1958 Sidecar TT
Course name: Clypse
Course length: 114 miles (10 laps)
Description: 1958 Sidecar TT
Race report from the IOM Weekly Times 6 June 1958 (p.3) below which is a full list of competitors:
SCHNEIDER'S TROPHY
GERMAN WINS AT RECORD SPEED
Breaks Lap Record Twice
British Challengers Out With Engine Trouble in Closing Stages
SIDECAR T.T. RACE SPEED FASTER THAN LAST YEAR'S LAP RECORD
Grandstand. Wednesday.
WILLI SCHNEIDER, ace rider of a German B.M.W., with H. Strauss as passenger, to-day won the Sidecar T.T. at record speed and so repeated his success of three years ago with the famous German marque, which has now won the event for the past four years.
His British challengers, Smith and Harris, went out in the closing stages with engine trouble, but they had little hope of catching the German, whose speed for the race was faster than last year's lap record.
The crowd had not long to wait for a new lap record. On his second lap Schneider went round in 8 minutes 47.6 seconds (73.62 m.p.h.), and he put up new figures on the sixth, 8 minutes 44.4 seconds (74.07 m.p.h.). This spectacle of the week brought the crowds to their feet as the riders tore away with Florian Camathias in the lead, followed closely by Cyril Smith and L. Neussner, but by Signpost
Corner, Willi Schneider had jumped to third position and "Pip" Harris to fourth. Camathias was five seconds ahead of Smith at Hall's Corner and there was little between them as they ended the first lap, but Schneider, a previous winner, was going at a high speed and before the third lap had caught Camathias.
He got into the lead at Governor's Bridge and was barely 100 yards ahead going through the pits, with Harris not far behind. On his second lap, Schneider broke the lap record with a time of 8 mins.
47.6 secs., a speed of 73.62 m.p.h. At all vantage points Schneider and Camathias thrilled the
Crowds, with British hopes centred on Cyril Smith and "Pip" Harris, lying third and fourth.
In the early stages, Millard and Freeman bumped into each other at the fourth milestone. M. Beauvais crashed at Cronkny-Mona. Rider and passenger were given medical attention, but they were O.K. and retired, as did Neussner, who had been doing well. Eric Oliver and his lady passenger,
Mrs Pat Wise, on a standard Norton combination, lapped extremely well, and their progress was of keen interest to the crowds.
SCHNEIDER AGAIN!
Schneider had the skates on and it looked a certainty for this German combination.
On his sixth lap he again broke the record with a time of 8 mins. 44.4 seconds, a speed of
74.07 m.p.h. The second man, Camathias, pulled in at the end of this lap and spent 28 valuable seconds making adjustments, but he was well ahead of third man, Smith, and got away again.
Fourth, fifth and sixth men were Harris (Norton), Jack Meeton (Norton ) and Ritter (B.M.W.)
LATE SENSATION
A sensation came in the finishing stages of the race when Britain's challengers to the German
B.M.W.'s, Cyril Smith and Pip Harris, on Nortons, went out with engine trouble, leaving Jack
Beeton as Britain’s contender. It was learned that the pileup between Millard and Freeman, who also rode Nortons had necessitated medical attention to Freeman and passenger Chisnall. The driver
had facial and shoulder injuries, and the passengers had minor cuts, but they were quite
cheerful.
Shortly before 4-30 the meteoric Schneider crossed the line and it was stated that his speed was half a mile faster than last year's lap record .