1957 Sidecar TT
Course name: Clypse
Course length: 114 miles (10 laps)
Description: 1957 Sidecar TT race. Race report from the IOM WEEKLY TIMES 7 JUNE 1957 (p. 12) below which is a full list of competitors:
GERMANS “WALK AWAY” WITH SIDECAR RACE
Hillebrand 1st, Schneider 2nd, Camathias 3rd
Winner's Time: 1h. 30m. 3.4s.
Speed: 71.89 m.p.h.
RECORD LAP OF 72.55 M.P.H. BY MAN WHO LED THE FIELD
The Start. Wednesday.
GERMANY won the Sidecar International Race over the Clypse circuit to-day, and also the Manufacturers’ Team Prize.
It was a repeat win for F. Hillebrand (passenger M. Grunwald). He took 1 hour 30 minutes 3.4 seconds for the race, an average speed of 71.89 m.p.h.
To Hillebrand also went the honour of creating a new lap record - time 8 minutes 55.4 seconds: speed 72.55 m.p.h.
From the word "go" he was chased by Schneider (passenger H. Strauss) driving another B.M.W., who finished second.
It was Germany's race from the start.
Hillebrand - fastest man in practice - got into the lead, and stayed there, lap after lap
It was Hillebrand who alone lowered the lap record. That was set up by his German colleague W. Noll in 1955 in 9 mins., speed 71.93 m.p.h. In the fourth lap Hillebrand took 8 mins. 55.4 secs., to average 72.55 m.p.h.
British hopes received a setback when "Pip" Harris failed to complete his fourth circuit. Prior to that he had been going extraordinarily well - though not fast enough to catch the Germans. Cyril Smith and Bill Boddice also went out in the last stage of the race.
And now for the piece de resistance in a programme of high-speed events - the spectacular "chair" race. The field of 28 drivers was reduced by only one - Marcelli, of Italy - and the crowds were promised a thrilling spectacle, with F. Hillebrand, the German driver, as firm favourite for first place.
In a massed start that robbed everyone of their breath with its intensity of noise, the machines got away on a clutch start and Schneider, Hillebrand and Camathias roared ahead of the mass of machines tearing towards Parkfield Corner.
At Willaston, Hillebrand was in the lead, followed closely by Schneider, and he was followed by Camathias and Cyril Smith.
This order remained unchanged Creg-ny-Baa, where commentator David Lay paid a tribute to the wonderful driving of that pilot, saying “it is simply staggering how they control these machines”
An interesting spectator in the “paddock" was Eric Oliver, who on Friday is to do a lap of honour on a sidecar machine over the Snaefell circuit shortly before the official car opens the roads.
At the end of the first lap, Hillebrand, on his B.M.W., and Schneider, also on a B.M.W., had drawn away from Camathias (B. M.W.) P. V. Harris (Norton) and Smith (Norton). Harris had passed Smith coming down from Creg-ny-Baa. A. Young (Norton ) stopped at Cronk-ny-Mona with an oiled-up plug, but proceeded two minutes later.
On the second lap Hillebrand was some 30 yards in front of his colleague, Schneider.
Hillebrand, on his immaculate streamlined B.M.W., was still in the lead at the end of the second lap, with Willie Schneider on an equally immaculate B.M.W. trying hard to overtake his fellow countryman.
The distance between these two drivers and third and fourth men, Camathias and Smith, was quite considerable, but Smith (a British hope), was making up the leeway in his fight to overtake the Swiss man. The field was spreading out; every entrant was putting on a wonderful display, and the crowds were being given every possible thrill in this battle for supremacy.
At the end of the second lap, E. Walker (Norton) coasted past the pits and stopped at the end of the grandstand.
It was officially announced that Walker had retired with engine trouble, and B. N. Green (Norton) retired at Edge's Corner with a collapsed wheel spindle. The rider and his passenger were OK.
Hillebrand Draws Away
And Lowers Lap Record
Two rocketing machines - the B.M.W.'s - roared through on their fourth lap and their speed was incredible. Hillebrand was drawing away from his compatriot, and behind them Camathias was being chased by Harris, who was now very much ahead of Smith. Muhlemann toured in from the Manx Arms and pushed his machine into the enclosure.
Great news for Britain was that Pip Harris and Cyril Smith had passed the Swiss, Camathias, so that two Germans were first and second and two Britons third and fourth.
Swindells had stopped at Ballacoar, making adjustments to his machine.
Some idea of the high speeds being put up by Hillebrand could be gleaned by the fact that at the end of the third lap he had come within three-fifths of a second of the record lap.
Muhlemann was officially announced as retired and the retirement was also announced of Jacques Drion (Norton), with his woman passenger, Inge Stoll.
Then the record went!
On his fourth circuit, Hillebrand went round in 8 mins. 55.4 seconds, at a speed of 72.55 miles an hour. This beat the previous record of 1955 by 4.6 seconds.
The British hopes, raised by the displacement of Camathias from third position through the excellent riding of Harris and Smith (Nortons), were dashed when it was seen that Pip Harris had failed to finish his fourth lap.
But no news was available then as to why he had dropped back!
It was later learned that Harris had a broken cowling support, which put him out of the race at Ballacoar when climbing up the leader board. P. Woollett had passed Governor's Bridge when his chain lubricating tank blew off into the roadway. He proceeded at a fast rate and went through the pits quite unconcerned.
Millard, who had been missing since the second lap, retired at Moaney 2 with faulty suspension.
Nothing to Catch the Germans
By the end of the seventh lap the brilliant Hillebrand was in a commanding position at the head of the field, but Schneider was chasing him tenaciously and trying to make up as much leeway as possible. These two were showing the spectators at every vantage point of the Ciypse just how a "chair " race should be driven. Their technique was a treat to watch, and though the spectators were cold they did not move from their hedgerow seats as they sat fascinated by this thrilling spectacle.
Hillebrand's progress lap after lap was the acme of high-powered motion.
At Creg-ny-Baa on his eighth circuit he was 30 seconds ahead of the second man, while Smith and Camathias were doing battle in third and fourth places.
J. Swindells was reported to be passing Creg-ny-Baa without a number plate, and he officially retired with engine trouble some distance beyond the corner. Millard also stopped near the Creg with smoke pouring from the bottom of his engine. Driver and passenger made adjustments and pushed the machine away, but they were travelling at touring speed. It was not their day!
Unless cruel luck struck Hillebrand, there seemed to be nothing that could hold him in his breathtaking ride to a second sidecar victory in succession. There was no astonishing record-breaking, but with the knowledge he was 40 seconds ahead of the second man, it appeared that he was taking things easily.
He finished his eighth lap and his average speed was 71.88 m.p.h., which was close on two miles an hour faster than last year's average. Cyril Smith, in third position, was roughly one minute 20 seconds behind the leader, but clinging persistently to his third position.
Young (Norton) retired at School Road corner, Onchan.
Going like a bomb, Hillebrand sped away on his last lap, his engine sounding as sweetly as ever and his riding was absolutely rock-like in its brilliancy.
He and his passenger were making the high-speed cornering seem effortless. He was checked through Creg-ny-Baa and Ballacoar, and Schneider was also going great guns on this last circuit.
"Hillebrand is at the Manx Arms." This announcement came from the loudspeakers and the crowd waited anxiously. We heard him being checked through at Signpost and then at Governor's Bridge. As the spectators stood, there was the roar of the B.M.W. engine, which increased in crescendo as Hillebrand came tearing down to take the chequered flag — a very worthy winner indeed.
The second man, Schneider, followed shortly afterwards, and into third place came - of all people - Camathias, who had been lying fourth up to this last lap. So Smith was missing. He was later reported to be pushing in his mount from the Manx Arms.
Bill Boddice, who was lying fifth, also created a sensation on this lap when the machine hit the bank at the fourth milestone. He retired. Both passenger and driver were O.K.
Fourteen sidecar machines finished the race. Out of an entry of 28 - just half the total, one was a non-starter, one a non-finisher and 12 retired. The fastest lap was 8 mins. 55.4 secs., a speed of 72.55 m.p.h., and this was put up by Friedrich Hillebrand (B.M.W.). The B.M.W. machines won the manufacturers' team prize