1956 Clubman Senior TT

Course name: Mountain (post 1914)

Course length: 113.19 miles (3 laps)

Description: 1956 Clubman Senior TT
Race report from the IOM Weekly Times 15 June 1956 (pp.1, 10), below which is a full list of competitors:

Brilliant Double in TT Course Baptism!

“Boston Bombshell’s”
Wonderful Performance

LEADS ALL THE WAY

What a brilliant day for B.B.C. – Brilliant Bernard Codd! For the first time since the Clubman’s races were instituted in 1947, this Boston Bombshell achieved a double win in one day by carrying off the Senior trophy with his 499 c.c. B.S.A. The winner is a 21-year-old farmer.

From the sounding of the maroon at 2 p.m., when 32 riders were despatched on three laps of the gruelling 373/4-mile Mountain course, Codd went flat out to win the double, and his immaculate riding and high speeds were the attributes which crowned his day with dual success.

For a rider who has not appeared on the Mountain course before, his double win is all the more praiseworthy – and remarkable, too, is the fact he did his second lap in 26 minutes 10.4 seconds at a speed of 86.37 m.p.h. – nine seconds outside the record put up by Alistair King in 1954 when he completed the course at 87.02 m.p.h.

The weather held for this major race of the Clubman’s events, though the winds swept strongly over the Mountain sections. There was little increase in the number of spectators at the Grandstand, and the normal vantage points such as Ballacraine, Barregarrow, Ballaugh, Sulby and Creg-ny-Baa had fewer people than was expected.

With ten non-starters the field was reduced, but once again the race produced few retirements. Three teams, the East Midland (Codd, Wallis and Jervis), the Midland and Southern were nominated, and the riders got way with little incident.

Codd was first man through at Glen Auldyn – he bore the number 8, as he did in the Junior Race – and Eric Teare announced that he was travelling at a fast speed, extremely well and on a better line than he had used in the Junior race.

From the twin-win it would seem that Bernard was not worrying about lines, except the winning line!

At the point Jervis, who was lying third at the end of the first lap, was going flat out to keep up with the leaders and he got into a speed wobble, which he soon corrected.

When Codd came through the pits, roaring on his way to the second lap, he gave the “thumbs up” signal to his pit attendant, and this sign of happiness was used by Jerrard, Jervis and Jenkins on their way through. On the other hand a few riders gave emphatic “thumbs down” signals, but the few retirements registered indicated that faults had ironed themselves out.

GREAT SCRAP

The victorious side of Codd did not, however, eclipse the magnificent scrap that went on during the race between Jenkins (B.S.A.) from Bristol and Fred Wallis from Long Eaton, Notts., on a similar machine.

At the end of the first lap Wallis led Jenkins (No. 9 and No. 10 respectively, and who started off together) by two-fifths of a second. This margin was reduced to one-fifth of a second at the end of the second lap.

Then came a sensational announcement from Mr David Lay from Keppel Gate: “Yes, Jenkins has got ahead! He fairly haired round the corner in front of Wallis.”

The spectators at the Grandstand watched the red lights shining above both riders’ numbers, indicating their arrival at Signpost Corner. At the sound of engines coming from Governor’s Bridge everyone stood on their feet and watched Jenkins flash over the line to gain a very creditable third place, a few yards ahead of his battling rival.

D. Jervis (B.S.A.), who rode an excellent first lap to put himself into third position, met with bad luck at Sulby when he had to retire with engine trouble.

Also an unlucky man was Peter Cruse (B.S.A.), who had come all the way from the East Aden Protectorate to ride in these races.

After a faulty start he pulled in at the end of the first lap to retire with a broken oil tank. Cruse is an oil-driller with the Iraq Petroleum Company, and a wit mentioned that “he can find oil but he can’t get anything to keep it in.”

Another humorous remark was passed round the Grandstand regarding the very successful winner – “who’s going to get first plaice – well, Codd should fillet!”

The race was accident free except for one incident when G. Arnold (B.S.A.) came off at Governor’s Bridge but suffered no injury. V. Naintre (B.S.A.) retired at the Quarry Bends with engine trouble.

Codd’s final lap was watched with great interest and he was taken through all the major points by announcer Rev. R. H. Reid at the Grandstand.

The few people who remained on the stands watched him flash through, a red handkerchief streaming from his waist, and applauded the wonderful effort put up by this dashing newcomer.

Codd won the Dunlop trophy which is awarded to the rider who gets nearer to the lap record than any other. The club team award was won by the Southern Centre, comprising B. W. Newman, W. J. Hill and R. E. Jerrard.

Again the number of finishers was high, there being only four retirements.

Competitors

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