1955 Clubman Junior TT

Course name: Clypse

Course length: 97 miles (9 laps)

Description: Race report from the IOM Weekly Times 10 June 1955 (p.3) below which is a full list of competitors:

BUCHAN DEFIES THE RAIN

And Wins Junior Clubman’s

Joubert (South Africa) Collapses from the Cold

BUT CREATES RECORD LAP AND FINISHES SECOND

For the final two laps of the Junior race, competitors rode through a rainstorm on the mountain stretch of the course. And when winner Jimmy Buchan flashed over the finishing line, lights on the leader boards glowed brightly in the rapidly gathering darkness.

But the rain failed to cut Buchan’s speed appreciably. He won in 1 hr. 25 mins. 24 secs. – speed 68.23 m.p.h. – 15.6 seconds ahead of Dan Joubert, a 22-year-old vine farmer from Cape district, South Africa.

Third position went to Peter Ferbrache, in 1 hr. 27 mins. 54.8 secs. – 66.28 m.p.h. – all rode B.S.A.’s.

Buchan (20) a Perth, Scotland journalist, snatched a five second lead on lap one, and led for the rest of the race.

Over-eagerness may have cost South Africa’s representative first place. He lost valuable seconds vainly trying to start his machine, while the petrol tap was not turned on. Later, although he recorded the fastest lap of the race (his seventh) in 9 mins. 18 secs. – 69.78 m.p.h. – the cold rain slowed him considerably, “and seeing another man knock some boulders from a bank, did not help him,” added his friend, international T.T. man, Ray Travers.

At the end of lap one Buchan led by five seconds from Hocking (B.S.A.) and by 19 secs. from Joubert.

By lap two the order had changed to Buchan, Washer, Joubert, and that order was maintained until lap five, when Joubert moved up into second place.

TWO MINOR SPILLS
News of the first accident came when N.C. Fletcher parted company with his B.S.A. at St. Ninian’s, and cut his hand.

The American, David Hagen, was also in trouble. A police constable phoned to the start, asking for Hagen to be stopped and examined by a doctor, as in his opinion, Hagen was not fit to continue racing, after crashing at the Nursery bends.

Hagen was flagged in and later retired.

By the end of lap 6, Ferbrache (B.S.A.) held third position, 32 seconds behind Joubert, who was cutting Buchan’s lead fractionally.

On lap seven came the end of E.J. Washer’s bid for honours. He crashed at Hall’s corner, but was not hurt, and later rode to the start.

UNWIN HURT IN CRASH AT 5½ MILESTONE

Minutes later came the report that E. Unwin (B.S.A.) had been removed to hospital following a spill at the 5½ mile corner. He was detained in Noble’s hospital with a groin injury. Noble’s hospital stated that the injury “is not serious”. He is quite comfortable.

Meanwhile Buchan, although slowing slightly, maintained a winning lead over Joubert. The South African was putting everything he knew into his efforts to cut Buchan’s lead, but the young Scot crossed the line with a 15 second advantage.

Joubert did not see the chequered flag – another rider obscured his view – and he went on to complete ten laps, before being flagged in, when he promptly collapsed through cold and fatigue.

There were 31 finishers. Neither of the two club teams finished intact.

Competitors

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