1959 Formula 1 500 TT

Course name: Mountain (post 1914)

Course length: 113.19 miles (3 laps)

Description: 1959 Formula 1 500 TT

Race report from the IOM Weekly Times 5 June 1959 (p. 2), below which is a full list of competitors:

Two Scots Riders Take Formula 1 Honours

Two brilliant Scots riders—Bob Mclntyre and Alastair King—shared the honours in the first Formula I event to be held in international racing. Over three laps of the T.T. Course on Saturday evening Mclntyre won the 500 c.c. class on his Norton in a time of 1 hour 9 minutes 28.4 seconds, a speed of 97.77 m.p.h. Alastair on a 7R A.J.S. won the 350 class, finishing the race in 1 hour 11 minutes 45.4 seconds, a speed of 94.66 m.p.h. The fastest laps in both classes were put up by the respective winners, Mclntyre doing his first lap, from a standing start, at 98.35 m.p.h., while Alastair left his speed-making to the final circuit, completed at a speed of 95.37 m.p.h.

The Start, Saturday.
Confined to standard production machines, of which 35 have been manufactured and sold to the public, the Formula 1 class was introduced by the F.I.M. to revitalise international road racing, despite the opposition of the leading manufacturers. And though the entries were lacking in quantity—the results proved that they were not lacking in quality. Out of 16 starters in the 500 c.c. class. 15 men finished, all on British machines. In the 350 class there were 13 starters and 12 finished. The 13th man retiring through physical tiredness caused by working through two nights to prepare his machine. The weather differed from the ideal conditions which favoured the practices and a cold wind was blowing, and the sky was overcast, though it remained dry and clear. These conditions were of greater benefit to the riders than the public, and the Grandstand was by no means full.
Weighing-in of the machines took place in the paddock prior to the race, and shortly before 6-15 p.m. the Governor and Lady Dundas arrived to be greeted by A.-C.U. chairman Mr Norman Dixon, Archdeacon Stenning and his fellow stewards.

500 c.c. CLASS—FIRST LAP
Sixteen Senior class riders faced the starter and there was one change in the programme with D. G. Chapman (Norton) taking the place of B. P. Setchell. As with the 350 c.c. class, the riders were despatched in pairs at 20-second intervals and the first men away were Jimmy Buchan and Bruce Daniels on Nortons, followed by G. Pennington (Norton) and' Dickie Dale (B.M.W.). The third pair were Terry Shepherd and Bob Mclntyre (Nortons) and the last man away was Bob Brown (Norton). Although Mclntyre started 40 seconds after countryman Buchan, he was signalled through Kirk Michael in second place on the roads and fulfilling all the promise shown in his astounding practice lap of 99.13 m.p.h. At Ramsey the Flying Scot was first on the road, with Dickie Dale breathing down his neck. Behind them were Buchan, Shepherd and Daniels, and Bob Brown had been speeding on his way to the North, for he arrived in the company of D. Jarman (Norton) who started 80 seconds ahead of him. On the Mountain Mclntyre was 25 seconds ahead of Dale and when the Norton machine streaked past the Grandstand there was a gap of about half a minute before Dale went through. Shortly before 7 p.m., the field had completed a lap — all 16 starters — which says much for their reliability. Then came news that Mclntyre's first lap was completed in 23 mins.

The gap of 48 seconds between the leader and the second man gave many people food for thought, but it was noticed that a matter of 20 seconds covered the next five men with Dale and Terry Shepherd separated by four-fifths of a second. Mclntyre is first at Ramsey, well ahead of Jimmy Buchan, Dale and Shepherd, with a noticeable wait before Ken Kavanagh, Chapman and Bob Brown arrived there. Announcer David Lay at Keppel Gate, "took" Mclntyre through that spot, commenting on the Scotsman's speed and rock-like steadiness. By the time he goes through to the final lap the leader is well ahead of Buchan on the road. He was followed by Buchan and then Terry Shepherd with no appearance by Dickie Dale, whose clock showed him to be somewhere on the Mountain. When everyone had gone through bar Dale to finish two laps, along he came having toured from the Creg to the pits where he retires, but it still gives a record of 16 starters with 16 completing the two-thirds distance.

LAST LAP
Mclntyre slowed during his second lap but he had little need to hurry streaking down Glencrutchery Road for his third and final lap as he has a lead over Brown of 64 seconds. And from reports by Bray Hill spectators he was taking it easy—sitting up in a comfortable riding position, making the whole thing look too easy. He is signalled through Ramsey at 7-30 p.m., followed by Buchan, Shepherd. Chapman, Ken Kavanagh and Bob Brown so that six Nortons occupy all the leader board positions. With the light fading and haze coming over the Mountain, the Flying Scot tears down from Signpost to take the chequered flag as winner of the Avon Formula I 500 c.c. trophy. Although in last position Ed La Belle from Canada on a B.M.W. completes his first-ever race in Europe.

Competitors

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