1907 ISLE OF MAN TT

The '1907 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy' was the first of the Isle of Man TT races. The races took place on 28 May, 1907 over the St.Johns Short Course (St Johns-Ballacraine-Kirk Michael-Peel-St Johns). The race was ten laps of the 15 mile 1,430 yards course a total race distance of 158 1/8th miles.
It was at 10am on the Tuesday 28th May 1907 that 25 riders started in pairs in a time-trial format for the 1907 Isle of Man TT Race for road-legal touring motor-cycles with exhaust silencers, saddles, pedals and mud-guards.^[1] On lap 1, Jack Marshall riding a Triumph suffered a fall from his motor-cycle and F.Appplebee Junior a puncture to his 5hp Vindex machine. By lap 2, Stanley Webb riding a 5hp Triumph had to stop at St.Johns to adjust a timing-belt and retired on lap 3 with a problem with the engine exhaust-valve.^[2] At the compulsory 10 minute replenishment stop, Oliver Godfrey had to retire when his 5hp Rex motor-cycle caught fire.^[3]
The race and the single-cylinder class was won by Charles R.Collier riding a Matchless motor-cycle in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 8 seconds at an average race speed of 38.21 mph. His brother Harry Collier, also riding a Matchless motor-cycle, had problems with an engine seizure on lap 2 and eventually retired on lap 9.^[3]
The Twin-Cylinder class and overall race was initially led by Rem Fowler riding a Norton motor-cycle. On lap 1, Rem Fowler completed the course in 23 minutes and 19 seconds, in 2nd place was Billy Wells in a time of 23 minutes and 21 seconds and Charlie Collier in the single-cylinder class with a time of 23 minutes and 45 seconds. The overall lead fell away as Rem Fowler suffered a number of problems with drive-belts and sparking-plugs and on lap 7, crashed at nearly 60mph at the "Devils Elbow" on the Kirk Michael to Peel section of the course when a tyre burst.^[5] Fowler nearly gave up, but was told by a spectator that he led the twin-cylinder class by 30 minutes from Billy Wells and went on to win at an average race speed of 36.22 mph and set the fastest lap of the race at 42.91 mph.

Contents

Single Cylinder race

Twin Cylinder race

Sources

External links

Single Cylinder race

Tuesday 28th May 1907 - 10 laps (158 ⅛ miles) Short Course.

Rank	No	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	4	Charlie Collier	3½ hp Matchless	38.21 mph	4:08.08.2
2	2	Jack Marshall	3½ hp Triumph	36.60 mph	4:19.47.3
3	1	Frank Hulbert	3½ hp Triumph	35.50 mph	4:27.49.4
4	5	R.M.Brice	3½ hp Brown	31.40 mph	5:03.55.2
5	14	M.Geiger	3½ hp NSU	30.60 mph	5:10.26.0
6	8	J.C.Smyth	3½ hp Rex	29.40 mph	5:23.40.3
7	11	R.W.Ayrton	3½ hp Coventry	29.10 mph	5:30.26.0
8	10	F.W.Applebee	3½ hp Rex	27.40 mph	5:46.31.0
ret	17	J.P.Le Grand	3 hp GB	—	—
ret	6	F.Winter	4 hp ROC	—	—
ret	16	Stanley Webb	3½ hp Triumph	—	—
ret	15	T.Silver	3 hp GB	—	—
ret	9	W.A.Jacobs	3½ hp Rex	—	—
ret	19	G.Horner	4 hp JAP	—	—
ret	12	J.D.Hamilton	3½ hp NSU	—	—
ret	18	R.W.Duke	3½ hp Triumph	—	—
ret	3	Harry Collier	3½ hp Matchless	—	—

^[6]

★ J.P.Le Grand finished course outside of time.

★ S.Webb retired lap 3.

★ T.Silver retired lap 7.

★ W.A.Jacobs retired lap 1 after an accident.

Twin Cylinder race

Tuesday 28th May 1907 - 10 laps (158 ⅛ miles) Short Course.

Rank	No	Rider	Team	Speed	Time
1	22	Rem Fowler	Peugeot-Norton	36.21 mph	4:21.52.8
2	21	W.H. 'Billy' Wells	Vindec	32.30 mph	4:53.44.5
3	26	W.M.Heaton	Rex	30.50 mph	5:11.03.5
4		J.A.Dent	Vindec	—	—
ret		T.H.Tessier	BAT	—	—
ret		H.Martin	Kerry	—	—
ret		Oliver Godfrey	Rex	—	—
ret		F.A.Applebee	Rex	—	—

Sources

1. Isle of Man TT by Charles Deane
2. ''Isle of Man Weekly Times'' dated 1st June 1907
3. ''The Motor Cycle'' dated 5th June 1907 p.446
4. ''The Motor Cycle'' dated 5th June 1907 p.446
5. ''Isle of Man TT'' by Charles Deane
6. ''The Motor Cycle'' dated 5th June 1907 p.445

External links

★ Detailed race results

★ Mountain Course map