Returns to the Island

1954

1 Professional motorcycle road racer Ray (full name, William Raymond) Amm of then Rhodesia, now the Republic of Zimbabwe, heading for an unexpected win in the year’s controversial Senior race astride the ‘Proboscis Norton,’ so named because of its unusual streamlined fairing.

After two postponements, Friday’s 500cc event finally started at noon in poor visibility – then it got worse. Tragically, Simon Sandys-Winsch (348cc Velocette) got no further than the Highlander before falling in the appalling conditions, later succumbing to his injuries.

Tellingly, 16 riders posted their fastest circuit on their first, push start lap, with none faster on the second circuit, when the rain was worst, with visibility down to 20 yards in places. Yet the race went on… Until approaching 2pm, when, suddenly, the stewards announced they were stopping it immediately, with many riders well into their fifth lap. Results were decided on times after precisely four laps.

This bizarre situation shocked racers, teams and spectators alike, favouring those yet to make a pitstop, but penalised those who had, including Geoff Duke. Entrants, headed by Piero Taruffi, of Duke’s Gilera team, who’d all taken their pitstops in the belief they were racing a seven-lap event, protested, but to no avail, as after two hours debate the stewards issued their statement: “In accordance with regulation 21 of the supplementary regulations, the result of the race will stand and protests will be quashed.” The irony of this whole debacle is that within minutes of stopping the race, the weather