55 mph | 3:22.36.0 | |
| | 9 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Ernie Thomas | Velocette | 48.69 mph | 3:26.18.0 | |
| | 10 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Frank Mussett | Velocette | 77.60 mph | 3:24.14.0 |
Fastest Lap: Harold Daniels – 85.05 mph (26’ 38.0) on lap 7.Isle of Man Examiner page 5 Friday 16 June 1939
Lightweight TT (250 cc) Race final standings
Wednesday 14 June 1939 – 7 laps (264.133 miles) Isle of Man TT Mountain CourseIsle of Man Examiner page 9 MELLORS’ FIRST TT WIN Friday 16 June 1939
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! Rank ! No ! Rider ! Team ! Speed ! Time | |||||
| | 1 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} E.A. Ted Mellors | Benelli | 74.26 mph | 3:33.26.0 | |
| | 2 | {{flagicon| Nazi Germany}} Ewald Kluge | DKW | 72.97 mph | 3:37.11.0 | |
| | 3 | {{flagicon|IRL}} H. G. Tyrell Smith | Excelsior | 71.91 mph | 3:40.23.0 | |
| | 4 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Les G. Martin | Excelsior | 68.87 mph | 3:50.08.0 | |
| | 5 | {{flagicon| Nazi Germany}} Siegfried Wünsche | DKW | 68.78 mph | 3:50.25.0 | |
| | 6 | {{flagicon|IRL}} Charlie Manders | Excelsior | 66.93 mph | 3:56.48.0 | |
| | 7 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Harold Hartley | Excelsior | 66.19 mph | 3:59.27.0 | |
| | 8 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Ernie Thomas | DKW | 65.81 mph | 4:00.48.0 | |
| | 9 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} S. (Ginger) Wood | Rudge | 65.04 mph | 4:03.41.0 | |
| | 10 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Chris Tattersall | CTS | 63.95 mph | 4:07.50.0 |
Fastest Lap: Stanley Woods – 78.16 mph (28’ 58.0) Ramsey Courier page 16 AXIS ACHIEVEMENT IN LIGHTWEIGHT TT Friday 16 June 1939
Senior TT (500cc) Race final standings
Friday 16 June 1939 – 7 laps (264.133 miles)Programme of the Senior International Tourist Trophy Race Isle of Man 16 June 1939 pages 22-24 SCORE SHEET The Auto-Cycle Union (1939) F.I.C.M Isle of Man TT Mountain CoursePeel City Guardian page 1 SENIOR TT RACE Saturday 17 June 1939 “….Meier and J.W. West proved too hot for the British machines and they took the lead on the first lap….”
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! Rank ! No ! Rider ! Team ! Speed ! Time | |||||
| | 1 | 49 | {{flagicon| Nazi Germany}} Georg Meier | 494cc BMW | 89.38 mph | 2:57.19.0 |
| | 2 | 35 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Jock West | 494cc BMW | 88.22 mph | 2:59.39.0 |
| | 3 | 17 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Freddie Frith | 499cc Norton | 87.96 mph | 3:00.11.0 |
| | 4 | 10 | {{flagicon|IRL}} Stanley Woods | 499cc Velocette | 87.91 mph | 3:00.17.0 |
| | 5 | 51 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} John H. White | 499cc Norton | 85.92 mph | 3:04.27.0 |
| | 6 | 19 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Les Archer | 495cc Velocette | 84.31 mph | 3:07.58.0 |
| | 7 | 28 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Ted Mellors | 495cc Velocette | 83.76 mph | 3:09.12.0 |
| | 8 | 18 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} S.Wood | 499cc Norton | 48.69 mph | 3:26.18.0 |
| | 9 | 20 | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Maurice Cann | Moto Guzzi | 81.96 mph | 3:13.22.0 |
| | 10 | 40 | {{flagicon| South Africa|1928}} Jack Galway | 499cc Norton | 81.37 mph | 3:15.00.0 |
Fastest Lap: Georg Meier – 90.75 mph (24’ 57.0) on lap 2.Isle of Man Examiner page 4 Friday 23 June 1939
Notes
- Improvements to the course include road-widening and landscaping at the Water Works Corner.Isle of Man Times page 20 Saturday 13 May 1939
- At Sulby during practice, Georg Meier riding for BMW is timed at 111 mph.TT Special 1939 edited by G.S.Davison TIMING ON THE SULBY STRAIGHT page 3 Friday 9 June 1939
- A collision occurs on Bray Hill during lap 2 of the 1939 Junior TT Races when Sven A. Sorenson riding an Excelsior collides with H. B. Waddington and David Whitworth both riding Norton motor-cycles.Ramsey Courier page 11 Friday 11 June 1939
- On lap 1 of the 1939 Junior TT Race, Bob Foster riding an AJS stops at the Quarterbridge to fix broken goggles. Also, Bill Beevers and H.B.Myers both riding Velocette motor-cycles crash at the Quarterbridge on the same lap.TT Special 1939 edited by G.S.Davison TODAY’S JUNIOR page 4 Monday 12 June 1939
- During lap 3 of the Junior Race, Tyrell Smith slips of his Excelsior motor-cycle at Parliament Square in Ramsey and then continues after straightening the foot-rest. At the East Mountain Gate during lap 5, Marcel Simo collides with a post and crashes his Terrot motor-cycle. He suffers head and chest injuries and is taken to hospital. Also during lap 5, Freddie Frith retires at Ballaugh after holding 2nd place in the 1939 Junior TT Race.Isle of Man Times page 3 STANLEY WOODS’ TENTH T.T. VICTORY Saturday 17 June 1939
- The 1939 Lightweight Race is held in mixed weather conditions. On lap 2 of the Lightweight Race, Jock McCredie riding an Excelsior retires at Ballaugh with engine problems. Lap 3 and Omobono Tenni riding a Moto Guzzi stops at Ballaugh to change a spark-plug and retires and his team-mate Stanley Woods retires on lap 5 with engine problems at Crosby.Isle of Man Times page 5 TED MELLORS WINS FOR ITALY. Saturday 17 June 1939
Sources
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External links
- [https://www.iomtt.com/tt-database/events?meet_code=TT39%20%20&era=2 Detailed race results]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060818204122/http://www.mcb.net/ttraces/tt/ttwin.html Isle of Man TT winners]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927035938/http://www.motoringpicturelibrary.com/preview_image.asp?lcID=25&fleID=6758 Ted Mellors winning the Lightweight TT on the Benelli] image
{{Isle of Man TT}}