Qualla: History of the Isle of Man TT Races 1920–1929

History of the Isle of Man TT Races 1920–1929: Introduction

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

In 1920, motorcycle racing returned to the Isle of Man for the first time since the world had gone to war. The Snaefell Mountain Course was lengthened to 37 and three-quarter miles, the start line moved to Glencrutchery Road, and a new generation of riders was about to discover what a motorcycle could really do on public roads through Manx villages. Over the next nine years the TT would acquire most of the features it still carries today: a new corner named after a crash, an Italian disqualification that became known forever as 'the Guzzi Incident,' the first lap over 70 mph, and a small handful of fatalities that began to push the sport toward closed-road practice.

History of the Isle of Man TT Races 1920–1929: Restarting the Engines

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The 1920 Junior TT introduced a new Lightweight class for 250cc machines. Ronald Clarke on a Levis won that class and was on course for an overall win when he crashed at the 33rd Milestone on the last lap, finishing fourth. The next year Howard Davies beat Freddie Dixon and Huber...

History of the Isle of Man TT Races 1920–1929: Naming the Corners

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

In 1923, the course took on a private road between Parliament Square and May Hill in Ramsey, replacing the old route via Albert Road and Tower Road. The course length was now 37.739 miles, fixed to 37.733 in 1938. The same year, Walter Brandish crashed and broke a leg on a corner...

History of the Isle of Man TT Races 1920–1929: Faster Than Sixty

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

An Ultra-Lightweight TT for 175cc machines arrived in 1924 with a massed start instead of pairs, and Jock Porter won it on a New Gerrard at 51.20 mph. In the Senior the same year, Alec Bennett on a Norton became the first rider to average over 60 mph for the whole race. The 1925 ...

History of the Isle of Man TT Races 1920–1929: The Guzzi Incident

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

By 1926 the course had been almost entirely tarmacked, including the narrow A18 Mountain Road, alcohol-based fuels had been banned, and the Italian manufacturers Bianchi, Garelli, and Moto Guzzi were arriving in force. The Lightweight race that year produced one of the most contr...

History of the Isle of Man TT Races 1920–1929: Birkin's Bend

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

In 1927, Archie Birkin, brother of the Bentley Boys driver Tim Birkin, was killed in practice on a corner near Kirk Michael. The corner was renamed Birkin's Bend, and from 1928 onwards practice sessions were held on closed roads, a change that would save many lives in the decades...