Was I born 10 years too late ?

[Fritz]

OOOOO,,,,,I have just returned from a 5 day trip to the IOM which included taking in the pre TT classic races on the Billown Circuit, Alan Oversby on the 3 cylinder MV was simply wonderful to see and hear but for me the best part of the weekend was on the Saturday when the classic sidecars had their turn to practise on a very wet track....

I don't remember every seeing and enjoying such a super event, even if it as only qualifying,,,,,,,these chaps were slipping and sliding all the way from Douglas Road Corner along the start and finish...... but the sound of those BMW motors pulling from nothing will stick with me for quite some time.

As it turned out for the race only a small number made it to the finish, in fact Vince Biggs won it by a country mile from the only other finisher Ralf Engelhart.... .

I must have missed out on this BMW dominated era of sidecar racing as my first encounter of sidecars at national/international level was at Cadwell in the eraly 70's to watch what seemed to be the fastest thing on 3 wheels that left black lines from Mansfield all the way out of sight to the bottom of the mountain,,,,,,it turned out to be Mac Hobson on a Yamaha engined machine using green spot tyres....

I didn't understand at the time how much of a revolution the 2 stroke engine would bring after being brought up watching the Hardy brothers on an 'IMP' at Aintree when the Waterloo club used to run the show....

Regards


Fritz,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[bludge]

well done Fritz. Good story too

Did you find Alberts beer tent? I beleive my Uncle 'dipstick' Dave was bar manager

Love the classics at Billown. enjoyed listening but more needed next year.

I hear there a few more sidecars already for next year

[Bob B]

Went to the TT first in 1962, the year that CV won. The sound of so many BMs was magic especially as I was already entranced from UK International meetings.

Not only the rasping sound of the MV triple but also the incredible sound of the Hondas and the screaming, unsilenced strokers of Yamaha and Suzuki too - happy days