A lap of the Isle of Man on a sidecar in 1967

November 17, 2009 by mike.cox

Written by John Thornton.                            
I thought that it might be of interest to take you through a lap from the passenger’s viewpoint. Most people think that this must be a very frightening experience. Quite right! But no-one in their right mind would jump on a sidecar without a great deal of experience in lesser races before tackling this one.
 

The last race that I participated in was in 1967, the Diamond Jubilee, with Pip Harris on a 492cc BMW. Where we finished 4th with a fastest lap of 91mph.
This episode will take us from the start to Ballacraine, about 8 miles, but first a bit of background.
 
The Isle of Man circuit in 1967 was very different to what it is now, being in parts very bumpy and roughly surfaced.
It is 37 and a bit miles round and is very difficult to learn, the best way being to learn it in sections point to point, which is how these episodes will be written. It is not easy to explain the dangers of a really fast lap, there are really few runoff areas and a mistake can easily be very serious. But the place holds some form of a fascination to try just that bit harder.
 
OK, deep breath and away we go.
Along a short straight to the top of Bray hill but watch for the drainhole cover at the top which can be very dodgy if hit.
Bray hill is very scary and has to be treated with a lot of respect being about as steep as Primrose hill in Germiston, Gauteng and flat out for the brave.
There is a slight right hand kink at the bottom and the camber of the road is used as a banking with the suspension fully bottomed out.
 
From Bray there is a short uphill section with a left hand kink and then downhill to Quarter Bridge an adverse righthander which can catch out the unwary as judging braking and speed is not easy and many have fallen off here including Agostini.
 
A short straight takes us to Braddan Bridge a swinging left right and from there we start picking up speed towards Union Mills which is a fast left hander and a lot of confidence in the driver was needed because the stone wall was very close to your head!
 
Remember, these were the days of hanging out. 
Up the hill to Glen Vine a very fast righthander and then on past Crosby and downhill to the speed trap at the Highlander pub where we were clocked at 128mph.
There follows a very scary left right with a stone wall and phone box on the outside of the corner here is where total teamwork counted between driver and passenger to get it right,a mistake was not an option.
 
From there it is all fast swinging bends through Greeba Castle and Greeba bridge a very fast section if you know it well.
For some reason I had a big problem with this section which has many similar bends. On then to Ballacraine a tight righthander with the pub on the outside, useful in the case of a breakdown!
In 1967 this section of the circuit from the Start to Ballacraine had been resurfaced and was very smooth but from here on it was very bumpy and demanding as we shall see in the next episode 
 
 
 
In the last episode we had reached Ballacraine and now entered the Laurel bank section.
As I explained up to now the road surface was very smooth but from now on it was a very different story the road being very bumpy and bordered on both sides with stone walls and kerb stones all of which made the job of keeping the outfit on the road physically demanding as the bumps would make it leap around like a bucking bronco.
This section runs through a heavily treed valley and damp patches were an additional hazard.
 
However, here we go, through Ballig bridge, Dorans bend and Laurel bank which I found to be a very difficult section to learn even after covering 14 laps in my Morris 1000 van that year as well as practice sessions, the bends being very similar but of different speeds
 On then through to Sarahs Cottage an uphill lefthander where the camber could be used as a banking.
 
This corner is famous for being where Mike Hailwood dropped the MV in the wet , kicked it straight and carried on to win, I think in 1965?
 
The circuit now climbs right-handed through Glen Helen to the Cronk-y-Voddy straight which had to be the roughest piece of road imaginable, speed was governed by the ability to hang on. At the top of the straight is the 11th milestone and from here the circuit drops down to Kirkmichael through the series of fast lefthand corners of Handleys, Baaregarroo and 13th milestone which for a passenger who knew the circuit was very exciting knowing that the driver was totally committed and relying on you to do your job at the right time.
 
The village of Kirkmichael through to the end of the Sulby straight was a section of 5 miles where a passenger lay there tucked in behind the screen.
The exception being the Ballaugh Bridge jump where accurate weight position was needed to keep the outfit level on landing. Again, the Sulby straight was very rough with the outfit bouncing all over the road at 120 plus, the 400yrd marker being an orange blur to warn that it was time to get up on the back wheel for braking into Sulby Bridge.
 
Across the bridge where more than one rider has landed in the water, along a short straight to Ginger Hall left hander with its iron railings.
As an aside if you are ever in the island do yourself a favour and take the road from here through Sulby Glen to the Bungalow, which passes through fairy tale scenery.
 
From Ginger Hall through Glentramman to Ramsey is a section of 3 miles of fast sweeping bends that I never really mastered, though not for trying.
We are now 23 miles out and next episode will be covering the haul up and down the Mountain to the finish.                  
 
 
 
In the last episode we had reached Parliament Square Ramsey and now starts the climb up through the Town past May hill and to Ramsey hairpin one of the slowest left hand corners but very tricky and easy to come unstuck on a sidecar.
 
Up past the Waterworks right hander which if you ever have the opportunity have a look at the spectacular view and steep drop from there. Past Irongates and up to the Gooseneck all easy stuff as it is possible to see the complete corners, which make them judgeable.
 
Now starts what is, for a passenger, a big rest and what was on the BMW flat out stuff behind the screen for about 4 miles past the Guthrie memorial along the Mountain Mile through the East Mountain box past the Les Graham memorial along the Verandah to the Bungalow, all easy stuff to remember.
The Bungalow being the terminus for the tram which climbs from Douglas.
 
The tramlines had to be watched very carefully, more than one has come unstuck on these, as they are at an angle to the racing line.
 
Once again fast motoring past Brandywell to the fast lefthander of 32nd Milestone through the right hander of Windy Corner to the very fast lefthanders of 33rd, Keppel Gate and Kates Cottage all hard work for a passenger.
 
Down the fast drop to Creg-ny-baa which needed careful judging because of the speed that you had been going at for so long.
Next come two very fast straights joined by the left hander of Brandish and down to the very fast right hand sweep of Hillberry, again all hard work.
Up the Cronk-ny-Mona hill to Signpost Corner and down through Bedstead to Governors Bridge hairpin through the left right of the Nook and we are once again on the Glencutchery road for the start of another flat out plunge down Bray hill.
 
Why did we do it?
Most people would think that this must be a frightening experience. Quite right!! But no-one in their right mind would jump on a TT sidecar without a great deal of experience in lesser races before tackling this one.
Anyone who has ridden a TT will tell you that to complete a fast lap on the edge must be the highest adrenaline rush possible.
The circuit is certainly the most demanding that I raced on, closely followed by the long circuit at the Nurburgring and the fascination to return again is always there.
I rode in four TT two on Manx outfits with Fred Hanks and two with Pip Harris on a BMW gaining a silver replica, two finishers medals and one retirement when the gearbox broke in 1965. The memories are good and bad and will always stay with me.