Jack Brett

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Age 41, Jack Brett is from Leeds. His Island successes began in 1946 when he was the sixth in the Lightweight Manx and seventh - on a 350 - in the Senior. Turning to the T.T. races the following year, he was tenth, on an Excelsior, in the Lightweight race but retired when lying fifth in the Junior. For 1948 he rode Nortons, and eighth place in the Senior T.T. came his way; 1949, 1950 - then came a ride in the Norton team in 1951, when Jack was third in the Junior race and a member of the winning Norton trio for the Manafacturers' Team Award.

A switch to A.J.S. colours took place in 1952, and he began the season well by winning on a "Porcupine," the 500 c.c. Swiss Grand Prix; Bill Doran,his teamate, finished second. Back in the Norton fold in 1953, he held fourth place in the Junior T.T. In the Senior race he did even better, pulling up from seventh place on the opening lap to take a well earned second birth at the finish, his speed being 93.74 m.p.h. He retired on the first lap of the 1954 Junior T.T., striking machine trouble at Ramsey, but went well in the Senior race to finish in the third place.

Ramsey was again Jack's "Waterloo" in the 1955 Junior, for he retired once more at that point, he was fourth in the Senior race and a member of the winning manafacturer's team. Misfortune again hit Jack in the 1956 Junior race. Gearbox trouble forced his retirement on the sixth lap at Quarry Bends when he was holding fourth berth. In the Senior he was luckier and after a steady, trouble-free ride brought his Norton home third. He started the 1957 season well by winning the 500 c.c. class of the NorthWest "200" and he started the 1958 season by doing the same thing!

He was out of luck in the T.T. in 1957 for he retired in both races. in the Senior Belgian Grand Prix he finished second on time, but when the first man home, Liberati, was disqualified, Jack was declared the winner. Later in the year Liberati was reinstated as the winner and Jack was relegated to second place. His luck was out again in the 1958 T.T., for he retired in the both Junior and Senior; he did not ride last year. (TT Special, 13 June 1960, p.10.)

Mounts: Junior – Norton
Senior – Norton

Age 33, younger brother of “C.F.” and like him an engineer, of Leeds. Rode in both Lightweight and Senior Manx Grand Prix races of 1946 finishing sixth in the Lightweight and seventh in the Senior, on a 350 machine. In 1947, he rode in the Junior and Lightweight T.T.’s In the Junior he retired on the fourth lap when lying fifth, but he finished tenth in the Lightweight on an Excelsior. In 1948, he rode a Velocette in the Junior T.T., but after doing the opening lap in 29 mins. 46 secs., retired on the second lap.

Last year he rode Nortons in both races, finishing 42nd in the Junior at 75.94 and winning a first-class replica. In the Senior he was 30th, at 75.42, collecting a second-class replica.

He is entered for both races by Hallen’s Motor Engineers, of Cambridge.
(TT Special, 5 June 1950, p.17.)

Mounts: Junior – Velocette
Lightweight – Excelsior

Age 30 years. Brother of C. F. Brett (see above) and, like him, an engineer. Saw service in Europe during the War as M.S.M. in the R.A.S.C.

This is his first ride in the T.T., but he knows his way round the course, for he rode in both Lightweight and Senior races in last year’s M.G.P. He finished 6th in the Lightweight and 7th in the Senior – this on a 350 c.c. machine. He has had some successes in Belgium, including winning the Grand Prix de Zoute and has done well at Scarborough this year and last.

Both his machines are private entries.
(TT Special, 9 June 1947, p.10.)

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