1921 Isle of Man TT
# 1921 Isle of Man TT

The 1921 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Junior 350 cc race took place on Tuesday 14 June and the Senior 500 cc was on Thursday 16 June.

In this year AJS redeemed themselves by completing a hat trick, taking the first four places for a total of six of the top ten places in the Junior 350 cc race. Works teams boosted the entries to 133 riders and machines and amongst the thousands of spectators was Stanley Woods, making his first visit to the island as a young man, who would later return to make TT history by winning 10 times.

The Junior race speeds also rose considerably over the previous year with a lap speed of more than 50 mph (80 km/h). It had been suggested that sidecar racing could start in 1921 but this idea was not well received and not implemented until 1923. It was announced there was a possibility of moving the TT races to Belgium for 1922 but the Auto-Cycle Union never made the switch.

Despite AJS motorcycles filling the first five places of the Junior race, it was punctures that decided the race outcome. The eventual winner of the 1921 Junior TT Race was Eric Williams riding an AJS in 3 hours, 37 minutes and 23 seconds, an average race speed of 52.10 mph (83.85 km/h). The race was initially led by Howard R Davies also riding for AJS who set a new lap record for the Junior race of 41 minutes and 4 seconds, an average speed of 55.15 mph (88.76 km/h). Time lost by Howard Davies mending a puncture at Windy Corner gave the lead to Jim Whalley riding a Massey-Arran motorcycle. On the last lap Whalley also punctured at Windy Corner and finished the Junior race in fifth place. New Imperial made sales-boosting news with a win in the Lightweight 250 cc class by rider Doug Prentice, coming tenth overall in the 350 cc Junior race.

More drama was to follow in the Senior event as the race-lead changed every lap between Alec Bennett riding a Sunbeam, Freddie W.Dixon riding an Indian, and Freddie Edmond riding a Triumph who set a new lap record of 40 minutes and 8 seconds, an average speed of 56.40 mph (90.77 km/h). The Senior race was eventually won by Howard Davies riding a 350 cc Junior race motorcycle, by a margin of 2 minutes and 3 seconds from Freddie Dixon and Bert Le Vack in 4 hours, 9 minutes and 22 seconds, at an average race speed of 54.49 mph (87.69 km/h).

## Race results

### Junior TT 350cc

Held on Tuesday, June 14, at 9:30 am over a distance of 188.75 miles (5 laps of 37.75 miles each), limited to machines of cylinder capacity not exceeding 350cc., with a class for 250 cc. engines run concurrently for The Motor Cycle cup. All 65 entries started the race (43 in 350cc class, 22 in 250cc class), comprising 33 four-stroke singles, 22 two-stroke singles, 7 Flat Twins and 3 V Twin, thirty-eight finished (25 in 350cc class, 13 in 250cc class).

The 10th International Isle of Man Tourist Trophy :

| Pos | # | Rider | Bike | Cyl. | Junior TT and Lightweight class race classification | Junior TT and Lightweight class race classification | Junior TT and Lightweight class race classification | Junior TT and Lightweight class race classification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pos | # | Rider | Bike | Cyl. | Laps | Time | Speed | Prizes & Remarks |
| 1 | 52 | Eric Williams | 2¾ hp AJS 349cc | 1 | 5 | 3.37.23 | 52.21 mph | 1st Prize - Winner of Junior Tourist Trophy, £40 and gold medal. |
| 2 | 59 | Howard R Davies | 2¾ hp AJS 349cc | 1 | 5 | 3.41.10 | 51.15 mph | 2nd Prize - £20 and gold medal. |
| 3 | 59 | Tom Sheard | 2¾ hp AJS 349cc | 1 | 5 | 3.49.09 | 49.45 mph | 3rd Prize - £10 and gold medal. |
| 4 | 32 | George Kelly | 2¾ hp AJS 349cc | 1 | 5 | 3.49.22 | 49.40 mph | Gold medal. |
| 5 | 23 | Jim Whalley | 2¾ hp Massey-Arran 348cc | 1 | 5 | 3.52.39 | 48.70 mph | Gold medal. |
| 6 | 57 | Ossie Wade | 2¾ hp AJS 349cc | 1 | 5 | 3.59.02 | 47.40 mph | Gold medal. |
| 7 | 48 | W. Howarth | 2¾ hp DOT 346cc | 1 | 5 | 4.05.14 | 46.25 mph | Gold medal. |
| 8 | 38 | Harry Harris | 2¾ hp AJS 349cc | 1 | 5 | 4.10.09 | 45.30 mph | |
| 9 | 39 | R. Carey | 2¾ hp Blackburne 348cc | 1 | 5 | 4.12.14 | 44.90 mph | |
| 10 | 24 | Doug Prentice | 2¼ hp New Imperial (249 cc JAP) | 1 | 5 | 4.12.37 | 44.80 mph | 1st in Lightweight class - Winner of The Motor Cycle Trophy and a gold medal. |
| Fastest lap: Howard Davies, 41min. 4sec. 55.15 mph (New record) |||||||||

### Senior TT

Held on Thursday, June 16, at 9:30 am over a distance of 226.50 miles (6 laps of 37.75 miles each), limited to machines of cylinder capacity not exceeding 500cc. Out of 68 entries, comprising 52 four-stroke singles, 9 four-stroke twins, 6 two-stroke twins and 1 two-stroke single, sixty-four started the race and twenty-four finished.

The 10th International Isle of Man Tourist Trophy :

| Pos | # | Rider | Bike | Cyl. | Senior TT race classification | Senior TT race classification | Senior TT race classification | Senior TT race classification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pos | # | Rider | Bike | Cyl. | Laps | Time | Speed | Prizes & Remarks |
| 1 | 2 | Howard R. Davies | 2¾ hp AJS 349cc | 1 | 6 | 4.09.22 | 54.49 mph | 1st Prize - Winner of Senior Tourist Trophy, £50 and gold medal. |
| 2 | 65 | Freddie Dixon | 3½ hp Indian 498.8cc | 1 | 6 | 4.11.35 | 54.02 mph | 2nd Prize - £25 and gold medal. |
| 3 | 32 | Bert le Vack | 3½ hp Indian 498.8cc | 1 | 6 | 4.12.06 | 53.91 mph | 3rd Prize - £15 and gold medal. |
| 4 | 9 | Alec Bennett | 3½ hp Sunbeam 499cc | 1 | 6 | 4.14.11 | 53.47 mph | Gold medal. |
| 5 | 60 | Jack Watson-Bourne | 3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc | 1 | 6 | 4.18.55 | 52.49 mph | Gold medal. |
| 6 | 62 | Leslie Mitchell | 3½ hp Norton 490cc | 1 | 6 | 4.24.04 | 51.46 mph | Gold medal. |
| 7 | 48 | Freddie Edmond | 3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc | 1 | 6 | 4.24.06 | 51.46 mph | Gold medal. |
| 8 | 67 | George Dance | 3½ hp Sunbeam 499cc | 1 | 6 | 4.24.25 | | Gold medal. Rode last 4 laps on top gear with a broken gearbox |
| 9 | 61 | Tom Sheard | 3½ hp Sunbeam 499cc | 1 | 6 | 4.26.42 | | Gold medal. |
| 10 | 14 | Frank Townshend | 3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc | 1 | 6 | 4.27.51 | | Gold medal. |
| 11 | 34 | Douggie Alexander | 3½ hp Norton 490cc | 1 | 6 | 4.29.30 | | Gold medal. |
| 12 | 44 | Billie Hollowell | 3½ hp Norton 490cc | 1 | 6 | 4.30.18 | | Gold medal. 1st Private entry. |
| 13 | 52 | Walter Brandish, Junr. | 3½ hp Rover 499cc | 1 | 6 | 4.30.36 | | Gold medal. |
| 14 | 59 | Harry Harris | 2¾ hp AJS 349cc | 1 | 6 | 4.30.53 | | Gold medal. |
| 15 | 51 | Noel Brown | 3½ hp Indian 498.8cc | 1 | 6 | 4.34.00 | | Gold medal. |
| 16 | 29 | George Shemans | 3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc | 1 | 6 | 4.34.14 | | Gold medal. |
| 17 | 28 | R.W. Stanfield | 3½ hp Scott 486cc | 2 | 6 | 4.39.04 | | 1st Twin-cylinder. |
| 18 | 54 | Ray Braid | 3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc | 1 | 6 | 4.43.44 | | |
| 19 | 27 | M.H. Edmunds | 3½ hp Triumph 498.78cc | 1 | 6 | 4.50.15 | | |
| 20 | 45 | Norman Black | 3½ hp Douglas 494cc | 2 | 6 | 4.52.21 | | |
| 21 | 21 | George Strange | 3½ hp James 496cc | 2 | 6 | 5.00.20 | | |
| 22 | 15 | J.W. Moffat | 3½ hp Scott 486cc | 2 | 6 | 5.04.41 | | |
| 23 | 17 | Vivian Olsson | 3½ hp Sunbeam 499cc | 1 | 6 | 5.21.33 | | |
| 24 | 6 | Albert Milner | 3½ hp Sunbeam 499cc | 1 | 6 | 5.27.08 | | |
| Fastest lap: Freddie Edmond, 40min. 8sec. 56.40 mph (New record) |||||||||
