Cecil Sandford

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Mounts: Junior – D.K.W.
Lightweight – Mondial.
125 c.c. – Mondial.

Age 27, Cecil Sandford, a smallholder of Blockley, Glos., rode in three races in the Isle of Man in 1949, all on Velocettes. The first was the Clubman’s Junior in which he finished fifth at 73.52 m.p.h. In the Manx Grand Prix he was fifth again in the Junior, and 42nd in the Senior. Earlier in the season he won the Clubman’s 50 miles race at Eppynt and the 250 c.c. event at Haddenham.

On Velocettes as usual, in 1950 he was 33rd in the Junior T.T. and gained a second-class replica. His best “big race” of the season was the Ulster Grand Prix in which he finished fifth in the 350 c.c. class at 89.23 m.p.h. In the Junior T.T. in 1951 he retired.

In 1952 he really showed what he could do. In the Junior T.T., riding an Earles-Velocette, he was ninth at 83.27 m.p.h., and won a Silver Replica. Two days later he set off on his M.V. “Tiddler” and led the 125 c.c. race from start to finish, winning at the record speed of 75.54 m.p.h. and putting the lap record up to 76.07. He rode an Earles-B.S.A. in the Senior, but retired on the fifth lap.

Going over to the Continent with his M.V., he won the 125 class of the Dutch T.T. and was third in the same class of the German Grand Prix three weeks later. Back to Ireland, and back to winning form – he won the 125 Ulster by over two minutes at 77.47 m.p.h. His last big race of the season was the Spanish Grand Prix, where he came in third. His many successes on the little M.V. made him World Champion of the 125 c.c. class.

He retired at Hillberry in the 1953 Junior, with clutch trouble, but in the 125 c.c. race he brought the M.V. into third place to win a silver replica.

In the Continental races he was third in the Dutch T.T. and second in both the Ulster and Spanish Grand Pirx (125 c.c. classes), his total score of 20 points confirming him as runner-up in the 125 c.c. World Championships.

Cecil did not have too good a season with his little M.V. in 1954. He was third, however, in the 125 c.c. T.T., and fifth in the same class in both the Ulster and German Grands Prix.

Last year, riding Guzzis, he was third in the Junior T.T. at 91.59 m.p.h., and second int the Lightweight race.

Entered this year by Arthur Taylor of Shipston-on-Stour, Cecil has already proved the speed of his Mondial at Silverstone, where he won the 125 c.c. Championship. Riding Norton, he has two third places at the same meeting.
(TT Special, 8 June 1956, p.9.)

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