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 Murdoch's AJS, and then filling the next four places. There were thirty three Nortons in a field of fifty six.

Artie Bell also came third in the Junior TT with Freddie Frith taking the flag for first place, and A. R. (Bob) Foster coming second, both on Velocettes. Maurice Cann won the Lightweight with his DOHC 250 cc Moto Guzzi, followed by Roland Pike on a Rudge.

Three Clubman races were again included, for the second year, in the festival with the Clubman Senior race allowing entries of motorcycles up to 1,000 cc engine capacity.

Later in 1948, at the FICM (later called FIM) meeting in London, it was decided there would be a motorcycle World Championship along Grand Prix lines. It would be a six-race annual series with points for a placing, and a point for the fastest lap of each race. There would be four classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. In the past a Grand Prix had been an individual race. In 1949 for the first time, starting with the Isle of Man TT, a series of Grand Prix races would decide who would be the 1949 World Champion.

The 1948 TT also saw the first presentation of the Jimmy Simpson Trophy, awarded to the rider who completed the fastest lap of the meeting.[1]

Junior TT (350cc)

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	Freddie Frith	Velocette	81.59 mph	3:14.33.6
2	Bob Foster	Velocette	79.55 mph	3:19.12.6
3	Artie Bell	Norton	78.97 mph	3:20.50.6
4	Johnny Lockett	Norton	78.80 mph	3:21.06.8
5	Maurice Cann	AJS	77.27 mph	3:25.06.6
6	Eric Briggs	Norton	77.13 mph	3:25.27.6
7	Leslie Graham	AJS	76.97 mph	3:25.54.2
8	Eric Oliver	Velocette	76.94 mph	3:25.58.8
9	S M Miller	Norton	76.11 mph	3:28.12.0
10	Tommy McEwan	AJS	76.06 mph	3:28.20.4

Lightweight TT (250cc)

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	Maurice Cann	Moto Guzzi	75.12 mph	3:30:49.0
2	Roland Pike	Rudge	71.85 mph	3:40.33.2
3	Doug St.J Beasley	Excelsior	67.68 mph	3:54.09.0
4	Ben Drinkwater	Moto Guzzi	66.6 mph	3:57.56.2
5	Ray Petty	New Imperial	66.26 mph	3:59.11.0
6	Jock McCredie	Excelsior	64.98 mph	4:03:52.2

Clubmans Senior TT

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	Jack D Daniells	998 Vincent HRD	80.51 mph	1.52.29.6
2	F Phil Heath	998 Vincent HRD	79.58 mph	1:53.49.0
3	Cyril A Stevens	490 Norton	76.01 mph	1:59.03.4

Clubmans Junior TT

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	Ronnie J Hazlehurst	Velocette	70.33 mph	2.08.47.2
2	G W Robinson	AJS	70.02 mph	2:09.21.6
3	Milton Sunderland	Norton	69.58 mph	2:10.13.4

Clubmans Lightweight TT

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	Monty Lockwood	Excelsior	64.93 mph	1.44.37.6
2	Bill G Dehany	Excelsior	63.35 mph	1:47.13.8
3	Ron Carvell	Triumph	62.53 mph	1:48.38.0

Senior TT (500cc)

Rank	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	Artie Bell	Norton	84.969 mph	3:06.31.0
2	Bill Doran	Norton	80.338 mph	3:17.16.0
3	Jock A Weddell	Norton	79.564 mph	3:19:11.2
4	Geoff G Murdoch	AJS	78.513 mph	3:21.51.2
5	Noel Pope	Norton	78.039 mph	3:23.04.8
6	C W (Bill) Petch	Norton	77.806 mph	3:23.41.2
7	Henry Pinnington	Norton	77.343 mph	3:24.54.6
8	Jack Brett	Norton	77.307 mph	3:24.59.8
9	Omobono Tenni	Moto Guzzi	76.857 mph	3:26.12.2
10	Eric Oliver	Velocette	76.648 mph	3:26.45.4

References

1. Isle of Man Times, 5 June 1948; Page: 5

External links

• Detailed race results
• Isle of Man TT winners